Cortland commission forwards Robinson Farm plan to board
CORTLAND - It's up to the Cortland Town Board to decide whether Pinnacle Construction can build a “traditional neighborhood” with a mix of townhouses and single-family homes. The planning commission on Monday recommended that the Wheaton-based company be allowed to take over construction of Robinson Farm, a subdivision near Route 38 and Somonauk Road. Pinnacle Construction President Jack Work wants to build townhouses with front yards and covered porches and two- and three-bedroom single-family homes with front yards and two-car garages set along alleys. The company would take over the second phase of the subdivision. The first phase, which includes 56 lots, is north of the area Pinnacle would develop. Town Planner Kjirsten Frank said Pinnacle's plan would not affect the part of the subdivision already under construction. The number of units, 291, in the plan the commission recommended Monday remains unchanged from that in the original Robinson Farm plan. That initial plan called for about 190 apartments, with the remaining being duplexes. The density will remain the same under the new plan - between 560 and 580 residents. Pinnacle's plan includes townhouses, also called row houses, and single-family homes. About 70 townhouses would be built adjacent to the trailer park on Route 38. There also would be land for commercial development. At a previous commission meeting there was some concern that there wouldn't be enough space for parking in the development. Changes were made to add parking for two cars per unit in addition to the two-car garages. Work also said the alleys could be built with concrete and were engineered to allow for rescue equipment to get through. “What we got today is better than what we had before,” planning commission Chairwoman Cheryl Aldis said, referring to the proposal with apartments. Frank said Pinnacle's plan is innovative. “That's something we've been trying to do here,” Frank said. “We want to do something a little bit different from everywhere else.” The plan now moves to the town board for its consideration. Aracely Hernandez can be reached at ahernandez@daily-chronicle.com.