Planning Board - Regular Meeting

everybody to the city planning award uh for April April 1st 2026. Um first order of business is approval of the minutes of approval of the minutes from the March 4th 26 meeting. Mer you have any comments or notes or anything? No comment. No comments. No comments. I'd like to make a motion that we approve the minutes from the March meeting. Make a motion. No, I did. Oh, second. All all in favor? I

uh first order of business this evening is site plan review SP 26-0017 floor map number 302.20 20.31-6 commonly known as 178 Glen Street seeking to convert the vacant second and third floors into four twobedroom apartment units pursuant to the city of Gl's zoning code chapter 220-19 C and 14. This will require site plan review and approval. Uh that has been tabled for this evening. Can I get a motion to table that? I'll make a motion to table SPF 25-007.

I second. All in favor? All right. New business. Site plan review SP26-0012 Denver seaman essay of tax map number 303.17-16-4 commonly known as 21 rich street is seeking to convert a currently vacant commercial space into a restaurant catering business pursuant to the city of Glennwell zoning code chapter 220-9 C and five this should require site plan review and approval. Anyone here represents

me? Tell us about your project.

Well, I um own Scratch Kitchen, which was down on 199 War Street, and um I'm looking to move into 21 Ridge, which has always kind of been a restaurant in this in the city for the past, I think, 30 years. And uh just recently with the past owner, he had it as an event space for two years. So I'm just looking to make it back into a restaurant. I'm going to be serving breakfast and lunch. I'm looking um for 5 days a week and then looking to do dinner uh probably starting the summer. Um I'm applying for a liquor license for Thursday, Fridays, and Saturday evenings. Um and that's it. Breakfast, lunch, dinner three nights a week. And um I'm a scratch kitchen, so I make everything homemade. And um we have a pretty good following already. We've been two years. I've been a chef in the area for 20. So

do the names going to stay the same? Yes.

Is there anybody from the community that would like to comment on the I'm Stephanie with the Falls Housing Authority Consu. Um, we actually do not, you know, have any concerns about the building itself. Love Scratch Kitchen. But, uh, our concern is just the parking. Um, our parking lot is used pretty considerably for downtown parking and for the restaurants that use um have vendor delivery kind of use our entryway as kind of their their stop off. Uh, we try to monitor as best we can. Um, but sometimes our residents um can't get in if there's people there blocking. So that was our only concern about this is parking wise. Other than that um there.

I think that um that would really be addressed with the police force. Yeah, we do. But but you know, we don't guys deliver guys. We don't we don't want to we don't want to hurt the businesses downtown and call call police, but we also don't want our residents to be not able to park or not be able to enter, you know, the the lot itself or cause an accident. So, we try to ask each other to move, but we are just hopeful that the restaurants will also enforce that and ask their vendors not to park there or their patrons not to park in our lot. Thank you.

Mr. Le, um you you a sidewalk 90. I do not. I I didn't think that it would be allowed actually. Right. Right. Okay. Um then also too where this previously used to be a restaurant and I I have no concerns as far as you know basically you need all the codes. There's mention of the verification sprinkler system fire alarm that type of thing. Um documentation on the commercial hood. So, as long as everything was that'll all be inspected like you know the next few weeks before does a lot of that stuff pre-existed or

Yes, there's a there's a commercial, you know, hood which obviously has to be actually reformulated to fit our commercial equipment. So, we'll have to have dance, you know, company come in and re redo it all and charge all the fire extinguishers and all of that. And also too, just on a personal side, I'm glad to see you move downtown because half the time when I go down to your place, I can't get in. Yeah, it's tough. We had tough parking down there, you know, and I knew you were looking. So, yeah, it's great that you're coming down. I hear that. Thank you.

Mr. is so use the same commercial hood. You're just having it could have to be expanded. Are you saying? Uh, no. They just have to rerun the Anel pipe. So, they have to make sure that Anel is directly over the each appliance. So, okay. Uh, the only other thing I had is I know that previously when it was a restaurant, they utilize the back parking lot area for their trash pickup for the garbage. Um, and they used 65 or 90 gallon containers um back in that area. Is that what you plan on doing or? Yes. So, I adding a dumpster.

I had a dumpster um delivered and I was using Cella um and they said that it's very hard for them to get back in there with their truck. So, they did the same thing. They brought I think I have six cans, like the large capacity cans. And I'm hoping um that now that the snow is gone that maybe we can move the dumpster to a different area. But Barton has that or not. So, I'd have to speak with somebody there about that. I I do know that the landlord um does rent essentially two spaces from Garden for um which essentially because it has two apartments above the restaurant. So, I don't

that's always been an issue that get Yeah, we have cans there now. They're right along the side of our our building. I I haven't heard any issues. So, I hope that's No, that's similar similar to what we've done in the past because of Yeah. Okay. What are you going to do for a sign?

A sign. We're going to do metal letters um attached to the building hopefully with some lighting behind or if that's not possible um kind of the lighting like shining on the the letters. Um of course, we still have to do this the sign permit and everything for the city. So, No, I don't have any concerns. I think it's going to be a nice a nice move. Um I think everyone pretty much echoed the questions I had. Um it was interesting the loading um signage. I didn't you know clarify with me that there would be no architectural um review. No exterior changes,

right? Um I did I was just looking I I went through and just checked out the site. I saw there's a rear entrance uh next to the men and women's room. Yeah. Uh is that for the public or is that is that to be used by patrons or is that I would not like it to be used by patrons. That's a private parking lot back there. So that would probably just be used by myself and employees only. Um and it would not be for public access. All right. Yes. The only thing that would if it was public, I would just be curious about accessibility there. It was pretty cool.

