Planning Board Agendas and Minutes

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COHOES PLANNING BOARD HELD AT 97 MOHAWK STREET COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 at 6:30PM MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Jack Carroll Mr. Joe Nadeau Mr. Joe McCormick Mr. Tony D’Angelico Ms. Stephanie Couture ABSENT: Mr. Joe Moloughney ALSO PRESENT: Sharon Butler, Commissioner of Building & Planning Chair Carroll called the Planning Board meeting of September 9, 2024 to order at 6:28 pm and asked for roll call. Roll Call; Vice Chair Moloughney was absent CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 12, 2024 MEETING Chair Carroll; first order of business is the approval of the August 12, 2024 minutes any questions, comments or amendments. Motion was made by Member D’Angelico to approve the minutes 2nd by Member Nadeau - Motion Carried unanimously. YES NO Chairperson Carroll X Vice Chair Moloughney ABSENT Member Nadeau X Member McCormick X Member D’Angelico X Member Couture No vote CONSIDERATION OF A CHANGE OF USE NEW TENANT APPLICATION FOR 200 REMSEN STREET Chairperson Carroll; 200 Remsen Street change of use new tenant application. Come on up and tell us what you want to do. Introduce yourself please Mr. Hammam Sharhan; I am looking to open a grocery store, it will be like a Stewart’s type thing, groceries, snacks, milk, coffee. Chairperson Carroll; are you going to be making sandwiches? Mr. Sharhan; for sandwiches we thought about that for the future, but with our budget we want to start out with the grocery store first. Then if there is enough profit then we will look at a deli. We are going based on budget first we will be able to do this first. Chairperson Carroll; are you going to have any eat in areas? Mr. Sharhan; no there will be no sit in or eat in areas. Chairperson Carroll; any questions from board members? Member Nadeau; let’s go back to the deli that area is tight, I don’t know where you would be putting exhaust but if you do that you need to come back to us and reapply so we can see what you would be doing and the impact on neighbors. So keep that in mind if you have someone design it. Mr. Sharhan; absolutely before we ever do that I would come back to you guys and also have someone professional sketch it out and then put it in front of you guys for approval, but if not we will just continue with our convenience store. Member Couture; asked about deliveries and where they will take place Mr. Sharhan; most of the stuff will come in a small truck Member Couture; are you expecting multiple deliveries? Mr. Sharhan; more than likely just one delivery, it’s a small store. Chairperson Carroll; where will the truck park when they delivery takes place? Mr. Sharhan; in front on Remsen, Sharon; what time will deliveries be made because that will make a big difference on whether they can pull up in front of the store Mr. Sharhan; depends on their schedule setup, sometimes morning or it could be late afternoon. They will come drop off 2 or 3 boxes it’s not like a lot of stuff or large loads Chairperson Carroll; our concern would be the double parking on Remsen Street at the busy part of the day, just so you are aware of that. Mr. Sharhan; I can notify the delivery companies not to double park at all Member Nadeau; you will be open until 9:00? Mr. Sharhan; yes I have seen that other businesses are closed by 8 or 9PM so if we aren’t busy we can close an hour early. Member Couture; you will be open 7 days a week? Mr. Sharhan; yes, Sunday might be 10AM to 9PM Member Nadeau; we are going to be looking to have you discourage loitering around the store. It has been an issue throughout the city more recently, especially with convenience stores they want to hang around outside. Mr. Sharhan; I don’t tolerate that loitering, it will not be allowed. Member Nadeau; keep it neat, cleanliness of the store with it being the downtown we want to encourage keeping the outside and inside neat and clean. Mr. Sharhan; absolutely I don’t like that, it bothers me. Member Couture; you had mentioned signage in the 2 windows here, what is your plan Mr. Sharhan; there will be an open sign, I won’t do any advertising in or on the windows Member Nadeau; do you expect to sell tobacco or alcohol? Mr. Sharhan; alcohol absolutely no, cigarettes yes Member Couture; I just want to go off of what Joe said, you have an opportunity here and we would encourage you to keep the outside as well as the inside clean Mr. Sharhan; if I’m walking down the street and I see something I’m not the type to just walk around it. Chairperson Carroll; any other comments? Are there any public comments? Being none asked for a motion on the application Motion to accept the change of use application was made by Member Nadeau 2nd by Member D’Angelico Motion carried unanimously. YES NO Chairperson Carroll X Vice Chair Moloughney ABSENT Member Nadeau X Member McCormick X Member D’Angelico X Member Couture X Sharon; the next meeting if there is one will be October 7th due to the holiday on the 14th. (Joe McCormick stated he would not be available for the 7th meeting) Training I would like to do it October to get it done. Are there any dates in October that do not work for members? Are there any times during the week of October 21st that do not work for members? If there isn’t a Zoning Board meeting we could do October 23rd, it would be a 2 hour session. Topics that have come to me; development and the impact on infrastructure, the 2017 Comprehensive plan, non-conforming commercial areas, and looking at the zoning regs as far as what is allowed and not allowed. If members have any other topics that are of interest, if you want to include them let me know and I can make up a schedule Adjournment; Motion Member Couture 2nd by Member McCormick meeting adjourned at 6:43PM YES NO Chairperson Carroll X Vice Chair Moloughney ABSENT Member Nadeau X Member McCormick X Member D’Angelico X Submitted by: Sharon Butler Commissioner of Building & Planning