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Covington is located in the northeast corner of Wyoming County. It is bordered by Genesee County to the north, Livingston County to the east, the Town of Middlebury to the west and the Town of Perry to the South.

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Local Law Adopted

Posted: October 14, 2007

View Adopted Local Law PDF

Town Survey Results

Posted: March 5, 2007

The town received approximately 40% of the surveys they sent out with the following results:

  1. Comp. Plan:
    71% No Comment - 19% Favorable - 10% Negative Comments
  2. Water District:
    61% Yes - 21% No - 17% Undecided
  3. County Garbage:
    43% County Plan - 34% Transfer Station - 23% Neither
  4. Wind Energy Project:
    70% Yes - 21% No - 8% Undecided

 

Re-Alignment of Route 63

Posted: December 12, 2006

Route 63 will undergo re-alignment in 2008 to reduce the potential for future accidents by eliminating the existing substandard highway features, notably the sharp curve at Peoria Road. Read the project summary for more details and view a map of the new road.

Map of Project

PROJECT SUMMARY

Route 63 Realignment, Hamlet of Peoria
Wyoming County, PIN 4063.31
November 2006

SCHEDULE

Our current schedule is to have all the design work complete by June 2007 with the opening of construction bids in the Fall of 2007. Construction should begin in the Spring of 2008 and be complete by the late Fall of 2008.

COST

The current construction estimate is $2,000,000.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The primary objective is to reduce the potential for future accidents along this section of Route 63 by eliminating the existing substandard highway features, notably the sharp curve at Peoria Road. The latest available accident reports show an accident rate above the statewide average for this type of roadway. Additionally, high speeds and high truck traffic (estimate at 45% of the total volume) have caused significant property damage due to run-off-the road truck accidents.

LAY-OUT OF NEW ROAD

Approximately 3900 ft of Route 63 will be reconstructed on a new alignment and will have two 12 ft wide lanes with 8 ft wide shoulders. The new curves required to tie-into the existing roadway will be over twice as gradual as the existing curve. All current highway design standards will be met or exceeded.

Much of the new roadway will be built on fill with gentle side-slopes on each side of the road. At the intersection of Peoria Road, there will be an approximately 14 ft cut due to the knoll in this area. Approximately 1100 ft of Peoria Road will be rebuilt to tie-into the new roadway. Peoria Road will continue to have stop-signs at the new Route 63 intersection.

The distance from the center of Route 63 to the proposed Route 63 is 500 ft. The farm property owners agreed to have the new roadway built 80 ft further north than required to maximize the set-back from the houses on Route 63.

As shown on the attached drawing, existing Route 63 will terminate with snow-plow turnarounds and the remaining pavement between the existing and new roadways will be removed. No other work will be required along this section of existing Route 63. Ownership and maintenance of the 'abandoned' section of Route 63 will revert to the County oat the completion of the new roadway.

LANDSCAPING

The new side slopes along the roadway will be top-soiled and have grass established. Tree and shrub plantings are proposed to be placed to shield the driver's line of sight from the abandoned highway and buffer the backyards of residences abutting the new alignment of Route 63. Also, trees may be placed to create a living snow fence to help shield snow drifts from the new roadway.

MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC DURING CONSTRUCTION

In order to create a safe work area for the construction workers and to minimize the amount of construction time, we will be closing both Route 63 and Peoria Road for a period of time. It is anticipated that Peoria Road will be closed for four weeks to construct the new intersection. Variable Message Signs will be used to provide advance warning to the local traffic of the road closure. Upon completion of the new Peoria Road intersection, Route 63 will be closed for four weeks to construct the new connections to Route 63. When Route 63 is closed, traffic will be maintained with an offsite detour utilizing NY Route 20 and NY Route 36. Access to all properties will be maintained at all times.

HIGHWAY NOISE ANALYSIS

A noise analysis was completed in the Fall of 2006. Noise measurements and modeling were done at seven locations to characterize the existing and proposed highway noise levels in the area. The analysis concluded that noise levels from the new roadway would either decrease or not have a noticeable change to the abutting properties. The noise model results are logical since the new roadway is further away than the existing roadway fro many of the properties and the roadway depression at the Peoria Road intersection provides natural noise shielding. Noise abatement measures will not be required for the project.

