PLANNING BOARD AGENDA
Common Council Chambers
April 17, 2025 – 4:30 PM
PUBLIC HEARING
PB Case No.: 14-24 Zone: Neighborhood Mixed Use
Address: 2209 Genesee Street Requested Action: Sketch Plan Review
Applicant: MHVS
Owner: MVHS
Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-312(c), the applicant is seeking Sketch Plan review of several proposed re-use scenarios for the former St. Elizabeth Medical Center. Pursuant to Section 2-29-317(a), the Planning Board was asked to initiate the SEQRA process by designating itself as lead agent, which the Board did at their August 2024 meeting.
At its February 2025 meeting, the Planning Board deemed the draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) to be ‘complete’ relative to the final scope adopted in December, thereby commencing a 60-day period of public review and comment.
PB Case No.: 02-25 Zone: Industrial (I)
Address: 1006 Thorn Street Requested Action: Site Plan Review and
Applicant: Howard Cohen Special Use Permit
Owner: Mark & Sandra Schultz
Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-125(b)(4) and 2-29-136(a), the applicant is seeking site plan approval and a special use permit in order to erect a billboard sign at this location.
The applicant has the above-noted property under contract, which is expected to close next month. Once the sale is finalized, the applicant intends to move both his neon sign shop and his coffee roasting business to this location from their current location on James Street. In addition, the applicant is proposing to erect a new billboard sign on the property. According to the applicant, the proposed sign is 30’ wide and 10’ high and will be a double-sided digital sign.
Per Section 2-29-136(c), “no billboard shall be permitted within 300’ of any use in the residential category” or “within 750 feet of any use in the municipal/civic category as listed in the use table.” The proposed location is directly adjacent to residential uses and easily within 750 feet of Lincoln Playground. Additionally, Section 2-29-136(d) states that “there must be a minimum of 1,000 feet between billboards on primary roads and a minimum of 500 feet between billboards on secondary road and state-controlled access highways”. The proposed location of this billboard is adjacent to the NYS Routes 5, 8 and 12, a state-controlled access highway and these is an existing billboard almost directly across the highway from the proposed location. As such, numerous area variances are necessary from the Zoning Board of Appeals, should the Planning Board choose to move forward with review and approval of this application.
A public hearing is required as part of the special use permit approval process.
PB Case No.: 04-25 Zone: Urban Mixed Use (UMU)
Address: 501 Bleecker Street Requested Action: Special Use Permit
Applicant: True Storage, LLC
Owner: Downtown Utica Development, LLC
Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-125(b)(4), the applicant is seeking a special use permit in order to establish an indoor storage facility at this location.
The owner of the property, Downtown Utica Development, LLC, has entered into a purchase and sale agreement with the applicant for the property with the Planning Board’s approval of a special use permit for indoor storage use as a contingency. Both the applicant and current owner fully understand that site plan approval is ultimately required as well for the indoor storage use; this application merely seeks to ensure that such a use is approved for this site. If approved, the applicant will seek site plan approval subsequently.
A public hearing is required as part of the special use permit approval process.
PB Case No.: 05-25 Zone: Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU)
Address: 1160 Mohawk Street Requested Action: Site Plan Review and
Applicant: Motee Mahyoub Special Use Permit
Owner: Motee Mahyoub
Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-125(b)(4), the applicant is seeking a special use permit in order to establish a neighborhood convenience store at this location.
The applicant has stated that he intends to operate a business that will prepare food for consumption off-premises along with selling pre-packaged foods. The business will be open 7 days a week from 8 AM to 11 PM with 3 employees. The property offers parking for up to 20 vehicles.
A public hearing is required as part of the special use permit approval process.
NEW BUSINESS
PB Case No.: 06-25 Zone: Planned Development (PD)
Address: 110 Business Park Drive Requested Action: Site Plan Review
Applicant: Omni Pain & Precision Medicine
Owner: 110 Business Park Drive, LLC
Pursuant to the Urban Renewal Plan for the Utica College Golf Course (November 1986), the applicant is seeking Planning Board approval to establish an urgent care facility within the building in space that was previously utilized for medical offices. Additionally, the applicant is seeking Planning Board approval to add signage to the building façade and the existing monument sign that reads “URGENT CARE +”; the signs will be white text on a red field and internally illuminated.
In accordance with the Urban Renewal Plan, the Urban Renewal Agency has reviewed the proposed plan and granted its approval at its March 27, 2025 meeting.
PB Case No.: 07-25 Zone:
Address: Citywide Requested Action: Report to the
Applicant: Common Council
Owner:
Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-21(b)(6), the Planning Board has been asked by the Common Council to provide a recommendation to a proposed amendment to the zoning code text.
As an MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) community, the US Environmental Protection Agency has instructed the City to institute changes to its many of its protocols that impact the storm sewer system, including the manner by which proposed site plans are approved by the Planning Board.
Currently, Planning staff routinely shares applications for site plan review with various City departments when they are received, most notably the Engineering, Police and Fire Departments. This coordination is encouraged, though not required by §2-29-315 which states “The Planning Board shall consult with its professional planning staff with regard to each site plan presented to it. In addition, the Board may consult with the Department of Public Works, the City Engineer, representatives of federal, state and county agencies as well as its designated private consultants.”
In order to strengthen the City’s site plan review process as it relates to MS4 requirements, it has been proposed that §2-29-315 be amended to require review by the City Engineering Department, Code Enforcement Office, the City’s Stormwater Management Officer (SMO), as well as Police and Fire Departments prior to the Planning Board issuing final approvals on any site plan review applications. As such, the amended language might read as follows: “The Planning Board shall consult with its professional planning staff with regard to each site plan presented to it. In addition, the Board shall consult with the City Engineer, the Commissioner of Codes Enforcement, the Stormwater Management Officer and the City’s public safety departments prior to the issuance of final approval of any site plan review application. In addition, the Board may consult with the Department of Public Works, representatives of federal, state and county agencies as well as its designated private consultants.”
OLD BUSINESS
PB Case No.: 19-24 Zone: Planned Development
Address: Utica Harbor Requested Action: Site Plan Review
Applicant: Utica Harbor Lodging Group, LLC
Owner: Utica Harbor Point Development Corp.
Pursuant to City of Utica Zoning Code Section 2-29-376(a), the applicant is seeking site plan review of a proposal to construct two hotels and residential apartments together with parking areas, driveway access, landscaping and site utilities at the former dredge spoils area.
The two hotels are proposed to be four floors each, one with 96 rooms and the other with 118 rooms. The hotels are proposed to front on the Harbor with the apartments situated between the proposed hotels and the Mohawk River.
A total of 82 apartments/townhomes are proposed, divided into 21 building, 20 of which will house 4 apartments each and 1 building with 2 apartments. In addition, the proposed plan calls for a 6,000 square foot clubhouse in the middle of the development together with outdoor amenities. Each residential building is three stories in height, with parking planned for the ground floor. The exterior materials will be a combination of clapboard siding, stone veneer, stucco and metal panels.
The proposed development will be reviewed against the design guidelines that were established for this particular Planned Development district several years ago.
