Planning Board - Regular Meeting

or how are they? Are you on there?

Okay. Hi, welcome to the City of Rome Planning Board meeting. Today is July 14th, 2026. We're going to call the meeting to order. The time is 7.01. We are gonna do a roll call. We have Brittany Fumilara, Dave Smith, and Joe Calandra. I'm the vice chair. We have two absent members, Mark Esposito and Eric Gonzalez. All right, so we are gonna do... Yeah, they go there. So we're gonna review an approval of the June 2nd meeting minutes.

Make a motion to approve the June 2nd meeting minutes. I second.

I all those in favor. I so you got that. All right. Uh, upcoming meeting minutes, August 11th, September 1st. Is that any conflict? Yeah, good with that. All right, so we have some old business that's gonna stay on the table. Let's see here. So we're gonna bring that up and keep it on the table. What do you want to do with that?

I just note that items three and four staying on the table pending six. Yeah, pending the third party.

Is it three and four or five and six? Which one we using for number?

Green. Oh wow, so three and four.

Yeah, OK, so so item three and four are going to stay on the table. We're still waiting for the secret to come back. Let's see five. I'm learning my numbers wrong. Will stop now.

Yeah, that was Cindy when I did the annotated version. So what are we doing here?

Yeah, we're talking about environmental seekers. So five, six are staying on the table also, correct?

So, 5, 6 need to be voted to go to the table. Okay. 5, 6 need to be voted to go to the table. The applicant is not here tonight as the secret window is still open on these.

So, we have an environmental secret request by the meter land holdings to construct a 4.97 megawatt battery energy storage at 600 canal street. um the seeker hasn't come back yet correct correct so it's going to stay on the table or we need to place it on the table can i get a motion i make a motion to place it on the table item five second um one second i have the cubes from the beginning so how can i move up there now

Uh, I think you, you would just note by default. Yeah, that would be by default because the applicant isn't here tonight anyway. Yeah, so they'll both go. Yeah, they'll both just go to the table by default because the applicants not here tonight and because the secret window hasn't closed. Right? I agree.

Yeah, I forgot about that.

That legally, um, right by default and he's it needs.

Okay, so we're not gonna motion them. We're just gonna these are gonna go on the table by default because we're still waiting for the secret to come back. um now also public hearing so we're going to open the public floor yes okay so we had three times right yep so you do three calls so we have a public hearing for ordinance number nine eight eight four for the uh let's see chapter 80 uh let's see here establish and construct a battery storage system within the city limits one call two calls Does anybody want to speak on that? The battery storage? Final call. So the public hearing session is closed. All right. So we are going to hold a recommendation to the Common Council. So item 8, recommendation to the Common Council regarding the same ordinance, 9884.

Now, that's going to also, so that default is going to be go to the table due to a lack of actionable quorum because you are refusing yourself.

I'm recusing myself from from action on this and we don't have a full quorum to take a vote on it. So it's going to go on the table by default. So that's item 8. So, number 9, site review request by Jarrett Williams. Is he here today? Is that you? Okay. So let's see a site review request by Jared Williams to construct approximately a 37 parking space on 1239 Erie Blvd. You ready to present? Could you come down and tell us about your project? What you're trying to do?

We'll put it up on the screen there.

Just grab your name for the record and tell us what you're trying to do.

You might need to turn that on. There's a switch on the top and you can take it out of the holder if it's more convenient. Not sure. Yeah, you can pull it out of the holder and step back. So you're not, you don't have to lean over the desk. Yeah, that might be more convenient.

All right. Good evening. My name is Jarrett Williams. I am currently trying to purchase the property at 1239 Erie Boulevard West. Two years ago, I opened a store in Rome called Red's Card Utopia. It's a trading card and sports card store. I don't know if anyone's been there. We're outgrowing the place. It's time for us to expand, get a new building. We have the opportunity at 1239 Erie Boulevard West. Problem is we need more parking than it currently has. Um, I think there's approximately three spaces out in the front and we typically run events on weekends that can be upwards of 30 to 40 people. So I'm proposing that we install a parking lot out behind the building. way we can accommodate all the people who can come and attend the store attend our events and i'd like to pave and paint the lot to make it easier for everybody so a little less chaotic for people coming in parking um yeah that's what i'm looking for if there's any questions what's the current condition of what's back there now currently it is a parking area it's crushed stone So instead of just keeping it crushed stone and taking the weeds down, we'd like to pave it and clearly delineate parking spots for safety and ease of use.