GROUNDWATER & WELL STUDIES

In July 2006, water samples and well readings were taken from nine wells in close proximity to the project. In addition, the NYSDOT has placed a ground water monitoring well near Peoria Road north of Route 63.

The water quality of the wells (8 of the 9 wells tested) had levels of chlorides and sodium which exceed groundwater standards. Additional, six of the nine wells sampled also had high coliform colonies, possibly due to wasp nest inside the well caps. One hand dug well also tested positive for E. coli bacteria. The owners of the wells were notified of the results.. The findings will be used as a baseline for groundwater quality and water levels in the area.

The groundwater level was noted at each well and continues to be monitored at our monitoring well. The earthwork required for the new roadway should not affect groundwater levels since we will be working above the groundwater level. Additionally, permanent water quality measures will be installed within the project limits to reduce the affects of de-icing salts and other roadway contaminants on water quality in this area.

HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL STUDIES

A cultural resource survey was conducted by the New York State Education Department, including a large number of test pits to search for any archeological artifacts in the area where we will be construction the new roadway. The work limits for the new roadway will have no impact on any items identified in the Cultural Resource Survey.

FARMLAD ISSUES

Approximately 12 acres of farmland will need to be acquired for the new roadway. Coordination with the owners of the farmland has been completed and all necessary agreements are in place.

Article XIV - Comprehensive Plan

Posted: March 5, 2006

The Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Covington was adopted on December 29th, 2006.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Adopted by Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Covington dated the ___ day of _________ 2006

INTRODUCTION

The Town of Covington is an agricultural community with a strong rural character anchored by its farming roots. Development will be guided in a manner that will improve upon the established community character and support the continuation of agricultural uses. Development of new residential areas and local businesses are welcomed and encouraged in the identified Aright places@ as long as it is designed to be compatible with its surroundings in use, scale and physical character.

The Town of Covington would like to maintain its rural agricultural character, while achieving some economic growth. While this growth may take many directions, the Town would like to concentrate on immediate economic opportunities that exist by strengthening the commercial/industrial opportunities in the area of the Route 63 corridor due to the truck traffic on this major route. The current economic vitality of the Town is realized through the large agricultural industry and small, family-owned businesses that have been allowed to grow and prosper.

Currently the Town, through its Planning Board, has drafted this plan in order to provide a tool to effectuate change in the community. The need for this Comprehensive Plan has been further intensified by the potential of green energy within the Town and the needs and desires of the residents of Covington. The Comprehensive Plan presented herein is only an initial step in guiding future development in the Town of Covington. While changes to the law must be consistent with the guidance provided by the Comprehensive Plan, the plan is not, by itself, a legally enforceable document. Citizens and public officials need also to be aware that whatever they adopt in their implementing laws must not only be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan but also with the requirements of state and federal law.

The Comprehensive Plan, along with the Zoning Law, can be used to encourage the growth of those land uses that are desirable for the community and exercised to discourage the growth of land uses that are detrimental. This will protect and preserve existing land uses and land investments. By preventing the encroachment of depreciating influences into a neighborhood, property values can be stabilized. The protection and stabilization of property values can instill the necessary confidence in the future so that investment developments can occur.

It is apparent that much of the success of the planning process within the Town will depend on the future initiative, imagination and creative character of all Covington citizens. Town officials should actively seek to develop and foster cooperation, education, community interest and spirit among all of the Town residents.

HISTORY OF COVINGTON

The Town of Covington, located on the eastern border of Wyoming County, New York, was created on January 31, 1817 from the Towns of Perry and Leroy (Genesee County) and was named after General Leonard Covington who served in the War of 1812. A part of this town formed in 1817 was annexed to the Town of York (Livingston County) in 1823.

The Town of Covington has a unique place in history as a vital link in the story of abolition and the Underground Railroad. The LeRoy section of the Underground Railroad was connected to Elba and Rochester on the north and Pearl Creek and Warsaw on the south. Just east of the Oatka Creek in the Covington Township, is the little Village of Pearl Creek and was the station home of Hugh Brooks. Known as "Brooksholm" it was settled by Benedict Brooks, a founder of the Middlebury Academy. His son, Hugh, was a staunch abolitionist and the family home was the stop on the Underground Railroad that led slaves along the creek, through Pavilion Center to the station northwest of LeRoy near the Keeney Road Cemetery. This southern section of the Underground Railroad was known as the "Covington Connection."

