The Delmar Key Bank at the Four Corners will undergo a renovation and expansion at its 370 Delaware Ave. site.
The Bethlehem planning board made a negative declaration regarding the state environmental quality review, which means they found no adverse environmental impact from the expansion, at the Sept. 4 meeting. The project now moves forward for review by the Albany County planning board.
Jonathan Wocher, a planner with the Cincinnati-based firm McBride, Dake and Clarion gave a presentation to the planning board on what the new bank will look like.
What we are doing is adding 208 square feet of building space, said Wocher.
The existing red metal roof will be replaced with a new shingle roof and a sign will be illuminated on the exterior of the building. Members of the planning board wanted to see improvements to the outside of the bank grounds because of its proximity to the Delmar center.
`The project is very important to us because of its location and visibility along the Four Corners,` said planning board chairman Parker Mathusa.
At the request of the planning board, Key Bank will also upgrade the landscaping to the outside of the building by planting several new trees and shrubs, along with replacing the old benches outside with new mahogany colored benches.
Key Bank is the third major business along Delaware Avenue that is either in the process of a redesign or has already completed renovation plans. CVS drugstore recently moved into a new building along Delaware Avenue, and the McDonalds Restaurant in Delmar will undergo renovations within the next several months.
The board received an update on work being completed by the nine-member Comprehensive Plan Oversight Committee. Assistant economic development director Michael Morelli reminded the board why the committee was formed as part of the new town comprehensive plan, which was approved in 2005.
The committee has been meeting since April to evaluate the progress of several recommendations that were a part of the town comprehensive plan.
`All nine tier-one recommendations are under various review and a number of tier-two recommendations have been moving along,` said Morelli.
The 450-acre Vista Technology Park, the Slingerlands hamlet design concept along with the local waterfront revitalization plan and the Route 9W corridor study are all tier-one recommendations currently under way in Bethlehem.
`Much of the progress made has involved this board,` said Morelli to the planning board members.
The comprehensive plan oversight committee report will be submitted to the town board later this month. The next meeting of the planning board is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 18.
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