Neighbors of the former Chautauqua Point Golf Course continue to express concerns about the development proposed there. Photo by Gregory Bacon

DEWITTVILLE – While Chautauqua town officials continue to examine the proposed development at the former Point Chautauqua Golf Course, nearby residents continue to express their objections.

During the August town board meeting, the board opened a public hearing to update its zoning code to allow for commercial business in a mixed-use building inside a Planned Unit Development.

Ellicott Development is proposing a $70 million project called Sunset View at the former golf course.

There are three main sections to the development.

The north end is proposed to have a mixed-use building with condominium living space. In the building would be office space and a restaurant/tap house that would be open to the public.

The midtown section would have 27 townhomes.

The south end would have 32 lots for single family homes.

Other amenities in the development, which will be for residents of the community, include an outdoor activity area, a pool, a dog park, pickle ball courts, picnic tables, fire pit areas, and boat docks.

Attorney Sean Hopkins with Ellicott Development noted that the town is still conducting an environmental review on the zoning change and because of that they’re not asking for a vote until it’s completed.

He called the proposed change minor. “It’s fairly limited in scope,” he said.

During the public portion, one resident asked how big the restaurant would be.

Hopkins responded that the entire commercial building would be no larger than 14,000 square feet. He added that they don’t have anyone under contract to operate the restaurant so they don’t know how large the restaurant will be.

The resident expressed concern that the restaurant could be very large and will affect the local community with all of the business.

He also doesn’t want to see a lot of short-term rentals in the development.

Another resident expressed concerns about runoff going into Chautauqua Lake.

A different resident said she doesn’t like how many single family homes would be built in the south end.

Hopkins addressed many of the questions but added that the current public hearing is actually on the zoning change, which doesn’t affect the midtown or the south end.

A separate public hearing will be set in the future on the entire project once the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals finishes reviewing it.

The town zoning board is waiting for the zoning change to be authorized before reviewing the entire project for a Special Use Permit.

If the town board approves the zoning change in September the zoning board could then open a public hearing on the Special Use Permit later that month.

Should the town zoning board give its approval in September, the project would go back to the town board to schedule a public hearing and then give a final vote.

Developers have expressed a desire to get approval by the fall so they can start the project sometime in 2026.