Town of Clarence Town Board·July 8, 2026
Inflatable-park trial · A wall of neighbors · Five miles of sidewalk · A quiet land buy
A traveling inflatable theme park won permission to set up behind the Bryant & Stratton Way commercial strip — but only after a room full of Gentwood Drive neighbors turned out against the noise, and the board whittled the applicant's run-through-October request down to a single trial month, expiring August 31 unless he returns to justify an extension. The 3–1 approval came with Supervisor Patrick Casilio[*] recused, because the landlord is his relative Phil Casilio[*]. In quicker business the board awarded resident-inspection services for the $4.8-million Sheridan Drive sidewalk project to Erdman Anthony[*] at a cost not to exceed $297,000, approved — by roll call and off the public notice — a $275,000 purchase of 7.74 acres next to the town's nature and recycling center, granted daNando an outdoor-dining permit at the Shops at Main/Transit after a public hearing, set a July 30 bid date for the recreation-facility project, seated the Youth Board's new class, and cleared a conference trip to Albany for two planning staff.
Farrell Page[*] came to Clarence with a good record and a hard sell. The owner of Epic Bounce USA — a 35,000-square-foot traveling inflatable theme park he says has run "zero, zero incidents" across Texas, Ohio, Virginia and, at the moment, San Antonio — wanted a special-event permit to pitch behind the strip at 4431 Bryant & Stratton Way[*], running from approval through the end of October. The zoning is commercial and the site had space. The problem was what sat behind it: the cul-de-sac end of Gentwood Drive[*], in the Roxbury Estates subdivision.
They came to say so. One after another, residents told the board they were "not opposed to the concept" but feared the noise — not the children, but "the constant drone of blowers and food vendors" that a three-month, morning-to-night operation would put over their decks. Several urged the applicant to take the park to the front of the Eastern Hills Mall instead: more parking, more visibility, no neighbors. Page was game to negotiate, offering residents "my direct number" for sound tests and noting the speakers would face Main Street, away from the homes.
By the time the deliberation wound down, the board had talked itself out of the long permit. Town attorney Larry Meckler[*] floated a trial: approve a short window, make the applicant come back and prove it out. The motion that carried set the permit to expire August 31, with any continuation "subject to approval by the town board" — and staff committed to re-notify the same neighbors before the August 26 meeting where an extension would be heard. Councilman Bob Altieri voted no, unhappy with the location; Councilman Daniel Michnik[*] flipped from a planned no to a yes "to give a temporary at this point." It passed 3–1, Supervisor Casilio recused.
The applicant asked to run into late October, and had already begun advertising. The board can't easily un-ring that bell — so instead of denying outright, it granted a short leash: a permit that expires August 31. To keep going, Epic Bounce must return on August 26 and satisfy the board that the noise and traffic weren't as bad as feared. "If it doesn't work out, then you're done at the end of August," one member put it. An approval here is not a green light for the season; it's a 30-day audition.
After a brief public hearing that drew no public comment, the board granted daNando[*] a temporary conditional permit for outside dining in front of its restaurant at 4401 Transit Road, in the Shops at Main/Transit plaza (Major Arterial zone). Community-development director Jonathan Bleuer noted the plaza has hosted outdoor seating before — at the former Brennan's and at "The Little Pig" restaurant — and the operator, appearing as Nando Salense[*], said only that he had "followed your advice" from a prior appearance. The permit carries a one-year term and standard conditions. The lighter moment of the morning came when Councilman Peter DiCostanzo, presiding, asked whether he could recuse himself "because I'm Italian" — then didn't.
The board awarded construction-support and resident-inspection services for the Sheridan Drive sidewalk project to Erdman Anthony[*] of Buffalo, at a cost not to exceed $297,000. The project itself is substantial: more than five miles of sidewalk along Sheridan Drive from Transit Road to Main Street, on both sides, with construction costs of roughly $4.8 million — "most of it by a grant… from New York State." Separately, on an added motion, the board authorized purchasing a 7.74-acre parcel at 0 Sheridan Drive (SBL 71.13-1-4) for no more than $275,000 plus closing costs, subject to an environmental site assessment if required. Councilman DiCostanzo explained the item was added rather than pre-noticed because "if we publicize them, they could change the value of the property"; the land abuts the town's existing nature center and recycling center. Because it was a property acquisition, the board took it by roll call — five ayes.
