The new gravel driveway improvement to the far right, opposite the former Hillcrest Foods site at 3808 Rush Mendon Road, may be too close to the property line. Residents from Hampshire Lane, which abuts the rear of the property, used 15 minutes of public comment time during last week’s Mendon Town Board meeting to raise the issue. Mendon Code Enforcement Officer Corey Gates had already issued an appearance ticket to the owner for a violation of the town code the previous week. Sentinel Photo.
The quiet of Hampshire Lane has been replaced by the roar of heavy machinery, leading a group of frustrated neighbors to the Mendon Town Board on Monday night. Residents bordering the property at 3808 Rush Mendon Road—the site of the former Hillcrest Foods—unloaded a litany of concerns regarding what they describe as unauthorized development and a disregard for town code.
The public comment session, which lasted nearly fifteen minutes, centered on the actions of the property’s new owner. According to neighbors, the site has recently seen the construction of a massive gravel road, the installation of drainage pipes, and even the online advertising of the parcel for overnight tractor-trailer parking.
“I don’t know what the town’s definition of a driveway is, but I thought over an acre is no longer a driveway,” said Sandra Betters of Hampshire Lane. She described being woken up at 6:25 a.m. by bulldozers and backhoes digging up land and laying stone. Betters expressed deep concern over the lack of visible permits and the absence of a site plan, noting that property markers appear to be randomly placed or missing entirely.
Victoria Biondolillo spoke to property owner David Emmi who claimed the road was for emergency vehicle access, but admitted to not having permits for a fire pit and shed.
The sentiment was echoed by Charles Whalen, who informed the Board that the 16.3-acre site was being marketed through a national network for overnight truck parking. “Truck parking requires industrial zoning, while the property is zoned commercial,” Whalen noted, emphasizing that Hampshire Lane remains a “quaint residential neighborhood.”
Other residents claimed they were personally misled. Dale Wick told the Board that the owner had sent a letter last November promising no development for at least 18 to 24 months. “Mr. Emmi lied to me on several occasions,” Wick said. “He has the mindset that he can do anything he wants to do.” Wick and others argued that the new road sits well within the 100-foot setback required by town bylaws and demanded that the stone be “ripped up” if found in violation.
While the Board does not typically engage in back-and-forth during public comments, Supervisor Joe Alati assured the residents that the town is working with its attorney to interpret the code and determine what further actions may be necessary to protect the residential integrity of the area. In fact, Code Enforcement Officer Corey Gates had already issued an appearance ticket to the owner for a violation of the town code.
Gates told the Sentinel he had noticed the driveway earlier and had been in conversation with the property owner for some time, trying to determine the intended use in order to assess whether there was a potential code violation. That investigation led to the issuance of the appearance ticket.
