LATHAM — The Town of Colonie Planning Board granted final approval Tuesday for the construction of a new Chick-fil-A restaurant at 579 Troy Schenectady Road, clearing the way for the demolition of the former Brick House Tavern + Tap and redevelopment of the site with a quick-service restaurant that includes a dual-lane drive-thru and outdoor seating.
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will occupy a 2.5-acre parcel at the corner of Troy Schenectady Road and Erin Street within Latham Farms Plaza, adjacent to existing commercial tenants such as Panera Bread and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The new development, proposed by Chick-fil-A, Inc. and engineered by Bohler Engineering, replaces the vacant 9,800-square-foot full-service restaurant and will introduce updated site circulation, landscaping, stormwater infrastructure, and energy-efficient lighting.
Tim Freitag of Bohler Engineering, who has represented Chick-fil-A throughout the multi-year process, said the project has been in development for several years. “I’ve been working on this project since 2019, so it is exciting to get in the red zone, I’ll call it,” Freitag told the board during Tuesday’s meeting.
Planning Board members issued a negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR), determining the project will not result in significant adverse environmental impacts. They also approved a trio of waivers from town land-use design standards to accommodate the drive-thru lanes, building orientation, and parking island requirements. These design elements were found consistent with similar developments in the surrounding commercial district.
A key point of discussion was the traffic impact of the new restaurant, particularly around the addition of a roundabout at the intersection of Erin Street and the adjacent Dick’s Sporting Goods driveway. The roundabout, included as an off-site improvement, must be fully operational before the town will issue a certificate of occupancy for the restaurant. Planning officials emphasized the importance of clear wayfinding signage and traffic circulation planning to manage anticipated customer volume.
Final approval was contingent on Chick-fil-A addressing remaining technical comments from the town’s engineering department. Bohler Engineering representatives confirmed they are in ongoing coordination with Latham Farms ownership and town staff to finalize those items, including plans to maintain or replace several mature street trees at the site.
Construction is expected to begin following permitting, with an estimated timeline of six months. Chick-fil-A plans to hire between 120 and 140 local employees for the new location, which will operate Monday through Saturday from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The store will be closed on Sundays.