The five-member Town Board votes by voice unless a roll call is requested; the Supervisor votes last under the town's reverse-seniority rule. Supervisor Casilio was recused from the Epic Bounce vote (Item 12); the land purchase was taken by roll call because it is a property acquisition.
Approved on a voice vote with no discussion.
Resident-inspection and construction-support services awarded to Erdman Anthony[*] of Buffalo, not to exceed $297,000, per scope-and-fee supplement No. 1 dated April 8, 2026; Supervisor authorized to sign subject to town-attorney review. The underlying project: 5+ miles of sidewalk, Transit Rd to Main St, both sides; ~$4.8M construction, largely NYS grant-funded.
Bid opening set for Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 10 a.m. at the Town Clerk's office; bid documents available starting July 9 per the published notice to bidders.
Declared two out-of-date Dell PowerEdge servers (serials ending 841 and CP2) surplus, to be disposed of per applicable law.
Added motion (Councilman DiCostanzo): approve purchase of ~7.74 acres at 0 Sheridan Drive (SBL 71.13-1-4) for no more than $275,000 plus closing costs, subject to an acceptable environmental site assessment if required. Added rather than pre-noticed to avoid affecting the price; the parcel adjoins the town's nature center and recycling center. Taken by roll call as a property acquisition — Altieri, Michnik, Shear, DiCostanzo, Casilio all aye.
Approved (motion by Councilman Shear) the request of Jonathan Bleuer and Andrew Schaefer[*] to attend the annual Upstate New York American Planning Association conference in Albany, Oct. 14–16, 2026, with a town vehicle and reasonable costs covered; conference fee is a budgeted item.
Motion by Councilman Michnik: appoint four students — John Bushi, Kalisra Cornwell, Emmett Hicks and Madeline Randolph[*] — and continue two others[*] on the Clarence Youth Board, terms July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027.
Following a public hearing (no public comment), a temporary conditional permit for outside dining at the Shops at Main/Transit was approved. Conditions: one-year initial term; operation per the submitted application and testimony; compliance with Engineering, Building and Planning requirements; applicable fees.
Special-event permit for a 35,000 sq-ft inflatable theme park in the commercial zone, approved with 12 conditions after extended public objection over noise. Key changes from the request: permit expires Aug. 31, 2026 (down from Oct. 31), continuation subject to further board approval; speakers directed south/west; generators, blowers and lighting off within one hour of close; food vending inside the fenced area only; $1M liability insurance naming the town. Roll call: Altieri no; Michnik yes (switched from a planned no); Shear aye; DiCostanzo aye; Supervisor Casilio recused (landlord is a relative).
Approved the listed Legion Hall and Clubhouse applications as a block on a voice vote.
This brief covers the 10:00 a.m. Town Board meeting, which is live-streamed on the Town's YouTube channel. The 8:30 a.m. work session is not broadcast; its items — a Eurocharged NY TCP modification at 5844 Goodrich Road and a Mattina Development conceptual review of a commercial plaza — are listed on the agenda but were not part of the streamed record and are not reported here. Proper nouns were cross-checked against the official agenda: "daNando" and "Epic Bounce, Inc. / 4431 Bryant & Stratton Way" follow the agenda's spellings. The neighbors' street was corrected to Gentwood Drive (rendered in the audio as "Gentlund," "General Wood" and "Jentwood") against the town's official street index. Names heard only in the audio — the applicants and their representatives, the residents who spoke, the awarded engineering firm (Erdman Anthony), and the town attorney (Meckler) — carry a [*] and should be verified against the official Town Clerk minutes before quoting. The vendor of the 0 Sheridan Drive parcel was not clearly stated on the record.