WWW.VANBURENNY.GOV VAN BUREN NEW YORK A QUAINT AND WELCOMING TOWN
VAN BUREN, NY A QUAINT AND WELCOMING TO AT A GLANCE TOWN OF VAN BUREN WHAT: Q uaint small town along the Seneca River with housing and commercial planned growth on the horizon WHERE: Onondaga County, New York WEBSITE: www.VanBurenNY.gov BLESSED WITH AN INSPIRING PHYSICAL SETTING, THIS CHARMING TOWN IS CAREFULLY PLANNING FOR FUTURE GROWTH WITHOUT LOSING ITS QUINTESSENTIAL COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CHARACTER. 1 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
OWN Few towns can boast a close-knit community feel while truly embracing what is to come. It is a balancing act that requires careful planning, an appreciation for history, listening carefully to resident wishes, and having the courage to embrace change. For the beautiful and quaint town of Van Buren, New York, the town board led by Town Supervisor, Wendy 2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
Van Der Water has managed to achieve the necessary balance that preserves the town’s undeniable charm, while planning growth that is best suited for the community. Blessed with a natural setting that is second to none,Van Buren is part of the larger three municipal Baldwinsville community which also includes the Town of Lysander and the Village of Baldwinsville. Together, these three dynamic communities share road corridors and the beautiful Seneca River. “We are a very small, quaint, suburban town,” Van Der Water begins.“It is all agricultural and farmland. The land here is still beautiful, peaceful, and very country [oriented].” Boasting beautiful and historic farms that are generationally owned, Van Buren also comprises an additional area, east of Route 690 that is more built up, predominantly residentially based, and provides commercial and retail opportunities for its residents. “We have probably five or six neighborhoods out there that have been in place for a long time. When you couple both of those areas it makes up our very quiet, charming, and I would say, low-key town,” Van Der Water adds. Up the river in the Village of Baldwinsville, the center lights up summer nights with residents enjoying a drink at an outdoor cafe, a leisurely walk along its streets, and taking in a little retail therapy. “You will see many folks walking to one of the village shops, going to stop to have a beverage or just grabbing some dinner,”Van Der Water describes. “This is where we have that main street village vibe. Where you have fine dining, entertainment or even an outdoor concert there.” In Van Buren, the two main arteries that run through the center of the town include Route 48 which eventually becomes Syracuse Street, and Downer Street, referred to as Route 31. “These are not your typical main streets,” Van Der Water points out. “It is just a main street that goes 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 VAN BUREN, NY
through the town up until you get to the river and go into the village, a corridor, of sorts,” she details. COMMUNITY-LED INITIATIVES TAKING SHAPE Van Der Water highlights that the Town Board is very focused on planning for, not just the next five years of growth and town direction, but also the direction over the next 20 years. Currently, Van Buren is utilizing the funds available through the Community Development Grant, concentrating its efforts on addressing pressing needs for the community’s senior center and ensuring the infrastructure is sound for increased residential housing. “This grant typically taps out at $50, 000 and is specific to either low-income housing areas or senior initiatives,” Van Der Water details. “As part of our Community Development Grant, we are focusing our attention on our senior community center that serves our area for Lysander and Van Buren and the Village of Baldwinsville, and it also serves surrounding areas.” “The center is open to the public and it has been here for a long time and we are very proud of it,” she elaborates. “A lot of seniors gather there because they offer many programs. It offers exercise classes, yoga classes, bingo every week, fish fry Fridays, and an antique car show every year.The center hosts several fundraisers such as wreaths for sale at Christmas time.” Van Der Water points out that the center holds special significance and remains high on the Town Board’s priority list because,“it keeps connected with the community, both on the [general] community level and on the senior community level as well.” The town has used the funds in the Community Development Grant to attend to the center’s infrastructure including, updating the windows, flooring, and addressing insulation in an attempt to ensure that it is energy efficient and sustainable long term. 4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
“We have two new developments that are under development right now. One is called Treybrook. We have 40 single-family homes that are built to date leaving about 34 lots still available in addition to about 82 townhomes that will be built in the next two years on the old Seneca Golf course,” Van Der Water states. “The owner of the golf course decided to sell it and then we had a developer come in and wanted to put in a new housing development.”This housing development,Van Der Water relays, consists of singleOther areas of the town’s Community Development grants in the past have addressed drainage issues specifically in the Seneca Knoll neighborhood which is one of the first neighborhoods in Van Buren. “This area is made up of either a first-time home buyer or empty nesters who want smaller houses and it is one big community separated by Route 48,” Van Der Water explains. “We can put some of this grant money toward drainage issues because it is one of the older neighborhoods. We want to make sure that these areas are being maintained accordingly.” HOUSING THE FUTURE OF VAN BUREN Although acknowledging that there is an ongoing housing shortage across the country, Van Der Water is determined to add housing stock that fits into the community design and does not impede the character of the community in which she and the residents take such pride. 5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 VAN BUREN, NY