The Town is comprised of 16,224.78 acres, or 26.13 square miles, with the Oatka Creek flowing through the Wyoming Valley in the Town. The Town is mainly a residential and farming community with a strong rural character anchored by the agricultural businesses located throughout the Town. Some commercial and industrial activity has increased along the Route 63 corridor which is an appropriate location due to the traffic on this major route. Since the passage of NAFTA, tractor-trailers moving goods between Canada and New York City and points south has dramatically and significantly increased traffic on this route. The New York State Department of Transportation began a study in 2001 investigating increased truck traffic within the Route 63 corridor through Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties. The study focuses on travel in the vicinity of Route 63 between the I-90 New York Thruway Exit 48A in Pembroke and I-390 Exit 7 in Mount Morris, Livingston County.

The Town of Covington in years past was recognized by small hamlets and locations such as:

  • Boyds Corner - A location in the northeast Town corner.
  • Covington Center - A hamlet located at Route 236 and 19.
  • LaGrange - A hamlet on Route 236 on the south Town line.
  • Orrs Corners - A location near the northeast corner of the Town.
  • Pearl Creek - A hamlet near the north Town line on Route 19.
  • Peori - A hamlet on Route 63 near the eastern Town line.
  • Quinlans Corners - A location in the northeast Town corner.
  • Spragues Corners - A hamlet between Covington and Pearl Creek.
  • Wyoming Valley - A valley on the western edge of the Town, containing Oatka Creek.

COVINGTON TODAY

Over the years, theses hamlets have lost their identities. The Town of Covington today is a blended community without the distinctions of hamlets. Revitalization efforts should take advantage of opportunities presented by having three major routes traversing the Town of Covington, Route 19, Route 246 and Route 63. The Town would like to concentrate commercial and industrial economic development efforts in the vicinity of the Route 63 corridor due to the traffic on this major route. Small commercial growth would be appropriate in the area of Route 19, while residential development should be directed along the Route 246 corridor where there is the potential for municipal water. Any development in these areas should be guided in a manner that will improve upon the established community character with the continued support of agricultural uses. Future commercial and industrial development should enhance the community and be without negative and hazardous impacts that cannot be properly mitigated.

The Town is surrounded by three (3) counties; Livingston, Genesee and Wyoming and sandwiched between three (3) viable water districts; the Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA), the Perry Center Water District and the Livingston County Water and Sewer Authority.

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,357 people, 473 households and 377 families residing in the Town. Total assessed value of the Town of Covington is $66,813,472.00 as of 2005.

OVERALL COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES

  1. Require all future development, both public and private, to meet high standards of quality and appearance.
  2. Encourage the attraction, retention and expansion of a sufficient number and variety of businesses and industries to provide jobs and a healthy tax base.
  3. Establish and maintain a consistent housing policy that provides for decent housing of all types and open to all persons at prices and rents within their means.
  4. Adopt and maintain regulatory provisions which promote orderly growth and balanced land use.
  5. Promote and foster intergovernmental cooperation at local, county and regional levels.
  6. Promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of the town and to give due consideration to the needs of the people of the region of which the town is a part.
  7. Housing development should be encouraged along the Route 246 corridor due to the potential of municipal water facilities.
  8. Small commercial businesses should be promoted in the general area of the Route 19 corridor.
  9. Large commercial and industrial development should be concentrated along the Route 63 corridor.

LAND USES

A. AGRICULTURAL

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. Agricultural development is most important and should be protected in the Town of Covington by retaining appropriate areas for agriculture, especially on prime soils.
  2. Continue to recognize agriculture as an important environmental, economic and aesthetic component of the community and consider the impacts on agriculture in all actions taken by the Town.

