Town of Lewiston adopts new laws, votes to support village projects

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

The Town of Lewiston was in a giving mood at Monday’s work session.

With spring break out of the way and primary season approaching, Supervisor Steve Broderick and Town Board members had an active evening with two new local laws passed and funding for village projects approved.

The meeting opened with public hearings for Local Law No. 2 – to modify Zoning Code Chapter 360; and Local Law No. 3 – calling for a town moratorium on the establishment, construction, expansion or operation of data centers, artificial intelligence processing facilities, and cryptocurrency mining operations within the Town of Lewiston.

The lead-off hearing on Local Law No. 2 had comments from opposing sides. According to the town clerk’s office, “said law is intended to update current town code, so to clarify and or modify the Town of Lewiston zoning codes to be in line with town procedure and to authorize or restrict various parameters of future applications as they may be received and processed by the Town of Lewiston Building Department.”

Andrew Davis of Townline Road, who has visited past board meetings to offer his concerns on the impact of a neighboring farm-related business, spoke in favor of the measure: “I fully agree with this modification of the town code. This has been long overdue; it brings the Town of Lewiston to the 21st century. Everything you guys are doing to change it helps the neighborhood stay nice and safe, quiet, residential farmland. Everything you addressed, I approve it, thank you.”

On the other side was Kyle King of the Niagara Pumpkin Farm, a family-run Sanborn farming business specializing in fall pumpkin harvests, u-picks and Halloween-themed displays and entertainment happenings for visitors: “I'm a farmer and resident of this town. I'm here to oppose a newly proposed local law and speak not only for my own farm, but every farm in the town whose livelihood and future at stake.”

Supports farming tradition

 “Agriculture is the backbone of this community,” King said. “They contribute to the rural character that defines everything. It provides employment opportunities and anchors our local economy. The farms are not just businesses, they’re family traditions, community gathering places – a way of life that generations before us sought to protect.”

Expressing his opposition, King said Local Law No. 2 would be overly burdensome to farming interests and is simply not needed: “This proposed law would pile new rules to red tape on our farms, including agritourism and farming markets, without any real proof that public health and safety are at risk.”

“It’s just bringing things in line with town procedure; (there’s) no real reason why these restrictions are needed,” King said.

He noted that, under New York state ag and markets laws, “local governments cannot unreasonably restrict farm operations and agricultural districts, unless there's a real threat for public health and safety. It's not a suggestion, it's the law. On top of that, New York state's law specifically recognizes agritourism – things like farm tours, pumpkin patches, farm markets, as a protected activity.

“The bottom line is simple: Agritourism is farming; farming is protected. …

“I urge the board to reject this proposed law, support your farmers, support the families who depend around them and support the community that agriculture has built in the Town of Lewiston.”

Town Board members went on to approve Local Law No. 2 by a 5-0 vote. Commenting on the measure, Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer Tim Masters said its approval would not impact “Lewiston’s Next 10” – work by a designated town committee with the Wendel companies to consider modifications to the town’s comprehensive plan, which is now underway.

Of Local Law No. 3, a proposed town moratorium targeting artificial intelligence activities in Lewiston, was approved 5-0. The town did not specify a time limit as to its length.

There were no public comments offered.

Village assistance

More news from the session included:

•Broderick announced funding for two new projects in the Village of Lewiston.

As discussed in last week’s Tribune/Sentinel • Dispatch, one involves two new pickleball courts at the spoils plateau, with anticipated funding to come via the Niagara River Greenway.

“The village approved use of the plateau at the far west end to put the pickle courts in,” Broderick said.

He said he worked with Lew-Port Youth Football and Cheer officials who utilize nearby areas for programming, and “It was a productive meeting; and I look forward to working with the Lew-Port football program to make that plateau area work.”

Following 5-0 Town Board approval, Broderick announced the proposal would be presented to the Niagara River Greenway Commission for consideration at its May 13 meeting.

“I want to thank the supervisor for taking on this project and getting it to move forward,” Councilman Rob Morreale said. “It’s going to be highly used; it’s for the residents.”

•Also announced was town assistance to the Village of Lewiston for its electrical bills.

Councilman Bill Burg presented a resolution, approved 5-0, to authorize town payment for 12 months of village electrical bills, with funding to come from the town’s H-98 account. No cost figure was presented.

“They have extremely high electrical bills, like everybody has, and we’re going to help them out for the year 2026,” Broderick said.

This is in lieu of paying to replace upper-level windows at the Red Brick Municipal Building, which was previously offered but did not fit the funding criteria.

•That said, Burg also sponsored a motion for town approval of $80,000 in H-98 funds to assist the village with replacement of 24 basement windows in the Red Brick gym that are deteriorating.

“They’re the original windows; there’s some historical preservation conditions we need to abide to,” he said. “It’s an expensive install” but “kids are down there; it’s a safety hazard – a security hazard.”

“This is more than just a window project,” Broderick said. “This is masonry; there’s a lot more than just replacing windows.”

The initial Red Brick windows project had not gone out to bid, so no actual cost figure was presented.

Board members went on to approve assistance of $80,000 to get this new project underway.