The town may be on the verge of significant improvements to the planning process, according to Planning Board chairman Al Schultz. Those changes could include delegating some of the Town Board’s decision-making authority to the Planning Board.

Supervisor Scott Bylewski asked James Callahan, director of community development, to describe how decisions made at the Aug. 25 Town Board meeting might be handled differently if the process is altered.

The Town Board granted development plan approval for a 64-lot open-space design subdivision known as Shadow Woods, on the west side of Goodrich Road, north of Keller Road. This would still come before the Town Board if the process changed, according to Callahan.

However, he said the concept approval requested by Patrick Development for a four-lot open development area on the west side of Roxbury Drive, east of Fairfield Drive and Old Hickory Lane, would be handled by the Planning Board.

The applicant was granted a public hearing at 7:50 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, by the Town Board. A public hearing would still be required by a revised process, said Callahan.

The Town Board also approved a change-in-use from vacant commercial to retail smoke shop for a building at 5701 Transit Road. This could eventually be under the purview of the Planning Board, not the Town Board, said Callahan.

However, Waterford Village’s final plat approval for phase 3, part C, of its Planned Unit Residential Developments project, would be the Town Board’s responsibility because it requires accepting new infrastructure into the town, he said.

The Waterford Village request brought by Cimato Enterprises was approved during the meeting.

The Planning Board was charged by the Town Board to evaluate the current process.

During its Aug. 18 meeting, the Planning Board recommended expanding its authority to include “final approval for land use issues that do not require variances under, or changes in, laws or codes.” This expansion would include: concept plan approval for concepts that do not involve overlay zoning amendments; development plan approval; minor lot splits; and change-in-use permits, according to minutes from the meeting.

Legislative land use issues would continue to be the responsibility of the Town Board. These would include: master plan amendments; special exception use permits; temporary conditional permits; new or extended sewer districts; and public hearing and final approval of open space design overlays (following Planning Board recommendation), according to minutes from the Planning Board meeting.

The Planning Board also recommended that the Town Environmental Quality Review Board be eliminated and that the Planning Board remain at a size of seven members.

These actions are suggested for the purpose of increased efficiency. The Town Board will determine whether or not the process should be changed.

On another matter, Councilman Bernard Kolber encouraged people to contact him with comments and complaints about brush pickup. Brush was not removed by the town Highway Department during the months of June, July and August of this year. Brush pickup will resume in September and continue until the end of November.

Kolber said he wants to hear residents’ opinions before a decision is made about what to do in the future. He can be reached at 741-8929 or bkolber@ clarence. ny. us.