WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A proposed expansion for Kloc’s Grove remains on hold after the West Seneca Town Board tabled the plan for a second time.
The proposal, which includes adding rental units to the event venue on Seneca Creek Road, returned to the board at its most recent meeting. After nearly two hours of discussion, officials decided they were not ready to vote.
Kloc's Grove is seeking approval to add lodging units to its property. According to owner Diana Harfouche, the application has been revised in response to community feedback.
Those changes include adjustments to landscaping, additional parking, a reduced project footprint and added rules and regulations aimed at addressing neighbors’ concerns.
"We are not doing the amount of weddings we did 10 years ago; it's trending downward, we need to make a change," Harfouche said.
Supporters of the project argue that adding lodging would help keep event guests off local roads late at night and allow the long-standing venue to adapt to changing business trends.
Opponents, however, say they remain concerned about infrastructure and the potential impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
WATCH: Kloc's Grove expansion tabled again as debate continues in West Seneca
Residents have raised questions about sewer capacity, water pressure, environmental impact and whether the expansion would provide meaningful benefits to nearby homeowners.
Alongside the zoning debate, a West Seneca resident has filed an ethics complaint questioning whether Town Supervisor Gary Dickson should participate in a future vote on the proposal.
The complaint cites a campaign fundraiser previously held at Kloc’s Grove and a disclosed in-kind donation from the venue’s owner, arguing those ties create at least the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Dickson rejected that claim in an interview with 7 News.
"This is a political attempt to use the Ethics Board to influence votes of Town Board members," Dickson said. He added that campaign donations alone do not create a conflict of interest.
Dickson also described the proposal itself as complex.
"The neighbors have perfectly legitimate concerns, and we should listen to them. We also have to listen to the applicant — that's our job. This so-called ethics complaint has nothing to do with that," Dickson said.
The Town Ethics Board has not yet publicly addressed the complaint.
No new vote date has been announced. The proposal is expected to return to the Town Board at a future meeting.
Until then, both opponents and supporters say they plan on voicing their opinions as town officials weigh their decision.