So, is the parking lot that we have is the parking lot noted on the property as of now?

So, as of right now, the determination from the code enforcement officer essentially is that it was an established use primarily for the purposes of delivery. There has been some parking there, but it's not a formalized parking lot in the way that is currently being proposed.

Thank you.

I don't.

No, not at this time. Currently we're open Monday through or Wednesday through Sunday. We open at 11 AM until 9 PM Sundays.

It's 11 AM to 5 PM OK. Alright, any questions?

No, thank you, thank you.

Would anybody else like to speak on this project? Yeah, OK. Just come right down here. Just just state your name for the record and.

I think the mic might be off Fred.

Hello, OK, it has been a parking lot there.

My name is Fred Masha, First Roam Realty. I'm a commercial broker and I sold him the property and we do a lot of business on Black River Boulevard. Most of the commercial properties back there do have a parking lot just like this one over here. This has been there for the last 40 years. there is a gravel gravel parking lot which cars have been parking there you've had trucks coming in unloading the merchandise coming out both and also the ups's comes in and out but the parking lot will serve as cars that need to be parked there what this gentleman is doing he wants to make it a little bit better he wants to clean it up make it nice instead of just being a slop ass like some of the people that do have parking lots that don't even take care of them As far as the green space, if you go back there, I don't know if you've been back there. Has anybody been back in that place?

Yeah.

Oh, you've been there. So you know that there's trees and woods and everything else back there. And there's a lot of green space like that. This guy is an engineer. He's very, very smart. And if he does put the blacktop in there, he's going to make sure that the runoff is going to be done properly. But as far as trying to say, well, we now have to establish it, the parking lot's already established. What he wants to do is just make it neater and cleaner. I think that's the sum of the whole idea here. Thank you. Thanks, Joseph. Yep. David, how are you? Good. Nice meeting you. I don't think I've seen you here the last time I was here. How long have you been here? Good.

Would anybody else like to speak on this project? Okay, so let's have a discussion.

I think there's some concerns as it relates to some safety, whether a fire truck would be able to get back there in case of a fire. I know that there's some cement blocks there currently.

On the driveway going back in?

Yeah.

What's the width on that?

Do we know the width?

So the parcel is approximately 60 feet wide. And I can just give the CD comments here if you want. Yeah, that'd be great. Just because it summarizes. So the proposed project appears to qualify as a Type 2 action under Seeker. So no further review under the Seeker. The currently proposed plan shows the proposed parking lot being accessed by a single approximately 11 foot wide access lane intended to be used for bidirectional travel. This is below the 20 foot minimum prescribed by the city of Rome code for bidirectional travel. Due to the narrowness of the parcel, about 60 feet, there is no viable manner of widening the proposed access lane while remaining within the bounds of the property. However, an adequately sized bidirectional access access lane could be achieved via a shared driveway or cross access easement with one of the two adjacent property owners. We recommend either approving the proposed site plan subject to revisions to provide an access lane meeting the minimum width requirements or tabling this matter until the next meeting to allow the applicant to make changes to their proposal.

Yeah, I think that's that's my only concern is safety and a fire truck. Can an ambulance get back there in case of an emergency?

So the cement blocks that are placed there, those are on the property line, you think?

Pretty much, pretty close to it. Which gives them 10 feet? So 11 foot 3 inches is what's noted on the site plan. 11 foot 3 inches. And the minimum for one lane is what? The minimum for single directional travel is 12 feet in our code. And 20 feet for bi-directional.

Okay. And what do we have listed on this plan? It doesn't say, is it safe? I can't see that.

Yeah, it's hard to see, but if you zoom in, it says 11 foot 3 inches.

No, is it bi-directional or is it single?

It does not, but it would have to be bi-directional because it's the only way in and out of the site.

So if it wasn't bi-directional, you could drive your car in there, but you'd never leave.

Yeah.

It'd be the Hotel California. I follow you. So you're not saying you could pick it to be one way. If you haven't, if it's an exit only, then it could be right.

