Planning Board - Regular Meeting

U kind of excited to be back here in that new renovated uh third floor city hall. Um the ED was nice, but it's cold. Uh like to welcome everybody to uh our first meeting here in the new renovated space. Um, it is the December 3rd, uh, oh, excuse me, not December 3rd. It is the January 7th, 2026 city of West Falls Planning Board meeting. Um, we have a couple things to take care of. Uh, start, we're going to, um, go over the minutes uh, comments about the minutes from the last meeting. Uh, Mr. Do you have any comments or

no comments? No. No comment. Would someone like to make a motion to accept the minutes as they are? Sure. I'd like to make a motion that the Bling Board accept the minutes of the December 3rd, 2025 meeting. I second. All in favor?

All right. We have a two items on this evening's agenda. uh application for 172 Ridge Street. They have withdrawn their application, so we will not be hearing that. That's taken is no longer going to be on the table for us. And a site plan review um SB26-001 is going to be tabled till next month. Person representing outside table that. So we're moving into architectural review AR26-00001 CT C2 design group representing Trusco Bank owners of tax plat number 302.20-24-14 20-24-14, commonly known as 37 Bay Street, proceeding to turn on already existing blue accent lights on the entire edge of the exterior roof pursuant to the city of Lunwell zoning code chapter 220-17BD. This will require architectural review and approval. Good evening everyone for the record. John Leper on Trusco. Um, first of all, this is the first time that there have been good acoustics in this room in all these decades. So, that's appreciated. Um, and I appreciate it members that came out to the site visit to take a look at at the building with the different levels of lighting. Obviously, trust is trying to compromise and get to a percentage of of lighting that we're comfortable with, but that just adds a little bit of architectural pizzazz to a otherwise kind of plain building. So, um, this is a photograph of the lights at the top of similar to what my friend Hoffman has next door with lights on building. And that's it. I hope that acceptable to you at one level or another. Um, anyone from the public like to comment on this? No, no comments from the public. Mr.

Reed, would you like to comments on this from the board? I thought that when we saw it down in the 10 to 20% range is when things looked like they meshed with the trust co signs who were signed at the start of the building. Um and and it seemed to be a part of the whole thing. Uh we worked together when it was 100% it felt like there was blue fire coming out of the roof line. So if it's down in that area where it meshes together in the building, I thought it's something that can work along with the package.

Mr. Marles, yes, I agree. I the lowest level was the first notable change. I know they they reduced the lighting level several times from 100 to 80 to 60 or something like that. I thought it was 20. Okay. So, I didn't notice a significant change until we got to the bottom. And at that point, it was acceptable. [clears throat]

I agree. I think there's a compromise that can be made between the applicant and the city and the lowest level to me is not offensive. So, I do not have a problem with the lowest level. I did not see it. Um, so I will trust the board. I don't like the look of it. I think maybe along the front would be okay, but I don't like it wrapped around. Um, I don't think it suits the neighborhood. I don't think it's similar to Hoffman's. The apartment is so well done and so modest and tasteful. I just don't think that it suits the neighborhood to have it um wrapped around the building on my um I didn't see the level. So, again, I would I would defer to the board about that, but I think that it's not the right I don't think it suits the

We don't want to know. I don't know. What time does it stand down? Either 10 or 11 or something. Would the applicant agree to that? The board to approve it keeping it like a certain hours of the day. What is it? 6:00 to 10:00 at night.

Mr. Again, I was unable to intend to meet um where the lights were displayed. Again, I am an architectural feature such as that. I think I'm kind of against that. Um the issue I have is I think we set a precedent for every building um to do the same thing. Um and I I I think that's my opinion creates an aesthetic that I don't think that downtown um was wants to be or was meant to be. Um up lighting is a completely different architectural type of lighting um comparative you know to something that's um either outlines windows uh roof of the building the facade of the building. Um so my opinion is um I'm not sure um that approving that would be a benefit um to the city as a whole due to the fact that it would set precedence going forward. And I think maybe this the city's lighting, they have a um code regarding lighting. Um and things change as things evolve as we all know. Um this in my opinion is an evolution of that and something that wasn't pretty much in existence except for maybe some um other type of structures. Uh, so I think that maybe have the city take a look at that and see if they can adjust their code and determine something moving forward that we can apply across the board. That's my opinion.

