Clay Town Board Approves Major Rezoning for Taft Road, Sets Public Hearing for Battery Storage
The Town Board unanimously approved a rezoning request for the Hinerwadels site on West Taft Road, clearing the way for new residential and office development. Board members also scheduled public hearings for a proposed credit union expansion and three new battery energy storage systems.
●Approved rezoning (Case #1236): 29.1 acres at 5300 W. Taft Road changed from R-10/LuC-2 to R-7.5/O-2 to allow residential and office development (Vote: 7-0).
●Scheduled Public Hearing (Case #1240): Summit Federal Credit Union seeks zone change from O-1 to O-2 at 4955 W. Taft Rd for new construction (Hearing: Feb. 2, 2026).
●Scheduled Public Hearing (Cases #1243 & #1244): Nexamp seeks permits for battery energy storage systems (BESS) on Wetzel Rd and Long Branch Rd (Hearing: Feb. 2, 2026).
●Renewed License: Madison Village Mobile Home Court license renewed for 2026; park reports 52 new homes added in the past year.
●Created Civil Service Positions: Established three full-time positions: Account Clerk 1, Deputy Comptroller, and Senior Recreation Leader.
CLAY — The Town Board moved forward with a significant rezoning proposal for the Hinerwadels property on West Taft Road during its regular meeting on Jan. 21, 2026, while also setting the stage for future development discussions regarding energy storage and banking facilities.
In a unanimous 7-0 vote, the board approved a zone change for approximately 29.1 acres located at 5300 W. Taft Road. The resolution, introduced by Councilor Joseph Bick, changes the designation from R-10 One-Family Residential and LuC-2 Limited Use District for Restaurants to R-7.5 One-Family Residential and O-2 Office District.
According to the meeting minutes, the change paves the way for the construction of new residential lots and two office lots. The Planning Board previously reviewed the proposal and recommended approval in October. The board also completed a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), determining the project would not have a significant adverse impact on the environment.
**Energy Storage and Banking Expansion on the Horizon**
Looking ahead, the board scheduled a series of public hearings for Feb. 2, 2026, focusing on new development proposals.
Summit Federal Credit Union is seeking to construct a new facility at 4955 West Taft Road. The board agreed to hear a request to rezone 1.07 acres from O-1 to O-2 and to grant special permits for a credit union and drive-thru services. The proposed project would involve demolishing an existing office building.
Residents will also have the opportunity to weigh in on energy infrastructure. The board set hearings for two special permit applications from Nexamp, Inc. The company is proposing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) utilizing Tesla Megapack batteries.
One site is located on Wetzel Road on less than an acre of land in the I-1 Industrial District. A second site is proposed for Long Branch Road in the RC-1 Regional Commercial District. A third battery storage proposal, Carson Power, LLC, was also scheduled for a hearing.
**Mobile Home Park Expansion Continues**
In other business, the board renewed the operating license for Madison Village Mobile Home Court for 2026. Property Manager Peter Russo provided an update on the facility’s rapid growth, noting that 52 new homes were added in the past year.
"Mr. Russo said that it has been a productive year, and they are projecting this year will also be productive," the minutes stated.
Russo told the board that 380 of the park's 425 homes are now owner-occupied, with 45 remaining as rentals. He noted that while there are 305 vacant lots, not all are immediately usable due to utility connection constraints. Russo emphasized that the park provides a path to homeownership for families finding the general housing market unaffordable.
**Administrative Updates**
The board also took steps to bolster town staff by establishing three full-time positions subject to New York State Civil Service regulations. Resolutions were passed to create an Account Clerk 1, a Deputy Comptroller within the Finance Office, and a Senior Recreation Leader for the Recreation Department. All passed by 7-0 votes.
A correction was made to the term of Planning Board Member Paul Graves. The board amended his appointment to reflect a standard seven-year term, now expiring on Dec. 31, 2031.
During the correspondence portion of the meeting, resident Wayne Barnes raised concerns about sidewalk maintenance along Allen and Taft Roads and speeding in a school zone. Supervisor Damian Ulatowski indicated he had not yet looked into the sidewalk issue but stated he would provide an update on the traffic enforcement concerns at the next meeting.
This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-4-20250514) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
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●Annual Salaries Set: Board approved 2026 salaries ranging from $21,218 for councilors to $137,500 for the Commissioner of Planning & Development (Vote: 7-0).
●Meeting Schedule Adjusted: Regular meetings moved to the first and third Mondays at 7:30 PM; three meetings (Feb 16, July 6, Aug 3) were cancelled (Vote: 7-0).
●Legal Services Retained: Germain & Germain retained as Town Attorney and Zoning Board counsel; Bond, Schoeneck & King retained for Planning Board at $36,000 (Vote: 7-0).
●Engineering Services: C & S Engineers retained for town services and zoning map updates (Vote: 7-0).
●Deputy Supervisor Named: Councilor Joseph Bick appointed as Deputy Supervisor (Vote: 7-0).
●Planning Board Appointments: Michelle Borton reappointed as Chair; Harold Henty appointed to a seven-year term expiring in 2032 (Vote: 7-0).
●Zoning Map Adopted: Board accepted the revised Official Zoning Map dated Dec. 12, 2025 (Vote: 7-0).
●Board of Ethics: Town Clerk Jill Hageman-Clark appointed Chairperson for a five-year term (Vote: 7-0).
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●Deputy Supervisor Salary Increase: Approved raising the monthly salary from $1,981 to $3,621.06 for six months, citing increased workload. (Vote: 6-0; Councilor Bick abstained)
●Rite Aid Tax Settlement: Authorized a $19,316.84 refund to Rite Aid Corp. for overpaid 2024 taxes due to an assessment error on Henry Clay Boulevard. (Vote: 7-0)
●Rich Family Subdivision: Denied a zone change application for Oasis Lane "without prejudice" after the applicant failed to appear and multiple meeting adjournments. (Vote: 7-0)
●New Court Clerk Position: Established a full-time Court Clerk position in the Justice Department to comply with NYS Civil Service regulations. (Vote: 7-0)
●Northern Credit Union Public Hearing: Closed a public hearing for a proposed credit union with a drive-thru on West Taft Road; the Planning Board has issued a favorable recommendation.
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