By Kate Hill
On Oct. 13, the Village of Manlius Board of Trustees discussed the future of the Bank of America building at 343 Fayette St.
In August, Codes/Zoning Official Mike Decker informed the board that the building’s owner, David Muraco, of Empire Management of CNY, Inc., had found a new tenant, Café Kubal.
During the October meeting, Muraco came to the board with a request for a special use permit for an outdoor seating area beneath the existing overhang, which was previously used for drive-thru ATM service.
“The area that is being affected is everything that’s underneath that canopy,” said Muraco. “Instead of using it for drive-thru, we designed it where it’s a walk up window, which I think is a lot better way to handle the property.”
The plans for the approximately 400-square-foot patio show four tables and 16 chairs.
According to Muraco, the area, which has already been graded, will be poured with slab concrete, treated and stained a natural color.
The landscaped patio will be lit with method lights that will hang from the canopy structure.
“We are doing a majority of the stone [shown in the drawings],” Muraco said. “If you drive by you’ll see where the siding has been taken off. With a lot of the columns, we are going up five or six feet tall, so it will be really pretty.”
The patio will be handicap accessible via a sloping ramp and the existing railings along the north side of the building. The parking lot has two existing handicap spaces at the main entrance.
Muraco explained that because Bank of America’s presence in the building is limited to an ATM, the bank does not require parking.
“I see maybe three to four cars there an hour that use that ATM,” he said. “I don’t know how long that will last for, but it was part of the appeal when I first purchased the property.”
Muraco noted that the tenant is requesting a total of three 48 x 28 inch signs — one at the main entrance and one on either side of the patio.
Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Martha Dygert reminded the board that the signage is separate from the permit under consideration, which addresses the outdoor seating only.
Trustee Hank Chapman commented that he thought the plan was a great use of the space.
“[That overhang] could potentially be an eyesore, so that’s a great way to make use of it,” Chapman said.
Trustee / Deputy Mayor Janice Abdo-Rott added that the building will be a nice entrance to the village.
Following Muraco’s presentation, the board voted to schedule a public hearing on the proposed special use permit for Nov. 10 at 7:05 p.m.
In other news
During his report, Tom Pilewski announced that Village Recreation Director Benita Rodriguez had resigned from her position and that the village is now searching for her replacement.
Manlius village board meetings are usually held the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Manlius Village Centre, 1 Arkie Albanese Avenue, Manlius. For more information, visit manliusvillage.org or call the Clerk’s Office at 315-682-9171.