Mr. um, couple of things. The um, illustration that you showed is not the same type of lighting. That's what they call wall wash. Um, and what that does, that is lighting that is designed to shine up andor down to highlight individual features of buildings. Um, which is it's night and day. It's comparing a car to a tractor trailer. Um, it's not the same. Um, I can appreciate the fact that Trusco, I had a chance to talk to one of the um, one of the people there from Trustco and I can appreciate the fact that um, you know, they're doing a branding with their bank. Uh, a lot of their banks are located heavy retail centers near malls. They're on main roads and things like that. And the purpose of signing like that, and not that it's wrong, but it's got its application as kind of to grab your attention and say, "Hey, over here on Trust Bank." Um, and there's there's nothing in the city that we had that does that. Um, the um the night that we had the lights came on, we went over, I had a chance to go over and see the lights. Um, and in the following two days, I got three phone calls. Um, to paraphrase, one of them, I heard one of them was basically somebody wanted to know if Vegas had come to town. Um, I also had somebody call me up and wanted to know that they thought it was a tanning booth gone wild. All right? Because it's just this big neon glow that goes up and down and sideways and things like that. Um so just to paraphrase and then also in the lighting review and our regulations uh one of the stipulation calls for harmony of existing of exterior design with other properties in the

architectural zone. Uh we don't have anything like this in downtown. Uh the closest thing we have is we have some over on Burger Beam. They have a they've got a sign that has something similar, but it's uh it's vertical in nature. It's designed to highlight um and it's actually structured so that it does um bring down the lighting to to the sign. Um I really feel that this is in no way in harmony of the exterior design with other properties in the zone. And I think the zone primarily being downtown. Um there's another standard that the city calls for that all exterior light shall be designed and located in such a matter as to prevent objectionable lightning layer from spilling across property lines in residential and multifamily properties. Um you always have what they call light stoach. And just to verify, uh, before I retired, um, I was the sales manager for a commercial lighting company. So, you know, I do have some background in this. Um, a lot of lights, if you're doing parking lot lights, you can actually design the lenses to create patterns of light. If you get by the Glenn Falls High School when they're having a football game, it's amazing how bright the field it is. But the house across the street has very little. uh the type of lighting that's on that is designed to basically spill light all directions. It's what they call omniirectional lighting. It goes up, it goes down, it goes out and it goes against the road. Um so basically this would be the type of lighting that definitely calls from what they call light spillage. Um there's another uh lighting standard the city has. Its light fixture shall be designed to prevent light pollution by

shielding the light source and directing light downwards away from the night sky and adjacent properties [snorts] or properties. Again, this type of lighting does none of that. Does just the opposite. Um, all outdoor lighting shall be shielded and otherwise contained on the property from which it originates known as light trespass limitations. Again, I personally feel this is absolutely goes against that standard. Um, not to sound negative, but I am negative against it. Um, I like to think that it, um, I kind of compare Glenn Falls to Saratoga. You can't go down in Saratoga anywhere in Broadway find any type of lighting like this. You'll find it out in the mall. You find it near the Wilton Mall. we found it uh maybe down at Crimes Park behind the streets and things like that. Um you know like I say my concern just like Jamie had mentioned is we're setting the precedence. Um I think this is something that we need to study lighting technologies change. Um you know there's limitations in the lighting standards about six up to 60 watt for a light to eliminate. But the problem now is with the new technology with [clears throat] LED LED um basically a 5 watt LED bulb put as much light out as a u [snorts] as a 60 W incandescent. Um, you know, I I just really feel that all we're doing is asking Trust Gold Bank and future developers in the city that they kind of have some consideration of what we have built here in Glance Falls. And we're not looking to build a, you know, a Troy. We're not looking to build a a big retail center, things like this. We're

trying to build a point um you know something district historical uh classical that type of thing and I and I really feel um that this violates that. But I would like to to finish by saying I do appreciate the investment the Trustful Bank does. I mean, it's obvious shows confidence in our city um that we want to locate, but I really think that this is something that um I really don't think they thought of, you know, properly. Like I say, it would be great if it was up on uh up on Route 9 Home Depot, but not in Glenn's Falls.

That's with respect to your comment about the lighting standards. I just the section 129 chapter 129 does not apply to this district. So the lighting standards applies to residential districts, cultural professional districts, two family residential districts and multifamily residential districts. The lighting chapter does not actually apply to this zone. the lighting standards was enacted to prevent overspillage in the neighborhoods to residential only. But I I I understand your concern.

Yeah. So I guess I would go back to in the architectural review section harmony of ex of exterior design with other properties in the architectural zone. So I I I'll put all my weight on that. it it is definitely not in harmony. Um, we've got cases of this that I I think are going to be coming up in the future and like I say, I really think that this needs some more study before, you know, we make a decision on this.