Yeah. I mean, there is the city parking lot back there um on Warren Street, but I would prefer them walking entrance, so I don't think that I'm going to encourage anything like that. So, restaurant before was not the entrance. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's not really a It's kind of odd. It would be right in the middle of the dining room. So, it's not something that I plan on having for patrons. Nice. Yeah. The only other thing was the parking. Obviously, we don't have parking just general considerations. You know, we're always trying to figure out staff parking. That is a concern. It is. But that's, you know, something you guys just figure out.

It's hard when the city is at actually so many apartments are coming into the city, which is vehicle, but parking has become quite the issue in the city. Yeah. Yeah. It's probably just the overall parking management on the cities and not your not your issue with that. That's it. Yarning parking. It's more of a economic question, right? Whether you can get enough customers in the door, right? Yeah. What about catering? Catering where you service like I mean as far as catering don't they come through the front door I mean

four people would come you're not delivering or um no I I don't plan on doing any of that um I don't have a catering ban like you know currently or anything I mean I'm not saying that it's not something that we would consider in the future but I think of catering it's more about people um ordering maybe office lunch or something it's not like where we're going and setting up anything like Your food's great.

Um, you said you're starting breakfast and lunch. What days of the week was that? Uh, Tuesday through Saturday. Saturday we like to do like a brunch. Um, that's what we did at our, you know, class location. Um, and then I um Thursday, Friday, Saturday, I'd like to add dinner. Hopefully, you know, by this summer time we get staffing. Is that contingent on your liquor license? Um yes and no. I mean I mean yes. I' I'd like to add the liquor license, but it's also about, you know, just getting staffing to a point where I feel comfortable and everything. So, and adding that extra service. So,

what time do you open for breakfast? 7:30 a.m. And when you have dinner, what when do you think your hours would be like closing Thursday? Closing would be 9 9 p.m. A lot of stuff that that it was for me was it was a pre-existing restaurant before and it's through the time I went over the hood, the vent hood outside. Is that the that faces that parking lot? That's where the exhaust going to be. Yeah. Um, one thing we've only had one comment from the public and that was just please try to talk to your vendors and not block that that driveway. Okay. Since it's um, you know, it's best best to be neighborly.

Yes. So far I've seen um I mean just since we've been there like kind of doing some painting that stuff um vendors for the restaurants across the street and pharmacy most of them are parking on they park right on the street. Right on the street. Yeah, for the most part they're in and out. They do the delivery. Yeah, they're not usually there for too long. So like again that's I mean the best thing is to be to be a neighbor. Yeah, you have a great reputation in the industry and the business owners. So I don't really see a problem with that. But um that's that's a big thing. Um the did you see the comments from the fire department?

Did we have any? It was provided by the planning office. It said fire department comments will need a fire inspection and max occupancy fire. Building owner needs to replace broken FTC cap on the outside of building by front door. We'll need documentation on sprinkler system and fire alarm system. As our record show maintenance is overdue. We'll need verification of sprinkler system and fire monitoring system is connected to apartments upstairs or separate system. We'll need a commercial hood system documentation.

The you said no on side the sidewalk se I don't know this time. No trash. I really don't have a problem. I think it' be a great addition to downtown. Um,

thank you.

Um, I would like to make a motion that the Lens Planning Board acting as the board of site plan review hereby grant site plan approval for the project identified as SP26-0012. of tax map number 303.17-16-4, commonly known as 21 Ridge Street, to convert a current vacant commercial space into a restaurant and catering business as presented at the meeting of April 1st, subject to the fire department comments and any other permits required by New York State Health Department and second. All

in favor? I thank you. You can contact the owner of the TV parking lot. I know there's space available in there. Okay. Thank you. Okay. I know it's kind of

Oh, I didn't Yeah, hold down. I have something to go. Oh, yes. Go ahead. Hi, everyone. I'm sorry. I I wanted to

Yes. I'm sorry. I'm Maddie. Hello. To those of you we haven't met. I am the um director of planning zoning. So, you're seeing a lot of me. Um I sent an email earlier this week that we are in final stages of our comprehensive plan process. I meant to provide a summary document for you today, but we had technical difficulties with our printer. So, I'll send those around. Um, please review this. This is a document for your board to use when um approving or reviewing development proposals in our city moving forward. Um, if you want to learn about the history, read that first 150 pages. If you want to get to the important part that we'll use regarding the future of our city, skip to 139. That's where our goals, our vision, goals and recommendations are located. Um, please email me with any comments. I'll be compiling memos for each board um to provide to our consultants to um update anything necessary here. Uh, the common council will be open to public hearings and bring forward my calendar. I think it's starting the 14th and the 28th will both be public hearings of the county council and then they intend to adopt this at their first meeting in May. So, We're on the fast track to finalizing this, but we do need comments from those of you who will be using this for and I'll I'll give a little summary.

Are we supposed to vote on it or do anything other than just review it and discuss? Yeah, there's no there's no vote required by the planning board. It is um if you there's some kind the planning board is the the body that's developing the plan. There would be a a recommendation to the county council to approve, but There was a separate committee that did that. That's that's where that li when and if we follow up with zoning changes that will come to this board for an advisory recommendation to come counsel before that happens.

What was this about scam? So, there has been an alert from the Department of State about applicants being um scammed by fraudsters into sending application fees to someone other than the municipality. And so, we are trying to get the word out about that. We actually had an applicant had that happen and they notified us. So, I know you was our today's applicant. So, well, it happened once before.

Okay. Yes. So, we're trying to get the word out. Um, we have or we will be soon updating the website just to let applicants know it's there's no change of go through city hall to pay your fees and send in your applications and stuff. So, I just wanted to put that out in case anyone's watching tonight so they're you know applicants are alerted to this issue and just be really aware. Thank you. Thank you. Like to make a motion to adjourn the meeting. Second. All in favor? Thank you.