Brighton developer frustrated with Town Board

After another Brighton Town Board meeting without a decision on a proposed car wash at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Clover Street developer Anthony Daniele has had enough.

Daniele said he put the property up for sale Thursday morning, a day after the board postponed taking action. He feels the board is likely to vote down the project despite the Daniele family, who own the nearby Mario's restaurant, having invested about $150,000 in the project already.

"We're exhausted mentally, physically and financially from having to deal with the town of Brighton," Daniele said.

Brighton Supervisor Sandra Frankel said the Town Board and the Daniele family have agreed to wait until the first meeting in September for further review of the project.

"I understand his business reasons for needing to take that step," Frankel said of the property being listed for sale. "At the same time the Town Board has time to review and consider the application with the possibility of new information coming to help them in the decision-making process."

The project requires the board's approval of an incentive-zoning change. The change would allow for the construction of a car wash at the intersection if the Daniele family, the developer of the project, meets a series of conditions a representative for the restaurateur called among the most stringent he has seen.

The talk prompted Mario Daniele, who owns the nearby Mario’s restaurant, to say he would comply with the board’s conditions, but asked for a decision either way.

“If it’s not in your hearts to do this, don’t let us waste any more money and time,” Mario Daniele said.

If the board approves the car wash — which would be the first in Brighton — Daniele would have to pay the town $50,000 as part of a package of incentives. Daniele also must aggressively seek approval from the state Department of Transportation to maintain a median on Monroe Avenue near the site, and provide car-wash service for town-owned vehicles.

Many of the conditions attempt to address the traffic concerns of nearby residents.

In addition to prohibiting left turns from Monroe Avenue into the car wash, the town would require a gate that would close off the business to customers if the car wash is full and backs up into either street. The conditions also would address traffic entering and leaving the property onto Clover Street.

If the project gets the final OK from all of the town’s boards, Daniele would have to apply for a demolition permit within 10 days of approval to remove the vacant gas station that many residents and businesses have called an “eyesore.”

Frankel has previously said any business that goes into that location would add traffic to the intersection. The proposal is a good economic development project at a site that has had no takers for years, she said, and benefits the town more than the problems people believe it will cause.

“I don’t think traffic will add to the dangerous situation,” Frankel said at a meeting Monday night. “The conditions outlined help to address that.”

Councilpersons Louise Novros, Ray Tierney, and Sheila Gaddis all expressed concerns about the traffic.

The reasons the conditions for the car wash are so draconian, Gaddis said, is “because it doesn’t fit.”

Several officials said it’s unclear if results of a state study of traffic on Monroe Avenue, and  recommendations resulting from a town charrette for improvements to the busy road, will be available before the board takes up the matter again at its first meeting in September.

Anthony Daniele said his family hasn't given up on the project yet.

"We'll entertain any conversations with (the Town Board)" he said. "I'm sure we'll speak to them between now and the next month.

"We have traffic studies, we have professionals who say the project works, we have a history of doing good work in the community and a property that's been dormant and an eyesore for almost nine years that doesn't have many other options. What else do we have to give?"