Um, we went out there and we took a look at it and, you know, out there on the site, my feeling was a very, very low. I thought we went to 10%. Um, maybe was acceptable. But the larger issue for me is had this been presented with the original design, I would not have recommended having the rights on building. So, we're coming after the fact. So, again, [snorts] uh, working with what was presented to us. go up there and take a look. It's already up in the building the very very lowest level lowest acceptable to me. But my overall feeling is had this been the original design, I would have recommended not having to go along with that also, Nina, that if this would have been on the original plans that came, you know, to us at the time when we approved the site plan and architectural plan for this project, um, I definitely would not have wanted that. Um, as far as the I can't imagine being in the apartments next door to that building and having those lights on even at 20%. They do cast the glow. Um, I don't think it's where architecturally it doesn't fit the neighborhood and where we're going. It it looks okay somewhere else. I don't think it looks great in the city of Horn Falls. So um so if I could just respond, you certainly can. So in terms of um compatibility, I just want to point out just so the record is complete that the street light in front is much brighter than the lights on top of the building.

This is 100% when the picture was taken. Um I guess I dispute, you know, certainly these are up lights which are in different direction, but there's um exterior lighting, um architectural lighting on building next door. I think that that it is compatible and and it is really important to trust code to have this enhancement so that if it's um not acceptable to the board, I think Trust is going to want to repeal it and see if

a street light is designed to be purposely directional as well. So the street light cast light down and out into a predetermined pattern. So again, it's a directional light where the light in question is not direct, it's omnidirectional. brighter than well it's not much a street light the bright this is designed for public safety this is this is more of [clears throat] a branding or a um I mean it it it's a method to draw attention to those problems light

that is a wall what they call a wall wash light that's designed to shine either up and down in in a predet I think it's a 25 degree beam of light so that it doesn't cast forward it casts up uh up and or down. It's a lighting enhancement just like Yes. Any more comments? You make a motion.

Um I would like to make a motion of the Glanning Board acting as the board of architectural review. um for the uh project C2 design group representing Trustville Bank, commonly known as 37 Main Street. Then we deny the architectural plan as presented at the meeting of January, 2026.

I want to amend that. You made a motion and I want to give everybody a chance on board to do this. And could you word that the criteria as if they went by the hours because it seemed like some of the board um can we do this we we make the motion with um say the hours from 6 from dusk till 10:00 at night. It's a denial motion just to hold. Okay. Yeah, it is. Okay. Okay. That was my motion. But

well then you make a motion, Mr. W. Oh, you decided

Commissioner Landry. This is deny. This is a denial. Yes. Okay. Commissioner Tra. Yes. I'm in favor of motion. Commissioner Murray. Yes. Commissioner J. No. Commissioner. Yes. Commissioner. No. Chair.

Yes. Okay. Site plan review SP25-00002 Melinda Stanley Lesie of Tax Path number 309.28-2-6 28-2-6 commonly known as 46 to 56 Street commercial space in the ground floor pursuant to city hall zoning code chapter 220-19B this requires approve um the new property um on street yes we're looking to turn one of the seats into a lot um I currently have six employees. So, we've had six stations. Um, we do do we're a business interface. Uh, we've been in business for 8 years. Um, just looking for a new building and a new opportunity to continue to grow. Would anyone from the public like to comment on this? Mr.

Um, I have no questions as far as this. I mean, if anything else, this to me is just another example of something that's unique and different that's coming to our town. Um, and like I said, our town, I I've lived here for almost 70 years. So, um, we're never going to be a retail center again, but we're going to have a lot of unique individual businesses. And, you know, things like this. I noticed you you said you're going to bring maybe 30, 35 people a day down to Glenn's Falls. So, that's nothing but good for the city. And you got a great location, too. Yes. We're hoping to be more with all the new apartments going in. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sure. No, I have no question. [snorts]

The only question I had and actually I think our architect so also come up with the same question is um are you going to be doing any laundering of towels, things like that? Uh yes, we do have the um onsite the we bought the allin-one washer dryer unit that does the whole thing. So there's no need for Okay. We wonder about I was just wondering about that. Um so that doesn't need ventilation. Hence why we went with that washer and dryer because there was no ventilation for the building. So that's what he said. Where we met stuff then things in downtown becomes an issue. So that's a smart city. No, I don't see any other.

No, I agree. I think for downtown nails no nails. It's just women. No, that requires a whole different ventilation. Our license is above preach. We have a whole lot of different ventilation. So, we've just never chosen to go down the mail route. Um, Mr. War, did you have any anything

for the record city halls? No, we uh I had the same question about ventilation. We're still the same response. Um, they're going to need a fire and safety inspection prior to opening the public, but as it stands right now, no concerns. Oh, welcome to Falls. I have no issue. Glad to see a store being filled. Thank you.

