COLONIE — Stewart’s is looking to consolidate five parcels of land along Central Avenue to build a 4,124-square-foot store with a 2,000 square foot canopy over eight fueling stations.
One of the parcels, at 2005 Central Avenue, was home to Casale Rent All, a one-story block building. There is a two-story single family home on one of the lots on Emery Avenue. There is another two-story home along with a garage and a shed on a Waterman Avenue lot.
All the existing buildings would be demolished to make way for the new convenience store.
Chris Potter, of Stewart’s, presented a version of the project to the Planning Board on Tuesday, Feb. 25 and had four other scenarios that rotated the building, moved curb cuts and different parking plans.
As presented, the main entrance and gas pumps would be along Waterman Avenue with another entrance to the south of the building and on the building’s north side along Central Avenue. The rear of the building would face Emery Avenue.
Planning Board member Louis Mion took exception to the building and the gas pumps not facing Central Avenue.
“Its address is on Central Avenue so it should face Central and it would conform to everything else on Central Avenue,” he said. “I don’t like the way the back of the building is facing a street. You have enough room to turn the building and still have enough room for the pumps.”
Access onto Central would be restricted to right in and right out under the proposal but there would be a full access onto Waterman where there is a light at the Central Avenue intersection that would help make left hand turns easier.
However, Planning Board member Susan Milstein said she didn’t think access onto Waterman was a good idea because it is a residential street.
As it is presented, Stewart’s is looking for two waivers, one would allow less landscaped islands in the parking lot as code requires and seven less parking spots.
While it was a sketch plan review — a way to introduce the project to the Planning Board and the public — there was an informal consensus about combining aspects of the other four plans such as rotating the building and moving the Waterman Avenue driveway closer to Central Avenue.
Potter can either bring a new plan to the board for another sketch plan review or return with a couple different ideas in the form of a “board update” prior to coming for a formal concept acceptance.
A sketch plan review is the first step, then concept acceptance and then final site plan approval before construction can start.
The 1.2 acre site is zoning Commercial Office Residential and allows for a convenience store.
