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Plaza: Minor modifications set to be presented to Planning Board

by jmaloni
Sat, Aug 12th 2017 09:00 am
By Joshua Maloni
Managing Editor
A second previously approved major development is getting tweaked.
Less than three weeks removed from receiving a revised residential redevelopment submission for 765 Fairchild Place, the Village of Lewiston Planning Commission expects to hear from Ellicott Development CEO William Paladino about modifications to his Center Street plaza plan.
The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday inside the Morgan Lewis Village Boardroom, 145 N. Fourth St.
On Wednesday, Village of Lewiston Projects Coordinator and Liaison W.E. "Skip" Hauth said, "Ellicott has changed their architect. The information that they sent along for building No. 1, which is the westernmost building on Center Street, the changes that they have included are going back to the Planning Board, but all they include are locations and numbers of doors and windows in the building, and a slight change to the roofline.
"I don't believe there's going to be any concern on the Planning Commission's review of the changes that they are proposing. They are doing these changes for the doors and the windows based on their speculation for the renters that will be in the building. They have declined, to me at least, to identify who those are, or what their businesses are, but there are a couple of added doors on the back of the building, and a couple of changes to the front doors on Center Street, because they wanted to put side lights in next to the front doors."
In an email Wednesday, Paladino wrote, "They are minor immaterial changes brought about by the structural and mechanical design of the buildings and building code. As we advised throughout the planning board process a few items may change here (and) there based on how we split up the building to accommodate for different tenancies. Nothing of any consequence. Building sizes are still the same. Layout of the site is the same. Landscaping, parking, lighting all still the same. Mainly moving some windows and doors to split up the different spaces. For instance a window we had on approved elevation is now in front of a structural beam so we moved it a little to be in a tenant space."
Hauth presided over a recent Lewiston project team meeting wherein the plaza changes were first discussed. Planning Commission Chairman Norm Machelor was unable to attend that gathering, but sent Vice Chairwoman Anne Welch in his place.
Machelor said it's his understanding, "They are changes that prospective tenants have asked for, the way to set up their building. Basically, they're all within the rules - in other words, how big the doors and windows are supposed to be, and how few or how many there are."
Machelor said he doesn't anticipate these modifications will require a new first submission, as was the case with the recent revision to the neighboring Fairchild Place apartment/townhome project.
"My opinion is that it's going to just be changes without requiring a redo," he said.
Moreover, Hauth said, "I'm guessing they do not require any additional variances, and I think what will happen as a result of that is that they will ask for a stamped set of drawings that is the new design, with the current date. They have a copy of that in the package that they gave to us. And then it will go to the Board of Trustees on the 21st. And I suspect it will also get quick approval, so that we can get on with it."
Hauth said he doesn't anticipate construction beginning before the fall.
"There are a couple of steps that have to be done before they can get the building permit," Hauth said. "For both properties (including Fairchild Place), they have to have a complete set of drawings and ... a checklist. The checklist includes the insulation packages, the electrical and energy-efficiency packages; and what they are doing in those checklists is confirming that the design, as submitted, meets the appropriate codes.
"Once that is in place, then our building inspector (Ken Candella) can finish his examination of the rest of the information. A decision needs to be made based on what their request is for a building permit, whether they will be given a building permit for the entire construction - I think that's less likely - or they will be given a building permit, which will permit them to do the site work, the civil work, the underground utilities work, and what's called 'the envelope' - which is the exterior of the building, but nothing approved for the interior until they come up with a more detailed set of plans and specifications.
"Once all of those are done and accepted through the Board of Trustees, both organizations will submit a new set of plans, which updates all of the things that were requested by our team to review before they get their plans finalized. If there are no remaining questions, then we will probably go back to the mayor with a recommendation that they be issued a building permit for the details of what they have submitted to that point. That would enable them to get started, I'm guessing, some time in fall to get this thing underway."
The Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees approved the site plan development for 756-790 Center St., at a meeting last November. The multimillion-dollar mixed-use plaza will be located at the corner of Center, North Eighth and Onondaga streets.
In addition to discussing building No. 1 on Monday, Hauth said Paladino, and/or his representatives, might share information about building No. 2, which sits on the eastern side of the 4.1-acre parcel Ellicott Development purchased in 2012.
Editor's note: Meeting agendas are subject to change after The Sentinel goes to print. Should changes occur, they will be posted on this website.

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