COLONIE — In front of the Planning Board is a scaled down proposal to build a car dealership and service facility at the intersection of Troy-Schenectady and Mill roads.
The plan, as presented by C.T. Male on behalf of DePaula Chevrolet would construct two buildings totaling about 17,000 square feet for a Mazda dealership and repair shop on the 6.22-acre site.
The original plan, first introduced in spring 2017, called for demolishing one of the two existing, vacant buildings and renovating the other to suit the dealership’s needs. The new plan would be 9,500-square-foot compared to a 15,500 square feet proposed in January.
The finished buildings would still include an interior drive-thru for car services, an office and a sales area.
It would include a parking lot with 215 spots for vehicle show areas and for customer use but instead of selling the high-end Maserati/Alfa Romeo vehicles, it would specialize in Mazda vehicles.
The site is zoned for Commercial Office Residential.
The project was set to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals for a waiver on the required setback in May 2017 but it was withdrawn by the developer.
In January, the larger version of the plan was in front of the Planning Board as a Maserati/Alfa Romeo dealership but the board tabled the measure pending more information on the impact of traffic at the busy intersection located across Route 7 from the Peter Harris plaza.
It was back in front of the Planning Board in August for a sketch plan review, and while the plan no longer required any waivers, its size still drew a cool reception by board members.
Also, at a Town Board meeting in 2017, one resident living in a residential neighborhood on Mill Road adjacent to the project spoke about the negative impacts it would have, including traffic, lights and noise.
It was only a sketch plan review on Tuesday, Nov. 13, and the developer will need to come back before the board for consider the concept, which gives an indication the project will get approved and essentially a green light for the developer to start investing more in site and other plans, and then it will need final approval.
In other business:
An ODA
The Planning Board received an update on the proposal to create an Open Development Area with six new single family homes off Sand Creek Road.
The initial plan did not call for an ODA, which is required if a new privately owned road would give access to the buildings. In other words, it is a shared driveway off Sand Creek Road and will be maintained by the residents in the proposed new homes.
The 3.2-acre site is zoned for Single Family Residential and is located on the east side of Sand Creek Road between Osborne Road and Pfeil Avenue.
An additional six cars during the afternoon rush hours are projected to come from the new homes, according to the narrative submitted to the Planning Board.
It was considered a “board update” on Tuesday, Nov. 13, and no formal action was taken.
Rosetti warehouse
The board granted concept acceptance to a plan by Richard Rosetti to create an Open Development Area on 13.9 acres of land along Colonie Plaza Drive for two warehouse buildings.
The site, zoned industrial, is bordered by Albany Street to the west, the Colonie Plaza access road the north, the town and village line and Colonie Plaza to the east and wetlands to the south. The project would be located between 4253 and 4259 Albany Street.
The proposed buildings will be one-story and have a total area of about 65,200-square-foot.
It is expected to generate 21 new trips during the afternoon peak hours.
The project will still need final approval before construction can start.
Starbucks is pulled
The owners of Colonie Center, KRE Colonie, want to subdivide its parking lot to allow Starbucks to build a coffee shop on one acre.
According to the narrative submitted to the Planning Board by Advance Engineering and Surveying, the new shop would be 2,025 square feet, have enough room for 66 seats inside, a drive thru and 41 parking spaces.
It would have access via Central Avenue and Wolf Road and be located to the east of the newly built and opened BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse.
Consideration of the project was delayed until the Dec. 4 Planning Board meeting when it is slated to have the sketch plan reviewed. It will still need concept acceptance and final approval before construction can start.