POLICIES

  1. Encourage the understanding of the economics of agricultural production and support active citizen participation in maintaining this.
  2. Support state and county programs aimed at fostering agricultural growth as part of the region=s economic development.
  3. Renew and sustain the agricultural district formed within the town under the New York State Agricultural Districts Law and encourage active citizen involvement in the process.
  4. Encourage the development and implementation of a town-wide drainage program in an effort to increase agricultural production and the number of acres which can be viably farmed.
  5. Foster agriculture through the adoption of land use regulations which do not curtail farming operations within the Town=s agricultural areas. Permit commercial and industrial land uses in agricultural areas only where such uses will not be detrimental to agriculture and farming operations and supplement and enhance agriculture operation and vitality.
  6. Discourage the subdivision of land into small parcels in the Town=s agricultural areas.
  7. Encourage legislative changes which would reduce property tax pressures on agricultural lands so as to minimize the conversion of prime production land to other uses.
  8. Limit the placement of highways, power lines and other uses that would encourage growth and development in those areas of the Town designated as agriculture on the land use plan.
  9. Discourage frontage development of highways in prime farmland areas.
  10. Encourage non-farm development in agricultural districts by guiding it to areas with the lowest capacity for agricultural production.
  11. Discourage water mains and infrastructure improvements in prime farmland areas.
  12. Encourage co-uses within agricultural districts that do not compete with, but complement and enhance, each other.

B. RESIDENTIAL

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. Encourage the development of residential areas which serve all incomes.
  2. Maintain a continuing program directed toward preservation of residential areas and elimination of blight or deterioration whether present or future.
  3. Strive towards facilitating the development of water infrastructure within concentrated residential areas to work towards providing safe, clean, potable water for these Town residents.

POLICIES

  1. Restrict, if not prohibit, significant non-farm development in agricultural areas.
  2. Encourage a wide range of housing types affordable to all income groups.
  3. Residential construction should be strictly controlled in areas which are subject to flooding and characterized by steep slopes or soils which are unstable and subject to erosion and not considered prime agriculture lands.
  4. Residential areas should be buffered from commercial and industrial areas, railroad tracks and other incompatible uses by landscaping or other appropriate means.
  5. Support programs aimed toward the realization of any or all of these goals and policies and the housing needs of the Town of Covington.
  6. Keep residential areas free from incompatible and inharmonious uses.
  7. As a means of maintaining the quality of the residential environment consider the adoption of a housing and property maintenance code.
  8. Review and where necessary amend zoning regulations to ensure property and land development controls.
  9. One of the principal residential areas for development is along the State Route 246 corridor with its potential for municipal water improvement.
  10. Review and revise zoning regulations and subdivision and land separation regulations as needed to protect agriculture while accommodating new residential development.

C. COMMERCIAL

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. 1. Encourage the development and maintenance of facilities needed to serve the projected population of the Town of Covington in an efficient and accessible manner.

POLICIES

  1. Concentrate new commercial development within well defined nodes in areas which are suitable for such uses and highly accessible to the population. Require adequate off-street parking for such development.
  2. Stabilize and enhance existing commercial areas through the encouragement of building renovations, appropriate landscaping and design improvements in order to minimize any potential traffic hazards and to increase the general attractiveness of such areas.
  3. Discourage strip commercial development along major roads and unplanned haphazard commercial uses throughout the Town=s rural and agricultural areas.
  4. Require attractive and supportive development bordering commercial areas and provide visual/physical buffers where commercial uses are adjacent to residential areas.
  5. Revise zoning regulations as needed to permit commercial businesses of the type that are consistent with the agricultural character of the Town in areas of the Town best suited for such development.
  6. Concentrate commercial development along the Route 63 corridor due to high volumes of truck traffic.

D. INDUSTRIAL

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. 1. Strengthen and protect existing industrial areas in the Town of Covington and encourage new industrial development which would not compromise the community=s basic character.

POLICIES

  1. Encourage the use of existing vacant land within existing industrial areas before expanding industrial districts.
  2. Adopt development standards which would protect the community without unduly restricting the potential to attract and retain industry.
  3. Improve the appearance of existing industrial areas as necessary, through building renovation, landscaping and other design methods.
  4. Require supportive development bordering industrial areas and provide visual/physical buffers where industrial uses are adjacent to residential areas.
  5. Encourage the Town to act as an incubator to allow small businesses to grow and prosper into positive commercial and industrial uses with a pride in ownership and an entrepreneurial spirit.

