Proposed location of the facility. (Photo provided by David Yaman)
The proposed manufacturing and warehousing site northwest of the Cortland Commerce building on Route 13 in the town of Cortlandville continues to move forward.
The project, proposed by local realtor David Yaman, was initially presented at the last Cortlandville planning board meeting in December. It consists of the construction of a 38,000-square-foot building, four 30,000-square-foot buildings and a 20,000-square-foot building.
The proposed buildings, located at 839 New York Route 13, would be built on a 55.66-acre parcel. It would also include driveways, parking areas, loading docks, utility services, stormwater management facilities and landscaping. According to documents submitted to the Cortlandville planning board, the buildings would make up 15 acres of the total parcel.
A site plan of the proposed warehouse and manufacturing facility. (Photo provided by David Yaman).
After clearing the Cortlandville Planning Board last month, the project was forwarded and reviewed by the Cortland County Planning Board Wednesday evening. The board yielded several recommendations for Yaman’s project.
In a written document, the county’s planning department noted the project is located in one of Cortlandville’s aquifer protection districts, and its development could be projected to exceed more than $150,000. This requires the developers of the project to seek a special permit from Cortlandville. Since the project will be developed in multiple phases, Alex Schultz (a planner within the county planning department) noted Yaman may have to apply for a special permit more than once.
Planning board chairperson Ann Swisher echoed similar concerns about several special permit applications.
“I have a concern about what uses would end up in the warehouses and whether there will be checks and balances regarding the allowable uses in a wellhead protection zone,” Swisher said.
In response, Yaman noted the project will be more fleshed out when he can lease the building.
“We will design the specifics of the building when we know the tenant,” he said. “We have a couple of tenants looking at one building and another looking at one of the others. If they come along, they don’t store chemicals or toxic waste that would be dangerous for the protected district. When we go up for a building permit with Cortlandville, more details will be asked by code enforcement surrounding the special permit.”
Yaman called the current plans a “crystal ball look at what I think will happen.” He added that he will seek the special permits when he finds tenants.
“It is based on a 20-year history of leasing space to industries,” Yaman said.
The planning department also recommended that the developer submit a lighting plan to the Cortlandville Planning Board that considers adequate lighting for the project. The planning department also requested that the plan include locations for trash collection and pedestrian access, which the plan currently lacks.
Another part of the analysis offered by the County Planning Department suggests that the number of off-street parking spaces found on the initial plans would satisfy part one of the multi-phased project. The initial phase of the project will consist of the construction of the 38,000-square-foot building and the 20,000-square-foot building, according to plans submitted to the board.
“For later phases, the number of off-street parking spaces should be re-evaluated depending on the use,” Schultz said.
The project was also reviewed by state officials. The officials noted developers will be required to submit a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP), as well as a traffic impact study.
Julie Melancon, an environmental program specialist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said in a document submitted to the planning board that DEC must review and approve a SWPPP since the project will “disturb more than five acres of land.”
“Another thing to note about this project is that there is a DEC environmental remediation project on the site, but that remediation is nearing completion,” Schultz said. “(Yaman) is working with DEC to make sure it can be developed safely.”
Jeffrey Deep, an assistant permit engineer with the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT), noted DOT will have to review and approve the traffic impact study. He added the project could also need to secure a highway work permit since the project is adjacent to a state roadway.
Edward Keplinger, a Syracuse-based site planner working with Yaman on the development, said at Wednesday’s meeting the traffic report is being prepared by GTS Consulting out of Chittenango. He added the SWPPP is also being devised and should be sent ready for DEC to review within the next two weeks.
“Most of the rest of the recommendations are pretty straight forward and we can definitely take care of those conditions,” Keplinger said.
The project will go back to the Cortlandville planning board for review of the added recommendations from the county.
