Southtowns Record

Town Board minutes — June 22, 2026

Government
Town of Aurora
Board
Town Board
Meeting
Jun 22, 2026
Kind
Minutes
Topics
Budget and taxes, Zoning and land use, Water, sewer and drainage, Parks and recreation, Public safety, Roads and traffic

Original document

Same meeting

Text · page 1 of 5

Town of Aurora | Town Board Meeting | June 22, 2026
  A meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Aurora took place on Monday, June 22, 2026,
beginning at 6:30 PM. The Board met in-person at the Aurora Municipal Center, 575 Oakwood
Avenue, East Aurora, New York. The meeting was live streamed via YouTube.

  Present:  Jessica Armbrust  Councilmember
  Benjamin Garvey  Councilmember
  Joseph McCann  Deputy Supervisor
  Charles D. Snyder  Supervisor
  Raymond Wrazen  Councilmember

  Others Present:  Brigid Maloney  Town Attorney
  Douglas Crow  Planning Board Chair
  Patrick Welch  Chief of Police
  Paul Ernst  Zoning Board Chair
  Richard Miga  Assistant Code Enforcement Officer
  Rod Simeone  Zoning Board Member

  Supervisor Snyder opened the meeting at 6:30 PM with the recitation of the Pledge of
Allegiance to the Flag.

Before moving into the Consent Agenda, Supervisor Snyder took a moment to review the process
for referring to Town officials and staff with their title versus their first name so that anyone attending
or accessing the YouTube stream understands who is being addressed.

The first item on the agenda was a public hearing on a Special Use Permit (SUP) for 1196 Big Tree
Road to operate a wellness campground. Supervisor Snyder opened the hearing at 6:31 PM. First to
speak were Peter Sorgi, Project Attorney and Rachel Kajewski of Carner Development who
recapped the proposal and provided a history of Carner Development’s experience creating
campgrounds and outlined an understanding of the regulations with which they must comply. Also
in attendance team members Dan Garvey, Head of Hospitality at Carner, Danielle Johnson,
Danielle Johnson from Crafted Concepts Architecture, project architect, and Dan La Prieta from
Carmina Wood Design, project engineer.
  Town resident Joe Quinn, residing on adjacent property, disputed the traffic study
provided by Carner Development, adding that the East Aurora Police said their had been four
accidents on East Main Street since fall of last year. Additional concerns included no one living on
the property, which had been a requirement for the prior owners. He is also concerned about the
possibility that plans will expand once the proposed plan is completed, and that noise, lighting,
and expansion could affect property values and change the nature of the neighborhood. Mr.
Quinn presented a letter and from another immediate neighbor not in support of the project, and
a petition from additional neighbors to the Board.
  Mark Warren, a village resident, spoke in favor of the project, saying it would enhance the
historic nature of the entire community, much as Knox Farm did. He said that the adaptive reuse of
the Georgian house would preserve the structure, and having Dan Garvey, who worked for years
at the Roycroft Inn added a human element of sensitivity to the property and awareness of its
historic value.
  Peter Herman, residing on East Main Street spoke in support of the neighbors and confirmed
traffic on 20A can be dangerous and that one traffic accident occurred in front of his home. His
main concern is that there will be a slippery slope to this project and that there will be additional
requests for more added to this project and for other potential businesses.
  Town resident and neighbor Jay Chipman said that traffic on East Main Street is already
horrendous, as there is a blind curve coming into the village where East Main and Cook roads
meet. He also wondered about the rate of return for a seasonal wellness campground and that the
business would later want to expand.
  Taylor Quinn, also a town resident and the Wellness Center’s next-door neighbor asked at
what point does all that is being asked for the project exceed what is appropriate? A proposed
new driveway, trees being cut down, no natural buffer, additional lighting, water use, and all of the
new buildings going on the 14-acres outside of the conservation easement were also among her
concerns.
  Dr. Jennifer Jenning, owner of Cardea Health Integrative spoke in favor of the Wellness
campground project but also expressed sympathy for the Quinns. She noted that before she
bought the Twin Elms property, it had been vacant for four years and the building is currently in
disrepair. Addressing concerns of noise and lighting, she said the that the proposed plans will afford
neighbors privacy and quiet due to the significant acreage of the property. She agrees traffic
concerns should be addressed, but believes solutions exist, and that the project can be in harmony
with the neighborhood. Dr. Jennings presented letters of support and a petition to the Board.
  The next speaker was town resident Christopher Welch, a local real estate agent who
voiced support for the proposed project, adding that it would add to property values in the area.
He said the plan would be of benefit to local businesses because visitors using the Wellness
campground will have significant disposable income to spend, enjoy the historic nature of the
community, and make return trips. Property values could potentially decline if the Georgian
mansion were allowed to deteriorate.
  Rachel Kajewski returned to address safety concerns stating that Carner Development hired
a full-time caretaker, who lives on the property, and who is in immediate contact if issues arise. She
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