Staff Notes SP 6-2019 New Beginnings_3 19 19
Town of Queensbury Planning Board
Community Development Department Staff Notes
March 19, 2019
Site Plan 6-2019 NEW BEGINNINGS COMMUNITY CHURCH, INC.
487 Dix Avenue / CM – Commercial Moderate / Ward 2
SEQR Type II
Material Review: application, narrative, site drawings SP25-2009 , site drawing current conditions
Parcel History: SUB 19-2005, SP 10-2008, SP 25-2009, SP 21-2010, SP 17-2011, 2008-615 Church;
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Requested Action
Planning Board review and approval to utilize a portion of an existing 9,323 sq. ft. church for a restaurant. The
project includes leasing 475 sq. ft. kitchen space and 625 sq. ft. of dining space for 45 seats.
Resolutions
1. SEQR (Type II –new language in SEQR reuse of a commercial structure #18)
2. PBR decision
Project Description
Applicant proposes to utilize a portion of an existing 9,323 sq. ft. church for a restaurant. The project includes
leasing 475 sq. ft. kitchen space and 625 sq. ft. of dining space for 45 seats. No additional site work is
proposed, as the new restaurant will use the existing parking and access used for the church. The restaurant and
church are proposed to operate on the site. Pursuant to Chapter 179-3-040 of the Zoning Ordinance, new food
service use shall be subject to Planning Board review and approval.
Staff Comments
Location-The project site is located at 487 Dix Avenue.
Arrangement- The site has an existing 9,323 sq ft Church and a rental home with a garage on the site.
Site Design- The site is to remain as is with the plans showing an existing drive access at Dix Avenue then a
drive area around the existing Church, a parking area (236 spaces), soil stockpile area, storage trailers and
the rental home with the garage at the front of the lot.
Building – The Church is 9,323 sq ft and the applicant proposes to lease 1,100 sq ft of the building to
operate a restaurant. The space is broken down into 475 sq ft of kitchen space and 625 sq ft of dining space
for about 45 seats. There alterations are only for the interior area for the restaurant; there are no other
changes to the church.
Signage-The applicant proposes a free standing sign to be 32 sq ft two sided along the Dix Avenue roadside.
The plans will need to show the sign location to ensure that is in a complaint location and the design of the
sign (setbacks for a free-standing signs are 15 ft from the property lines). The future roof sign would be
limited to 200 sq ft as outlined in Section 140 Signs of the Town Code. The overall square footage of the
roof sign would need to be provided.
Traffic- The applicant has indicated the site has 236 parking spaces. 78 required spaces for the Church
(including classrooms, and office space) and 16 spaces for the Diner (45-50 seats). The applicant has
indicated the Diner and Church use do not operate at the same time.
Site plan overall – The applicant has explained in the narrative there are additional items to complete as part
of Site Plan 25-2009 and a request is to leave these items open and to complete them as funding becomes
available for each project. Staff would request the project be closed out as part of the current restaurant
proposal and each of the remaining items come in under a new site plan. The items not completed include:
o Removal of rental home and garage
o Realignment of the driveway
o Construction of additional classroom building
o Construction of dome worship area
o Construction of parsonage to the rear of the property
o Construction of parsonage to the parking area on the west side.
Grading and drainage plan and Sediment and erosion control –The plans indicate the stormwater and
erosion control were installed in 2009 as part of the SP 25-2009. No changes are proposed.
Landscape plan – no new landscaping is proposed.
Site lighting plan – no changes to the lighting are proposed
Utility details – The applicant has had an engineer detail the existing waste water system and the operational
capacity. The applicant is aware that the septic system would not be able to accommodate the full capacity
of the church and restaurant to operate at the same time. The applicant has noted the Church operations has
not reached the capacity of the church space and the restaurant has different operating hours than the church.
The applicant has indicated the two uses will not operate at the same time.
Elevations – The applicant has included the elevations of the Church.
Floor plans – The floor plans are included for the Church and the restaurant. The plans note the location of
the restaurant area to be used within the church.
Waivers-The applicant has not requested any waivers as the infrastructure for the site was installed as part
of SP25-2009 and there are no changes
Summary
The applicant has completed a site plan review application for the lease of 1,100 sq for a restaurant use. The
project includes use of a portion of the existing parking lot, the church and restaurant not to be used at the same
time and the applicant requests projects not completed as part of SP25-2009 to remain open to be completed as
funding becomes available.
Board Items to Discuss
Staff would request discussion on the applicants request to keep the 2009 project open and would encourage the
board to close out the project as completed so far and a new site plan be submitted for the items that remain
incomplete or not constructed yet.
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Meeting History: 1 Meeting;
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