David Hartzell, Clarence Town supervisor, gives his first State of the Town address during the Clarence Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at Orazio's Restaurant on Thursday. Photo by Jim SmerecakPurchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com About three weeks into his term as Clarence town supervisor, David Hartzell said he “loves his job.”

He gave his State of the Town address during the Clarence Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon held Thursday at Orazio’s Restaurant.

Hartzell said Clarence is one of the fastest growing communities in the area and his job will be to see that the growth continues while the unique characteristics of the town are retained.

His goals include working to bring sewers to unsewered portions of town and pushing for sidewalks in new subdivisions, as well as encouraging them elsewhere.

He said he had recently visited the outdoor ice rink in Akron and would like to have something similar constructed in Clarence if it could be cheap and easily accessible, perhaps in Meadowlakes Park.

He also said the Clarence Industrial Development Agency is in the process of hiring a new economic development director to help create new jobs and increase revenue, and mentioned a proposed apartment complex near Transit Road that he said could generate more than $150,000 in tax revenue.

The project was denied a variance by the Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 10 as a result of density requirements. Alterations to those requirements are the topic of a public hearing scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8.

James Callahan, director of community development, also gave a presentation during the luncheon. He said the town’s policy on growth is guided by the philosophy of its Master Plan, which advocates a balance between commercial and residential development and green space.

The Master Plan identified an annual benchmark of $175,000 per year in new net revenue for commercial and industrial space, an average that the town has exceeded in the past 10 years, he said.

In 2011, there were 70 new residential units added to the town, with about $24 million in impact to assessed values, he said. The average cost per unit was about $341,000, not including land cost, said Callahan.

“That tells us there’s a higher quality of homes going in,” he said.

The number of new units in the town has been impacted by the national fiscal crisis.

Commercial development has decreased, with 12 building permits issued for commercial and industrial space. Five of these were for vacant land, and the total value of added space was about $2.4 million. Two out of the five permits listed as having maximum value are located in Clarence Hollow, a bright spot that should bode well for the future, he said.

The average cost per square foot for commercial construction in the town is $37, as opposed to $95 for residential.

“I think there are some positive signs that things will improve next year,” he said.

Callahan said preservation of open space is a critical factor in maintaining the character of the town. Forty-six percent of the land remains agricultural or undeveloped, 5 percent less than when the Master Plan was adopted in 2001. The town acquired several properties through its Greenprint program in 2011, he said.

The town’s Recreation Advisory Committee has been analyzing the impact of the Greenprint program and may have its evaluation available in the next few months, said Callahan.

Highway Superintendent Theodore Donner said his department is operating with three fewer employees than it had under his predecessor. The town leadership is trying to be as lean as possible, he said. The tax rate is also low compared to most area municipalities, he said.

Donner said he treats each expense as if he’s paying for it out of his own pocket.

Members of the department are complimented on their paving skills by contractors and other towns and have been working on projects, including an addition to the town’s animal shelter with help from the Parks Department, according to Donner.

He meets regularly with other highway superintendents and said there are mutual aid agreements between towns. They trade equipment and personnel and are available to help if there is a disaster, he said.

Overtime costs should be reduced this year because of the lack of snow so far, and the department will probably be able to stockpile some salt for the future, he said, adding that employees spread about 500 tons of salt on the roads on the morning of the luncheon.

Paving and drainage projects are planned for this year, and the bicycle path also needs repaving, he said.