Bill Baskin, owner of Baskin Livestock, explains some of the details about his site plan to the city’s Planning & Development Committee on Tuesday, April 15th.
By Mike Pettinella
For Video News Service
The owner of Baskin Livestock is looking to rebuild the animal food processing facility on Howard Street in Batavia that was destroyed by a raging fire last November.
Bill Baskin appeared before the city’s Planning & Development Committee earlier this week to provide details of his plan to construct a new 69,680-square-foot structure to replace the 80,000-square-foot plant that burned to the ground on the morning of Nov. 9, 2024.
Information provided by Code Enforcement Officer Doug Randall termed the initial meeting a “sketch plan review” – meaning that Baskin was afforded the opportunity to familiarize the PDC with the proposal and to “obtain direction prior to (the) final site plan submission.”
Baskin, in calling the project “an expensive proposition,” said he seeks to put up a slightly smaller building that would be narrower than the previous one and set back further from the road. He also said that tractor-trailers pulling into the loading dock would no longer be partially on the street.
The estimated project cost is $4.5 million.
In his written summary to the PDC, Baskin addressed the setback distance from the road along with plans for increased lighting above the loading dock doors, the footprint of the structure, flood plain regulations (since the parcel is zoned as a special flood hazard area) and electrical, drainage, water supply and sewage system requirements.
“It will be more useable for our needs,” he said, reporting that strip footings will be installed for the new steel “superstructure, but the majority of the concrete on site will remain in place.”
While speaking to the PDC, Baskin said he will be taking steps to reduce the amount of dust created in processing as well as odors coming from the new facility, something that has been an issue with residents in that area of the city.
“We want to be a good neighbor,” Baskin offered.
He noted that the facility will have a built-in fire suppression system and “will be completely sprinkled (sprinklers throughout).”
(File photo-November 9th, 2024, fire at 20 Howard Street)
Baskin said fire officials still do not know what caused the fire.
He told the PDC that the plant was shut down at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon (Nov. 8, 2024) and an employee was there cleaning up at 6 p.m. The next morning, another worker was on site at 7 a.m. “and by 8 a.m. it was fully engulfed.”
“They said it was spontaneous combustion, but I guarantee it wasn’t spontaneous combustion,” he said.
20 Howard Street- April 17, 2025
Randall, in his memo to the PDC, outlined Batavia Municipal Code items that need to be met in order for the project to be approved:
Permitted use with a Special Use Permit
According to the city’s municipal code, permitted principal uses with the Industrial-1 use district include light industrial uses involving processing and packaging of previously prepared or refined materials, provided a special use permit is authorized … for uses where combustible bases (substances that can easily catch fire) are manufactured and stored.
Industrial Performance Standards
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to permit the emission of any odor that exceeds thresholds set by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, measured at the individual property line.
Also, the emission of noxious odorous matter in such quantities as to produce a public nuisance or hazard beyond the lot lines is prohibited.
And, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to permit or cause the escape of such quantities of soot, cinders or fly ash that exceeds thresholds set by the NYS DEC protection.
Area Variances
(1) The maximum permissible land coverage may not exceed 40 percent of the lot area. The proposed building would take up 55.3 percent of the parcel area, so a variance is required.
(2) The minimum required front yard (building setback) is 50 feet. Baskin’s proposal requests 11.91 feet of front yard from the northwest corner of the building to the northern lot line. Thus, a variance is required.
(3) The minimum required front yard (building setback) is 50 feet. Baskin’s proposal requests 18.91 feet of front yard from the northeast corner of the building to the eastern lot line. Again, a variance is required.
Upon submission of site plan, Baskin will meet with the planning board again at 6pm on May 20th for possible approval of the project.
I work at Graham and can attest not only to the terrible odor but, our cars being totally covered with sticky soot that does not wash off easily. He didn’t seem to care about being a good neighbor in the past. I hope he’s true to his word this time but, I doubt it.
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