family homes that range from the $300,00 price point up to $1.2 million. It also offers the opportunity for single level townhomes for sale which would appeal to professionals or empty nesters who do not want to contend with larger lots and yards. “Also along Van Buren Road, another housing development is Marion Townhouses which will be about 75 townhouses that are only available for lease. This will provide the opportunity to target the professionals who may not want to invest right now in a house or maybe move around a lot with their jobs, or maybe those that just do not want a big home in their life right now,” Van Der Water notes. Van Der Water is particularly excited about a $10 million housing grant from New York State awarded to a developer whose project will comprise 90 units dedicated to homeless veterans, and disabled and senior residents. “I am super excited about this because we don’t have a lot of housing in our area for this demographic. I am looking forward to this new project because we 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
owe our Veterans everything for their dedication to our country.” INFRASTRUCTURE DOWN THE ROAD When asked about other infrastructure projects that may be in the town’s future Van Der Water was pleased to report that it is not currently a major issue for them. “We have high-speed internet throughout the town of Van Buren. We went through the whole process with national cable companies laying fiber optics, so this is not an issue in town at all.” “I don’t think that we have anything major coming up [infrastructure-wise].” What the board is prioritizing, however, is updating its comprehensive land use plan which is over 20 years old. “We want to set the future of Van Buren and what it will look like; where we want to have commercial and industrial, so we are going through and revamping 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 VAN BUREN, NY
down from generation to generation and we do not want to disturb that population, but we do want to be able to offer a bit more housing and development that way,” she elaborates. Van Der Water also mentions the benefits of Micron coming to the area for future commercial and industrial business opportunities for Van Buren. “Senator Chuck Schumer and even former President Biden come to Central New York a few times as part of the Chips Act discussions. Now Micron is committed that plan which is going to be an 18-month process. One area that requires attention, Van Der Water notes, is the area west of 690, which needs infrastructure upgrading and additions. “There is not a lot of sewer and water because of the farmland out that way, and this is the only area that’s left to develop. We want to keep the farmland out there for our farmers.” “These are century-old farms that have been handed 8 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
to coming here and I believe they are going to break ground in November.This will be a major chip factory in this area of New York State.” The town’s comprehensive land use plan will be updated to identify potential areas well suited for any Micron ancillary divisions or companies. “We want to be able to open that door to Micron to facilitate any additional future needs for properties,” Van Der Water projects. A RIVER OF OPPORTUNITY THAT REFLECTS COMMUNITY GOALS Van Der Water is determined to navigate the town’s future growth direction using history as a guide. “We are not going to throw some houses up because 9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 VAN BUREN, NY
PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Solvay Bank www.solvaybank.com Solvay Bank, the oldest community bank established in Onondaga County, has served Central New York for over 108 years — offering personalized banking, borrowing, and investment solutions. With local service and decision making, experienced staff, competitive banking products, and 9 convenient locations, Solvay Bank supports the unique needs of businesses and municipalities across Central New York. few key priorities. “The comprehensive plan is a big part, and I am excited about this because it is going to be a roadmap for what Van Buren will look like.” “There is another project entitled the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. We have an opportunity to work with the county to revitalize our shorelines. If that means adding a boat slip or adding a dock or adding some trails along the river, whatever we want this to look like, we are working on this now, as a community with the other two municipalities” Van Der Water announces. With opportunities that extend to utilizing its stunning natural assets and holding a clear vision ahead, Van Buren is charting a course forward that will be ideally matched to what its valued residents are looking for. “We are going to make sure that we maintain that vision for our residents for wanting to live in Van Buren and just maybe, their kids will grow up and want to live here too with their families,” she concludes. there is a housing shortage. We are looking towards controlled growth.” “Our residents chose to live here because it is quiet and in a country setting and they do not want that big metro city feel,” Van Der Water highlights. Keeping this in mind, Van Der Water sums up the innovative growth that lies ahead by identifying a 10 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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