Canandaigua City Council approves housing project, but developer says it’s dead now

A proposed housing project in Canandaigua, aimed at adding 132 townhomes in the city’s northeast, has been scrapped according to the developer, Chris Iversen.

Despite receiving a narrow approval from the City Council for a crucial rezoning from residential to planned unit development, he labeled the initiative “a dead project.”

The rezoning was intended to grant more design flexibility but came with stipulations for granite curbs, dual-sided sidewalks, and specific construction traffic signage, additions that Iversen suggests made the project unfeasible.

Iversen, who had envisioned the development as “workforce” housing targeting those with annual incomes between $40,000 and $100,000, expressed disappointment, particularly noting the increased costs imposed by the council’s conditions.

This marks the third failed attempt to develop this challenging 30-acre property, which Iversen had hoped would offer a more affordable living option within the city. The council’s decision, split with a 5-4 vote, reflected both the desire for development and adherence to city standards, as well as the community’s concerns over increased traffic and loss of green space.