Town of Rochester’s Rural Character & Road Safety at Risk – STOP the Rav Tov Expansion on Cherrytown Rd
Updates & Calls To Action
Hello everyone,
Thank you to all who submitted letters for the December 8th Planning Board meeting. We’re pleased to share that the public comment period WILL REMAIN OPEN, meaning the community will continue to have the opportunity to make its voice heard on this matter.
The December 8th meeting was an important one. If you were unable to attend in person or watch virtually, we encourage you to review the meeting minutes and recording, which can be found here.
To stay informed about future updates and calls to action, please email townofrochesteralliance@gmail.com and request to be added to our mailing list.
Please note: this application is NOT on the agenda for the January 12th Planning Board meeting.
With deep appreciation,
The Town of Rochester Alliance
A 42,000sq ft banquet hall threatens Rochester’s rural character, road safety, and water supply.
Now is the time to act. The Planning Board is sworn to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all residents — and they need strong public support to make the right decision for the entire community.
Say NO to this oversized development — sign the petition protect our town, our neighbors, and our future.
The Town of Rochester is facing a development proposal that would permanently alter the agricultural, scenic, and historic character of Cherrytown Road — and put the health, safety, and welfare of our community at risk.
The applicant seeks to construct a 42,000 square foot banquet and event hall at Pine Grove/Rav Tov. This massive commercial-style project is completely out of scale with our agricultural area, rural roads, and neighborhoods.
Here’s why you should care:
• It does not align with our Town’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code. The proposal does not align with standards for commercial design, landscaping, aquifer protection, parking, traffic, signage, or setbacks..
• It threatens our water. The project lies within the Aquifer Protection Overlay District. Town law requires a hydrogeological study when water use exceeds 1,000 gallons/day. We feel with dual kitchens, classrooms, and space for 500+ people, this threshold will be exceeded many times over — putting our wells and aquifer at risk of contamination.
• It endangers drivers and pedestrians. Cherrytown Road and adjoining roads cannot safely handle the traffic volume and bus congestion from large-scale events.
• It undermines our rural and agricultural identity. The R-5 Rural Conservation District was designed to preserve farmland and community character — not mega-sized banquet facilities.
• It repeats past harms. Neighbors have already experienced disruption from Rav Tov/Pine Grove’s activities, including noise, unsafe traffic for drivers and pedestrians, trespass, debris and damage to crops via helicopters. We feel this expansion will only make these impacts worse.
Why we must say NO to this expansion:
✅ First, sign this petition to show that residents stand united against this oversized development. Please include your mailing address (and email/phone if possible) so we can keep you informed of next steps.
✅ Attend the next Public Comment Planning Board Meeting: !!UPDATE!! this application is NOT in the Planning Board agenda for 1/12. PLEASE CHECK the TOR Planning Board’s Agenda & Minutes page HERE to stay up-to-date on future meetings! We will update here as soon as we have confirmation via the Planning Board's site. If you would like to see the additional submitted docs, renderings, etc., you can follow this LINK.
✅ Submit your written comments to: PBZBA@townofrochester.ny.gov and kgundberg@townofrochester.ny.gov
This is our chance to protect Rochester’s rural character, water, and road safety — for ourselves, our neighbors, and generations to come.
This informal citizen action group has formed to share updates and coordinate efforts. Signing this petition ensures you’ll stay informed and have a voice in shaping the future of our town!
What You Can Do:
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you.
What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
— Jane Goodall