If you had 21 ways, you could do 212 feet ones. Yeah. Um, but as it is right now, unless you're, you know. Building the hotel California, you've got a problem.

Well, well, has, has there anybody has I don't know who's maybe you could come up here for a 2nd. Has anybody had any discussions with the neighbor and property owner about possibly getting a right away permanent easement? Is it a possibility? Has it been talked about?

We are currently in talks with one of the adjacent property owners. Right or left?

Clifford.

Clifford Fuel.

He's going to take a look at the situation. What I asked him for was either easement or right-of-way or at least that portion that he can develop it himself. So we've got something that we're looking at. But I don't see how we're going to hold any of this up because it's been a site like this for the last 40 years. The fire trucks, if they had to get in there 20 years ago, they would have got in there 20 years ago. They've got blocks over here, but it only goes a certain space. If a truck had to get back there, they could go around the blocks and go right into this property. So to hold this up just because of that situation, I disagree with it.

yeah i mean i understand your frustration with it but yeah you can't you know say i'm going to use other people's property to get back and forth that's the only issue you've got enough room here for your truck to get back well the two vehicles so like if one order you could have a traffic jam is what and there's still a code The code is to have 20 feet for bi-directional.

Isn't it grandfathered in the way it is right now?

The way that this would be handled is, so the code allows for continued use at the same level and intensity. The intent here, since it is to provide additional parking, the ruling of the code enforcement officer was that this would count as intensifying the use or establishing a new use depending on whether or not you view this as being just for deliveries or being for minor parking purposes either way formalizing it paving it extending adding additional spaces counts as intensifying the use which means it has to comply with the regulations as they exist at the present moment so are they adding to the space that's here this big area they're adding to that The exact bounds is hard to tell, but essentially what matters is not necessarily what was graveled, but how much has been used for parking over the years.

We would not be adding to the space. We're just cleaning up the space that's already there.

Garrett, when we sent out for comment, we did not hear from any of those parties with concerns. Yes or no?

Say that again?

Did we hear from?

We did not get a response back. That's not necessarily uncommon, especially on the type two actions because the fire department can often be quite delayed and they don't necessarily send something telling me whether or not they have concerns. They just don't respond. The fact that I do know is just the determination I got from the code enforcement officer, which is that this was within the bounds of something to be determined by the planning board was his ruling that was sent to me essentially.

So, my confusion here is. You leave it the way it is. Somewhere in the future, if you want to do something like that with flat top, fine. You can use it exactly the way it is. You've got enough room back there for him on the cars. He's not adding anymore. And the gravel is very hard gravel. So we're trying to do something here to make him do more work or prolong the situation for him to get in here. I mean, he's come forward and said, look, this is what I'd like to do. Leave it the way it is. You move right in tomorrow. What's the difference? We're making it more complicated than what the situation is here.

Essentially what this would come down to then is, and I know this is an issue with other parking, unofficial parking areas used in the city, whether or not this, the code enforcement officer determines that this is an existing parking lot or an expansion. If it was an expansion, i.e. they're parking more cars there than they used to, Theoretically codes comes in shuts it down starts finding people You could have a problem Beyond that all I can tell you is the determination I got from the code enforcement officer which is that this would count as an Intensification of the use or an expansion of the use not grandfathered in I explicitly asked the question I sent the request to the code enforcement officer that was their determination and

I think we're making the situation impossible for him to do business here. That's exactly what I think we're doing here. And that's what happens with a lot of people coming to Rome. We have a problem with them doing business with this town because of that situation. I buy that property. I'm going to have the same amount of cars or whatever cars I want to park back there for my business, which they've done in the past. And now we're saying we can't do that. That's not right. I'm sorry. That is not right.

it all i can tell you is that the person you need to talk to about that is the code enforcement officer that's not where is he is he not here tonight no this is the planning board you were referred to when you applied for permitting i'm assuming all right so you guys have a seat we're going to have our discussion and we could possibly come up with a recommendation that doesn't put you out of business so going back to the you know

The driveway is definitely not wide enough to consider a parking, you know, to actually stamp it as a parking lot. But he's got a lot of negotiations with the right side, the left side. So maybe we can give him a conditional approval based on. That come into the light, so he don't have to come back and slow you down. If you're already in negotiations. This will just fast track you in. So. That's something we could do on this board is, is give you possibly given approval based on what you've told us. You know, and as long as you don't change too much of it, you don't have to come back if it's going to stay pretty close to the. You know, conditional, you know. So is that is some anybody so conditional approval based on and this is what I'm thinking. I'm thinking I would give them a conditional approval based on them getting a lease, whether it's a lease, it's got to be something permanent obviously to the to the parking lot, but some type of lease or a right away and easement either on the right or the left. It doesn't matter which side it's on as long as it's 20 feet.

