PLANNING BOARD AGENDA
Common Council Chambers
January 20, 2022 – 4:30pm
PUBLIC HEARING

PB Case No.: 24-21 Zone: Residential Mixed
Address: 1603 Howard Avenue Requested Action: Special Use Permit
Applicant: Eatimad Ibrahim
Owner: Hamdi Badawi

Pursuant to the City of Utica Zoning Ordinance, the applicant is seeking Special Use Permit for a proposed project located at the aforementioned address. The structure is currently residential with two apartments. The second-floor is rented and the first-floor is vacant. The applicant is seeking a Special Use Permit to allow for the operation of a café in the first-floor unit and front porch. The café would feature four tables, but mostly cater to take-out orders. There are no plans for expanded parking, however patrons can utilize on street parking. As this café is designed to cater to the neighborhood in which it is located, the owner expects that the majority of customers will walk there.

OLD BUSINESS

PB Case No.: 20-21 Zone: Central Business District
Address: 1018 & 1022 Park Ave Requested Action: Site Plan Review
Tax I.D. #318.058-2-66
Applicant: Matthew W. Meier, AIA
Owner: Becky Carlson St. Claire
Pursuant to the City of Utica Zoning Ordinance, the applicant is seeking Site Plan Approval for a proposed project located at the aforementioned addresses.
The three (3) combined sites will be developed into an affordable housing (live/work) apartment development. The applicant has proposed to construct a 4story, +/40,000 GSF, 41-unit (35 1BR, 6 2BR) NYSHCR funded new building. The existing curb cut along Park Avenue is planned to be retained (if possible) and reused, driving in & out on the east side with the south (front) facade of the 4-story building along on Park. Approximately 45 parking spaces will be created. The ground floor level will be building entry lobby/gallery and community use spaces, as well as ground floor apartments. Building identity signage will be anticipated, on the Park Ave (south)
entry side, as well as the parking lot (north) side. Future public mural may be added to the western stair tower wall. The new building is aligned along the street as per the Zoning requirement (10' max) with the intention to generally align with adjacent buildings along the northern edge of Park Avenue. Brick looking materials and vertical articulation is included to compliment the buildings surrounding the site and the modulate the front facade continuing the rhythms of the existing public realm. Light, fresh, color tones are selected to reflect the creative users within the building and to brighten the street wall. A new private/public art plaza is intended to be created at the intersection of Park & Clark to improve the activation of the front yard spaces. This new plaza will also be connected to the newly planned public space improvements of the adjacent Stanley Theatre parking lot. Resident parking will be mostly located behind the new building.
A Full Environmental Assessment Form (FEAF) and Engineering Report have been provided.

PB Case No.: 21-21 Zone: Neighborhood Mixed Use
Address: 1431 Genesee Street Requested Action: Site Plan Review
Applicant: Carmina Wood Morris DPC c/o Paul Lang
Owner: Liberty Affordable Housing Inc. c/o Randell Denton

Pursuant to the City of Utica Zoning Ordinance, the applicant is seeking Preliminary Site Plan Approval for a proposed project located at the aforementioned addresses.
The project entails the complete renovation and reactivation of the Olbiston Flats building, per the Department of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation, as the project will be seeking Historic Tax Credits under the review of New York SHPO and the National Park Service. In doing so historic finishes will maintained and restored wherever feasible, and where too badly  deteriorated replaced in kind. Historic/existing orientation and layouts or residential units to respected and largely reused to create 150 residential apartments ranging from Studios to 2 bedrooms.
The applicant will also be procuring New York State Housing and Community Renewal (NYSHCR) financial support, and therefore improvements will be made in compliance with all design guidelines and expectations of the State. Specifically speaking, the windows will be largely replaced with aluminum clad double hung units matching the profiles of the historic units virtually exactly. Existing masonry, where bricked is to be restored, repointed and stabilized. Where sandstone, materials are to be carefully cleaned and evaluated, restored where feasible, and if beyond repair replaced with GFRC finished and colored to match/blend into existing fabric.
This complex will be brought into full building code and ADA accessibility compliance, including reactivation of exisiting elevators, and extension of said elevators to grade at the rear of the building to impress access and egress. A new glass vestibule will be built surrounding the base of the non-historic elevator shafts bringing residents to the rear parking lot and recreation space. Non-historic additions currently existing attached to the rear of the historic structure are to be demolished and original fenestration pattern returned to the building. As part of the funding streams, sustainable or green design decisions are being made to ensure that this is an
environmentally responsible and sustainable project.

As the Utica Industrial Development Agency is acting as Lead Agency, the Planning Board will not make any decisions regarding SEQRA.

PB Case No.: 25-21 Zone: Land Conservation
Address:1 Utica Zoo Way Requested Action: Site Plan Review
Applicant: Brendan Marris
Owner: City of Utica

Pursuant to the City of Utica Zoning Ordinance, the applicant is seeking Site Plan Approval for a proposed project located at the aforementioned address. The Utica Zoo is seeking Site Plan Approval for their new Welcome Center. An existing building of 1,0005 SF will be added onto with an additional 3,953 SF that accommodates the following program needs of a new classroom, new family style toilet rooms, new gift shop and storage areas, along with a new welcome center entry foyer that connects to a conference and event space located within the existing footprint. New site work and utilities to connect this new building to the existing adjacent site feature will be completed. The historic structures of the zoo dating back to the 1920’s on this property are of Tudor style architecture and will be carried over into the design of the new welcome center. This will help the building to blend into the surrounding facilities and add to the historic charm of the site.
A Full Environmental Assessment Form (FEAF) has been submitted.

NEW BUSINESS

PB Case No.: 01-22 Zone: Central Business District
Address: 239 Genesee Street Requested Action: Site Plan Review
Applicant: Phil Sbarra
Owner: Lahinch Utica III LLC

Pursuant to the City of Utica Zoning Code, the applicant is seeking Site Plan Approval to redevelop the aforementioned address into a large mixed-use building. New work to include redevelopment and restoration of the exisiting 6 story, 70,000 sf building. The first-floor storefronts will be replaced and/or restored with historically sensitive storefronts and will remain commercial tenant spaces. The upper 5 stories will be converted into 47 loft style apartments of various sizes and layouts. All exterior windows are to be replaced with historically correct aluminum clad double-hung windows. Existing on street parking will remain on Genesee Street, Bank Place and Union Street. The rear parking lot on the south side of the building will be repaired and provide 22 parking spaces.
A Full Environmental Assessment Form (FEAF) has been submitted.

PB Case No.: 02-22 Zone: Urban Mixed Use
Address: 2122 Oriskany Street West Requested Action: Site Plan Review
Applicant: Chris Stever
Owner: Chris Stever

Pursuant to the City of Utica Zoning Code, the applicant is seeking to Site Plan Approval for an auto sales establishment at the aforementioned address. The new facility will be 150 x 80 at 12,000SF and will sell new Honda, Suzuki, Husqvarna motorcycles and ATVs. Parking will be available for approximately 40 vehicles. The applicant intends to utilize the existing
access points to Oriskany St. West. Signs will be LED hung on the building and there was an existing pole in place for a pole mounted sign.

A Short Environmental Assessment Form (SEAF) has been submitted.