Members of the village of Scotia planning board are not backing down from the request that Rite Aid bring a plan before the board that will be in line with their vision for Mohawk Avenue. The planning board members would like new downtown buildings to look like they actually belong in the village, as if they had been there forever.
I think the planning board has a vision for the Rite Aid building to make people say, ‘Wow, that is a great building,’ not just another pharmacy being placed in the village and along Mohawk Avenue, said village board trustee and liaison to the planning board Armon Benny.
The planning board met with Diamond Developers Monday, Feb. 4, to discuss the proposal that has been in the works for more than a year. The plan is to build a 14,564-square-foot Rite Aid along Mohawk Avenue at the Ballston Avenue intersection.
`There have been concerns over the amount of space the pharmacy would appear to take up,` said developer Rick Diamond. `What we have done is created a second-floor look to balance to size of the building,`
Diamond said that while he understands the concerns of the village, he hopes they can come to a resolution soon. He said planning boards requesting that buildings are cohesive with existing structures is a trend and something they have successfully accomplished in other municipalities.
Bob Powell, chairman of the planning board, said that false windows, such as the ones in the plans for a second-floor look, are against code in Scotia. In addition, the board still has concerns over the increased traffic.
`We still need to see solutions on things such as traffic, storm water facilities, all in addition to the architectural design,` said Powell.
Benny said he believes the planning board knows the demands are fair and developers should be able to achieve them successfully.
`The developer has this opportunity to create this building that meets all of our guidelines. We just have to get there,` said Benny.
The board will meet again with Diamond Developers at the Monday, March 3, meeting. “