PLANNING BOARD AGENDA

Common Council Chambers

July 18, 2024 – 4:30 PM

OLD BUSINESS

PB Case No.:   11-24                                                   Zone:                           Mixed Use Campus

Address:          1203 Hilton Avenue                            Requested Action:       Curb Cut Variance

Applicant:        Alan Swierczek

Owner:            Utica City School District                                           

Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-21(b)(4), the applicant is seeking approval of a curb cut variance for the above-noted property.

Section 2-23-123 of the City of Utica Zoning Code limits the width of non-residential curb cuts to no more than forty (40) feet.  The applicant is proposing a two-lane drive measuring 24’ in width as a ‘Fire Lane’ from the rear of Proctor High School to Eagle Street.  The applicant indicates that the considerable width is necessary to accommodate fire trucks, school buses and larger commercial vehicles.  As such, the applicant is proposing a curb cut that measures 90’ in width.

At its May 2024 meeting, the Planning Board tabled further review of the proposed variance and asked the applicant to provide the following materials:

• Existing site plan that includes the existing curb cut, the driveway in question and any portion of the building(s) nearby;
• Proposed site plan for purposes of comparison in same scale and including the same information as the existing site plan;
• An explanation for the basis of the request at this time;
• Photographs of the existing condition of the site.

At its June 2024 meeting, the Planning Board met with the applicant together with representatives of the school district and were able to gain a clearer understanding of the need for the project.  The Board ended up tabling further review and asked the applicant to provide a site plan that shows the proposed sidewalks and consider reducing the existing curb cut that also exceeds the maximum permitted width.

PB Case No.:   12-24                                                   Zone:   Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU)

Address:          1810 Eagle Street                                Requested Action:       Site Plan Review

Applicant:        Eagle’s Nest-Utica, LLC

Owner:            Parkway Drugs Holdings, LLC                                               

Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-291(a) and (b) the applicant is seeking site plan approval of a proposal to construct thirty-four units of market-rate apartments at the above-noted property.

The applicant is proposing to construct a gated community comprised of seven 4-unit buildings and one 6-unit building; the plan also calls for the construction of a resident center.  According to the applicant, the proposed development has been designed to enhance the character and integrity of the existing neighborhood so as to not have a negative impact on the surrounding properties.

PB Case No.:   13-23                                                   Zone:                           Mixed Use Campus

Address:          Tilden Avenue & Armory Drive          Requested Action:       Site Plan Review

Applicant:        Bruce K. Adib-Yazdi

Owner:            Utica Municipal Housing Authority                                        

Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-125(a) and (b), the applicant is seeking Site Plan approval for a proposal to demolish the existing public housing apartment buildings and construct new apartment buildings.

The current housing complexes known as Adrean Terrace, ND Peters and FX Matt roughly comprise 25 acres in the east Utica neighborhood along Tilden Avenue and Armory Drive.  The Utica Municipal Housing Authority, d/b/a People First is proposing to demolish all of the existing buildings that comprise these three developments as they have reached a point of functional obsolescence and would not be cost-effective to rehabilitate.

The proposed replacement housing will include a variety of building and housing types, as well as larger indoor community spaces and outdoor amenities.  The plan also calls for the consolidation of the three properties into a single tax parcel.

The Planning Board tabled further review of the proposed project in November 2023 until such time as the SEQRA process had been completed.  The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has issued a letter allowing the demolition of the ND Peters portion of the larger site.  At this time, SHPO is still “encouraging” the applicant to study the adaptive reuse option for Adrean Terrace and FX Matt.

NEW BUSINESS

PB Case No.:   13-24                                                   Zone:               Neighborhood Mixed Use

Address:          708 Mohawk Street                              Requested Action:       Site Plan Review

Applicant:        Shihab Alguhaim                                                                     Special Use Permit

Owner:            Ei Sout & Skina Bee                                       

Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-125(a) and (b), the applicant is seeking approval of a Special Use Permit and Site Plan approval for a proposal to re-establish a neighborhood convenience store at the above-noted location.

The applicant is asking approval to re-open the business with the same license as he had previously.  He indicates that he had to close his business in order to bring his family from oversees.  When he returned, the business remained closed while he made improvements to the building, not realizing that the business may need approvals in order to re-open.