INFRASTRUCTURE

A. WATER

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. Property owners in the Town must rely on private wells to supply their water needs. Unfortunately, many of these private wells produce insufficient quantities of water and/or poor quality of water. Public water would provide an effective long-term solution to safe, potable water in sufficient quality and quantity.

POLICIES

  1. Restrict development where water is not available and facilitate water development along the Route 246 corridor.
  2. Pursue grant funds and low-interest loan funds for the construction of water distribution mains to serve areas of the Town that rely on private wells that produce insufficient quantities of water and/or poor quality water.
  3. Provide an adequate water source for fire protection.

B. TRANSPORTATION

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. Provide an adequate highway system for land uses which is in scale with the demand.
  2. Facilitate smooth traffic flow and ensure motorist and pedestrian safety.
  3. Minimize any development on seasonal and/or dirt roads.

POLICIES

  1. Require the participation of private developers in providing for needed street improvements, thereby reducing the ultimate public cost of developing the highway system according to town specifications.
  2. Pedestrian safety and convenience shall be designed and built into all parking areas.
  3. Locate facilities, and encourage their subsequent design, so that they blend with or accentuate the natural terrain.
  4. Discourage the construction of transportation facilities which would foster new development in areas of the Town that should be preserved for agricultural production and natural open space needs.
  5. Require private driveways serving more than 4-5 houses to be developed with the same integrity as a Town road.
  6. Consider the possibility of participating in municipal cooperation agreements when economically feasible for the Town.
  7. Continue to maintain Town roads and drainage ditches in good condition.

C. FIRE DISTRICTS

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. Provide a cohesive fire protection plan at an affordable price.
  2. Maintain adequate fire and ambulance services in the Town.

POLICIES

  1. Consider supporting on-site fire district housing.
  2. Contemplate siting fire equipment within the Town.
  3. Support merger of fire companies for continued fire protection.

D. TOWN / COMMUNITY FACILITIES

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. Provide high-quality town facilities and services at an acceptable cost to local taxpayers.

POLICIES

  1. Establish a program for capital improvements which will allow for needed improvements to be undertaken without significant increases or fluctuations in the Town=s tax rate.
  2. Provide for adequate maintenance, repair and replacement of existing Town facilities including roads, drainage, equipment, buildings and administrative space.
  3. Encourage cooperation and sharing of facilities and services between governmental jurisdictions.
  4. Continue to provide existing Town services and programs and maintain Town facilities in good condition.
  5. Consider public safety needs and requirements in all plans for future developments.

CONSERVATION, OPEN SPACE AND RESOURCE PROTECTION

GOAL/OBJECTIVE

  1. Protect important environmental resources from the adverse effects of development.
  2. Promote land uses that are consistent with the capacity of the land and other resources.

POLICIES

  1. Require that all development preserves the integrity of existing natural areas and concentrate development in areas proposed for growth.
  2. Coordinate drainage planning efforts with those of neighboring towns that include the same drainage basin as the Town of Covington and carefully evaluate the effects on drainage of all proposals for development.
  3. Require developers to dedicate easements along creeks and other major drainage ways to allow for their maintenance and to reduce the risk of flood damages.
  4. Require, as a condition for the approval of development proposals, the application of effective measures to minimize erosion, sedimentation and drainage problems both during and after construction.
  5. Continue to maintain wetland areas in their natural state by prohibiting drainage, filling, and development in these areas and by complying with State and Federal wetlands regulations.
  6. Continue to protect water quality in streams and creeks by complying with the New York State Stream Protection Program.
  7. Regulate development within flood hazard areas so that it meets the requirements of the Federal Flood Insurance Program and will be resistant to flood damages, will not restrict the flow of flood waters, and will not increase flood hazards to other properties.
  8. Fully utilize the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) as required for Town decisions. SEQRA can ensure that all environmental impacts of a project are evaluated and mitigated.
  9. Encourage the retention of woodlands in their natural state for flood control, natural beauty and as a legacy to future generations.

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