Town of Ripley Supervisor Laura Pless

RIPLEY — Development items topped the list for the Town Board in December. At its meeting, the board approved a resolution to act as lead agency for the Love’s Travel Stop and Country Store RV Project on Shortman Road.

Ripley Supervisor Laura K. Pless told council members that Love’s is planning to install three RV stations. As lead agent, the town will be responsible for making sure the SEQR is completed and that no environmental impact will occur, she said. A public hearing will be held on the project at 6:15 pm on Jan. 9, before the regular council meeting.

In a similar matter, council members set a public hearing for the ONVO Project near Shortman Road for Dec. 30 at 10 a.m. ONVO is a network of travel plazas, convenience stores and restaurants located throughout Pennsylvania and New York The current plan is to develop a travel plaza at the spot where the former Lion’s Den was located.

Town Board members also passed a resolution at their meeting this month adopting the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan.

The plan was developed over several months, through a grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. A steering committee worked with planning consultants and held multiple meetings and workshops with the farming committee, according to the resolution.

A draft plan was then developed and refined with input from the steering committee, the Department of Agriculture and Markets and Chautauqua County Planning and Development. It was formally approved by the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board Sept. 30. A public hearing was held on Dec. 12 before the plan was adopted.

According to the plan, protection is defined as “the preservation, conservation, management and improvement of lands which are part of viable farming operations, for the purpose of encouraging such lands to remain in agricultural production.”

The plan is intended to be a complement for the town’s comprehensive plan and to assist in establishing strategies “that will result in the enhancement, management and continued sustainability of a key economic component of the Town of Ripley.”

In other business, Pless urged residents to take part in the Northern Chautauqua County Local Waterfront Revitalization Project Survey. The survey seeks to gain public input on proposed projects for each community along the lakeshore.

Residents can complete the survey online at northernchqlwrp.com or by scanning a QR form at the town office.

The survey for Ripley includes questions about the Oddfellows Hall, a Gateway and Visitors’ Center, a Veterans’ Cemetery, alternate energy production, a bicycle corridor, a farmers’ market and Main Street development.

In other business, Town Clerk Ryleigh Enterline reported that Deputy Clerk Nicole Gollhardt “has successfully secured mass texting ability.” This means that the town can send group messages to residents who opt in for the program. A form is available in the office.

Pless said that she hopes all Ripley residents will take advantage of the mass text option. “It will help us to keep the community informed, especially in times of sudden changes,” she said.

During the time of public comment, Ripley resident Richard Eimers urged the council to look into ways to encourage people stopping at Love’s Travel Center to continue on into Ripley.

“That’s where I think the potential is,” Eimers said. “We’re the birthplace of B.F. Goodrich. Everyone in the world knows B.F. Goodrich.”

Pless responded that the town is working on drawing people into the town, through such projects as the Comprehensive Plan and the Waterfront Revitalization Project. She agreed to meet with Eimers to discuss this issue further.