by Sara Bollinger – Manlius Town Councilor
Black Lives Matter
George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25th. A groundswell of outrage arose after a video of his death was widely circulated. A group of high school and college students organized a Black Lives Matter rally and march in the Village of Manlius on June 7th that was attended by about 300 people [mostly white, as only 3% of Manlius residents are African-American]. A smaller, powerful Black Lives Matter event was hosted by young people in Minoa on June 6th. This was followed by an educational presentation with ten speakers in the Village of Fayetteville June 14th called Facing Racism.
This is not over. New York State has enacted several new laws related to police accountability and Governor Cuomo has required that all municipalities create a community engagement process and submit a report before April 1, 2021. The Town of Manlius plans to implement a pro-active strategy to engage the community with our police modernization plans.
COVID-19
There have not been many positive cases of coronavirus in the Town after the outbreak at the Towne Center senior living facility was well contained. Manlius has had 89 confirmed cases with 72 people recovered. The County has moved to reopening Phase 4. Town employees are working, but the office is not yet open to the public. Please call to make an appointment if you need to meet with Town staff.
3Gi Inland Port
The Public Hearing on 3Gi’s elaborate plan for an ‘Inland Port’ to manage truck deliveries to and from the CSX Rail Yard in Fremont included several guest speakers. The truck traffic on Fremont and Kirkville Roads has long been an issue, and the new Amazon warehouses in Liverpool and Dewitt may increase this traffic exponentially. A Public Information Meeting regarding the 3Gi proposal was held via Zoom on June 25th.
New Developments
The zone change from Restricted Agricultural to Residential Mixed Use for a medical professional building at 5538 N. Burdick St. was approved.
Brolex Properties [yes, these are the same people who wanted to build apartments at Megnin Farms] submitted a proposal for a cluster development of market-rate condos at the current Freeman Interiors property along Limestone Creek at Route 92. At the Public Hearing, an issue regarding accurate zoning of the surrounding parcels postponed a vote. Stay tuned!
A zone change from Residential Mixed Use to Commercial A was submitted for the corner lot at Enders Road and Route 92. This request was referred to the Planning Board.
Other News
The Board held Public Hearings regarding ‘No Parking’ signs on Hale Road near ‘Top of the World’ and a plan to delegate granting Special Use Permits to the Planning Board.
The Board approved a resolution making June Pride Month in the Town of Manlius. The rainbow flag was raised at Town Hall at a ceremony June 25th.
The Summer Recreation Program has restarted with virtual activities.