Yeah, I would agree.

So can somebody want to make a motion?

i make a motion of a conditional approval dependent on obtaining an easement lease agreement right or left to show at least a minimum of uh 20 feet for bi-directional travel and revise the site plan accordingly well to me yes to accommodate the code and that a new site plan will be updated but you won't have to come back here correct right that would be the idea is that we can just verify that it meets the condition

All those in favor. Aye. Okay. So that's passed with the condition. So good luck with your project. We wish you luck. I'm glad you're investing in the city. You know, nobody's trying to stop you. You know, we just got to, you know, it's got to be safe.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yep.

When we get this approval, I email it.

Yep. Just email it over to me. I'll confirm you've got the condition they put on there and update that plan.

You'll be good to go. Okay. Two easements either side. It has permission to sell the property, but I'll have that for you. I just met them today.

Okay, good. Perfect.

Thank you very much. Yeah. Good luck with your project.

Thank you. All right. That was number, whichever number I'm using here. Number nine on this one. Okay. All right. We have an historical district review. I'm teasing you. Okay. We have a request by the Community and Economic Development and Historical District for 612 North George Street. Is there somebody here presenting that? Could you come down, state your name for the record, tell us what you want to do, and we'll put it up on the screen for you. Take your time.

Little button here. My name is Tom Brugnano. That's my wife, Mary, and we live at 612 North George Street in Rome. The last couple winters.

And the old picture.

yeah this is a new this is what we want it to look like um that's the that's what it looks like now uh the pillars have been kicking out so last two winters they've been kicking out um i we keep tying it back in but then we're afraid that it's going to collapse um and so is our contractors afraid that's going to collapse so everything has to be ripped out uh pillars got to come down we can save the pillars um we just have to uh strip them down and get them painted nice. The flooring is cracking and rotting, so we want to replace the flooring. And I don't know what you call that, but it's right under the pillars. We want to put... What do you want to replace the flooring with?

Oh, pretty much the same thing that was there. Like a hardwood flooring, basically, for outside. Yeah.

We showed you the picture of what we want to do. That's the next one. It looks a thousand times better.

I just couldn't tell what the material was.

Oh, it's fur. The only thing that I don't know right now, we're undecided whether we're going to paint that floor or just keep it stained the way it is. We want to put the spindles in too.

Well, you know, once you paint it, you paint it forever.

I know, and we really like the way that looks. It does look sharp. so and um what's on this picture here this was ai they changed where the door was we're not gonna we're not gonna do that it changed the door so i know that ai is a little tricky i use that too how about the ceiling the ceiling's good we don't need to do anything with the ceiling so so you're just basically going to take it from where the pillar touches the top down right those are coming down right yep The pillars down, right? Yep. The floor, the steps, everything. You just want to rip it down and replace the whole thing.

And different hand railings, too?

What we see there? Well, if you look at my wife, she wants to keep those hand railings. You want to keep the iron? Yeah. Well, you can run into it with the plow and it won't fall. Yeah. I kind of like those, but she's a boss.

Yeah. Yeah. And the stairs. Let me just. Can we go back up to the new stairs? That's just going to be. You're going to do what. You're not going to keep the cement stairs. Then you're going to.

They're not cement. They're pressure treated lumber.

The bottom ones are? Oh.

Yeah.

Okay.

I think. It's all pressure treated. Yeah.

Now it looks like. Yeah. I thought it was. Yeah.

We want to replace all that. Yeah. And you're going to freshen it up. We're going to rip the porch down. So we just want to do it. Nice.

All right. Any other questions guys? Thank you. That's it? Yeah. That's it. Okay.

All right. Thank you.

