AUBURN - A proposed subdivision may not take off once planning board members discovered it didn't have a PILOT in place.

On Wednesday, the Auburn Planning Board tabled its site plan review of a neighborhood of duplexes after Corporation Counsel Andrew Fusco pointed out Two Plus Four Construction's application stated it wanted a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the city.

Company president Sue Kimmel said they were waiting for the mayoral switch before approaching the city. She did not say if she will proceed with the application if such an agreement is not arranged. However, the East Syracuse company already has a tax break through the state to allow it to pay based on its operating costs, not assessed home value.

“We're not in the business of giving tax breaks,” Fusco said.

The plan consists of building a series of semidetached houses in the north end of Auburn. The plan shows extending North Fulton and Rochester streets for the one-street community.

The company's development arm, Lakeside, will partner with Homesite to build the homes to rent for less than market price. The proposal encompasses 22 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom houses, which the partnership would manage and maintain.

Neighbors voiced objections to the proposed subdivision of duplexes, such as a narrow street that can't handle the traffic and that low-income homes will bring crime to the area, they said.

Clearly the most popular topic was water run off. Homeowners repeatedly spoke about basements flooding and standing water in yards. They asked if the development would contribute to the flooding, and asked to see the details for water flow.

“We need to see what's happening with that run off,” property owner Tony Amodei said.

The architect didn't have the storm sewer information because the project's early stage doesn't require a plan, city planner Stephen Selvek said. Like many other neighbors, North Fulton Street's Don Feneck showed his hostility for the concept when he promised he would park on the narrow street and get his neighbors to do the same so school buses couldn't travel down the already tight space.

He also asked for a guarantee that the developer would pay for any flood damage caused by the proposed neighborhoods.

Kimmel understands their concerns and called them typical for this kind of development. The architect will draft a storm sewer plan as the next step and said the development could help alleviate some of the issue.

“If we do nothing, you'll still have your water problems,” Kimmel said.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or

jessica.soule@lee.net