Another restaurant chain is setting its sights on Wolf Road.
Plans for a Texas Roadhouse were presented to the Colonie Planning Board at a Tuesday, Sept. 25, meeting. The 7,000-square-foot restaurant would be the chain’s first venture into the Capital District (the nearest one is in Kingston) and would be located at 105 Wolf Road, at the corner of Sand Creek Road. The facility would be in the back corner of the lot, behind an existing Chipotle Restaurant. The developer proposes to demolish an office building, the former Clay’s restaurant and a garage.
While many parts of the project still need some tweaking, one of the Planning Board’s main concerns was the effect the construction and the new business would have on residential properties nearby.
Another, more atypical issue brought up at the meeting were the two flags that would be flown on the roof of the restaurant. An American flag and a Texas flag, core features of the restaurant chain, would be lit up each night. Attorney Peter Lynch, who spoke on behalf of the chain, said the restaurant came up with a plan that would create a 50-foot line around the building where the light spills, which is “well within the property and not spilling over into the residential properties.”
“The lighting of the flags on the roof are not going to have adverse impact on the residential properties,” Lynch said. “We do spill over on a couple of parking spaces on Ninety Nine (Restaurant), but that’s already a lit commercial parking lot.”
The use of an outdoor PA system raised similar concerns. Lynch said the outdoor PA system would be used only to call the names of restaurant visitors. He said they are suggesting to use a “low decibel level and not use it after 10 p.m.” as a middle ground.
It would take two or three months just to prepare the site for construction. Lynch said all demolition and construction would be done during regular working hours and the contractor “will be advised of the sensitivity of the neighbors.”
Joe LaCivita, Colonie director of planning and economic development, said the project is “expected to generate 78 new trips during the p.m. peak hour.”
Some residents of the area came to the meeting to express their concerns, as well. Susan Bredice, a resident of Sand Creek Road, said while she is happy with the project itself, she is worried about the traffic.
“I have a hard time thinking there’s only going to be a slight increase in the traffic,” Bredice said.
Frank DeLong, of Kenlyn Drive, said the Texas Roadhouse restaurants are “beautiful stores.”
“There’s one in Syracuse, I’ve been in it. It’s a really nice thing to come to this area,” DeLong said.
Board member Kathleen Dalton thanked DeLong for voicing a positive reaction to the project, which she said is unusual for Planning Board meetings.