Yep.

so we need a uh you got anything to say about this so we don't do your recommendation for that because you're making a recommendation to us you had something you were saying you wanted something all right i was going to say we do the uh public comment oh public comment anybody from the public no okay all right can i get a recommendation

I issue a recommendation to allow them to move forward with the project as they see it, right? As as yeah, as it's been described to us.

Okay, nice second.

Yeah.

Okay. All those in favor. I okay.

You're all set.

Yep, I will get you a letter tomorrow should be tomorrow, um, approving it and then you can give that to codes and get your permits.

Okay, we have another historic recommendation for 140 West Liberty Street, known as what, the Zion Church? Zion Church. Come down, state your name for the record and

Yep, my name is Mike Resigno. I'm the treasurer at Zion Church. I'm here with Mr. Steve Wickman from March Associates. Mr. Wickman put the plans together and what we're proposing to do is to build an ADA ramp outside of our parish hall, make some entryway improvements to make the facility more accommodative to those who need assistance getting in and out of the building.

So this is going to be on the parking lot side, right? Obviously.

Correct.

And what's there now? There's just a doorway.

Just steps and a platform. Yeah, basically a porch, concrete porch with wrought iron railings and a cover.

Okay. So what are you going to make the new one out of? I see you got some wrought iron there.

The wrought iron railing matches the wrought iron that's on the building right now. Is it done by Raleigh? And they've got the pattern. They're willing to do the new one. Wow. So that stays the same. The actual ramp is going to be four by fours with a composite deck over the top of it, only because the church doesn't have the money to do stone to try to match the outside. That would be way too expensive for the project. So we're going to use a composite deck and sideboards to close off the underneath, like you see, so nothing can get under there. Composite steps.

uh and the deck surface how much um room is on this like this side how what is it like uh what's the the difference is it a couple feet i just so like you got two steps going up on this yep okay so we're talking like maybe a couple feet down to nothing yes yep 24 foot long 24 feet so you're 24 inches high i mean i understand you couldn't do stone on the ramp but is it possible to do it on the side or no I mean, like some type of veneer.

So that would mean a lot of excavation and foundation work that we didn't plan on.

I see. Yeah. But I mean, like the kind you screw in that looks like it. They have that stuff or you don't want to tack it up.

In my opinion, I think that would not look like the other stuff. It wouldn't match, yeah. Right. We could probably get something close, but it's better, in my opinion.

To go completely opposite so it doesn't, okay.

Yeah, so it doesn't stick out.

Okay. Is there anything else you want to touch on that or?

I mean, that's really it.

You're just making the church more handicap accessible inside stuff?

Congregation, and they're struggling with the steps, definitely.

Long time coming, I'll bet you.

Well, and not only that, from Zion, we have the First Presbyterian Parish, who's also been using our facility for the last two years now, and looks like another six, eight, nine months. I'm not real sure where they stand with their building. So their parish is just as old as ours, as you can imagine.

Yeah, they've been taxing the whole building, huh?

Yeah, but it's great that it gets used. I mean, we're there with, you know, Monday, Tuesday, we have the Rome rescue mission lunch program in there every day of the week. The Alzheimer's Association was just meeting in there right before I came over here. So it's not just our parish using the facility. It's the community.

I hear a lot of good things. Yeah, stuff. Well, thank you guys. Okay. We're all set. We're just go to the public comment and then go from there.

Great. Thank you.

Would anybody from the public like to speak on behalf? No, okay, so the public portion is closed and we're looking for a recommendation from the board. Yeah.

You're looking at the 1st, it's a space between the 2 that just to accommodate. Between the 2 where the 4 coming down. Yeah.

Is that is that the existing that's the existing that's holding up the roof? That's that's 6. again yes yes it's just not drawn in there's raw iron in children that's all right yeah decorative pattern of some kind okay yeah we drew it with all straight lines because it's easier to draw yeah it makes sense so it'll be closed yes okay okay that's all okay great i make a motion to approve the zion church project and recommend and approve the

Project is young churches proposed.

Okay. Can I get a 2nd 2nd. All those in favor. All right. Okay. Motion carries.

And I'll have a letter for you guys tomorrow should be tomorrow, which will let you pull your permits and get started. You didn't well, it's nice and warm, right?

Can I get a motion to adjourn? Make a motion to adjourn all those in favor.

I'll see you soon.