Yeah, everything is good. This building closed. Everything's up to date. seeker.

This is a type two action, so no further review is needed. Thank you. Sure. Um, I'd like to make a motion that the Glenfall Planning Board acting as the board of site plan review hereby grant site plan approval for the project identified as Melinda Stanley Lesie of the Tax Maply known as 46 to 56 South Street as presented at the meeting on January 7th, 2026. Second motion. Second. All in favor? Welcome.

Thank you. Good luck. Site claim review SP26-003 Cara Mulahan Nissi of tax map number 309.28-2-6 28-2-6, commonly known as 46 through 56 South Street, is seeking to convert vacant commercial space on the ground floor into a retail store. Pursued to the city of West Zoning Code, chapter 220-19B. This requires site plan review approval. Sorry if I didn't get your name.

No, good job on me. You can. Uh, good evening everyone and thanks for having us. My name is Harulahan and um his proposal is to open a new storefront here um at 48 South Street in the new um building right across and we'll be selling uh homeg goods primarily gifts that are um specifically tailored to stalls and um we'll be welcoming some vendors. So we're really excited to hold anyone from the public like to comment.

No concerns. No concerns. No concerns. Just quick question. You said retail shop. What is it you're going to sell? Yes, we're going to have a daily homegoods. So, we'll have um you know, things to make to make you feel like home. We'll have um a little bit of stationery. We'll have um notebooks and pens and table lamps and napkins and your hometown. Yes. No, I just another great addition to downtown. Thank you. Best of luck.

We need uh signage or anything for this year. We we will um we haven't decided on where to size for the signage. Um they're just the same as all the other ones that are on South Street like the where signs are coming from the building. They have to be a sign of the city. Uh yes, you guys remember when Mr. Pat came for his second round of architectural review. He's going to have signs already there. So you can see it walking on the street. And yes, everyone will require a sign permit from building.

Yep. Type two also. All right. I'd like to make a motion that the Clems Falls plan review acting as the board of site plan review hereby grant site plan approval for the project identified as Cara Mcooi of Tax Mat commonly known as 46 to 56 South Street as presented at the meeting January 7, 2026. Seven. Thank you so much.

Site plan review SB26-004. Jeffrey eyes contract vendee of tax map number 302.20-31-5 20-331-5, commonly known as 174 Glen Street, is seeking to convert the vacant commercial space into a men'sware store. Pursuant to the city of Glow, zoning code, chapter 220-19B, district require site plan, review, and approval. Hi, my name is Jeff Ives and I'm currently the owner of JR men'sware on 1661 and all I'm looking to do is take my school from 1661 and move over to 1741. So everything will be the same floor plan and just new buildings. Anyone from the public like to comment on this? Mr. No, I am not.

So, like you're literally just moving up the street. Yeah. No, no, no questions or problems and best of luck. Since I was in your store a few weeks ago, I think it's a good move. Well, I agree. Concerns how they treat you. You treated me well. All right. Look good. Is it more space? Is that why you're moving or you bought the building? I bought the building. I wanted to buy I was supposed to buy 166. Okay.

And then the deal didn't work out for a variety of reasons. So I really wanted to keep it in Glenn Falls. Downtown Glenn Falls move is really good for me. From the mall.

Yeah, it's a downtown kind of store. It's a specialty store. It's a serviceoriented store. Buns Falls, the Buns Falls community has been really good to me in the transition from the mall. So, I wanted to It just worked out that the building that I'm buying is two doors over. So, people shouldn't get confused. I change the change of location, but I was really committed to staying as close to my current location as possible. So, um it just worked out for the building and 174 on the market for a few years now. So, it just the building is actually a lot nicer. It's a lot more renovated. Um, I don't have immediate plans to do anything else with the building. I was more concerned about moving my store. Um, I don't need to rent the other spaces. It's not mandatory. The location is more important than anything else. That's really

good luck. Nice to see that you're staying downtown. I'll always have a store. New songs. No, I have type two. Type two. Sorry. Um, I'd like to make a motion of the Glenn Falls Planning Board acting as the board of site plan review hereby grant site plan approval for the project identified as Jeffrey Ives contract Ben D of the old property commonly known as 174 Street as presented at the meeting of January 7, 2026. Second [snorts] all

and I did just get great service there. I wanted to say that I was I was part of the big party a couple weeks ago. Oh yeah. And I heard nothing but good. Good. I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you for staying here. [clears throat] Make a motion to adjourn. All favor.