Wednesday News Brief

Rezoning Move at 200 Oak Street Raises Traffic Concerns

Batavia City Council is moving forward with steps to rezone the former Days Inn property at 200 Oak Street from Commercial to a Planned Development District, but members say traffic issues must be addressed before redevelopment begins.
Developer Jayesh Patel of Rudra Management plans to demolish part of the old hotel and convert the site into a climate-controlled indoor self-storage facility, small retail space, and market-rate townhomes. The project would also restore unused parking areas back to green space.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski said the rezoning request has been sent to the Planning & Development Committee, and council must now issue an environmental declaration and schedule a public hearing on the new P-5 district.
But council members, including Bob Bialkowski and Paul Viele, warned that traffic on Oak Street is already “horrendous,” especially since the state reduced the roadway to one lane. Several members said the state DOT has dismissed past concerns, even though traffic backs up multiple times each day.
Tabelski said a traffic study could be required as part of the site plan review, with costs covered by the developer. The issue now advances to a future business meeting.

Hawley Offices Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Assemblyman Steve Hawley’s offices in Albion and Batavia will be closed Wednesday through Friday in observance of Thanksgiving. Regular hours resume on Monday.
Hawley extends warm wishes to all residents of the 139th Assembly District for a safe and happy holiday.
Hawley, a Republican from Batavia, represents portions of Erie, Genesee, Monroe, and Orleans counties.

Local Players Named to Section V Soccer All-Tournament Teams

Several Genesee County athletes have earned spots on the 2025 Section V Boys’ Soccer All-Tournament Teams.
In Class A, Batavia was represented by juniors Jaziah Ayala and Trey Tryon.
In Class B, Le Roy/Cal-Mum placed three seniors on the list: Jack Currin, Noah Kaczanowski, and Jacob Wiley.
And in Class C1, Byron-Bergen/Elba senior Colin Rea was selected.
Congratulations to all of this year’s local All-Tournament honorees.

Amazon Opens New High-Tech Delivery Facility in Pembroke

A major new Amazon facility is officially open in Pembroke — and town officials say it’s a game-changer.
The 201-thousand-square-foot sub-same-day delivery center, located on Vision Parkway near the Thruway exit, is the first facility of its kind in all of Western New York. Amazon says it will create more than 100 jobs and speed up same-day shipping across Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties.
Pembroke Town Supervisor Thomas Schneider Jr. toured the building and praised both Amazon and the project. He says the company has been “great to deal with,” meeting all code requirements, and giving local fire crews full access to the site.
Schneider says nearly one-third of the building is dedicated entirely to robotics, with automated systems moving shelves of products to workers.
The project first came to local planners two years ago as a standard warehouse — and only later was revealed to be an Amazon last-mile center. Amazon handled all its own financing, meaning the site will appear at full taxable value on the assessment rolls.
Amazon officials say the investment shows their commitment to bringing jobs and faster delivery to Western New York.

Judge Presses Savarino for Action at Ellicott Station

Sam Savarino was back in Batavia City Court after repeatedly failing to appear on code violations tied to the stalled Ellicott Station project. Judge Rogers vacated earlier judgments but warned the company to immediately secure the former DellaPenna building, calling it a safety hazard with rotted windows, a leaking roof, and open access points.
City officials say the building’s permit has expired and new plans are required. Savarino proposed 2026 completion dates, but the city rejected that as too far off.
The judge ordered progress and set January 12th for the next update.