CAZENOVIA — On Feb. 14, the Village of Cazenovia Planning Board approved a revised special permit and site plan submitted by Meier’s Creek Brewing Company at 33 Rippleton Road for the construction of an additional paved parking area and a new business identification sign.
According to Village Planning Board Chair Richard Huftalen, the February meeting represented the applicant’s third appearance regarding the proposed amendments. The initial application was presented in December 2021 and considered again in January. That same month, the board opened and closed a public hearing.
Following three months of public consideration of the proposal, the board approved a draft resolution titled “A Resolution Granting the Application of Meier’s Creek Brewing Co. for Amended Special Permit and Site Plan Approval” by a vote of four to zero.
The resolution explains that the applicant plans to add 83 new paved customer/visitor automobile parking spaces to accommodate business traffic that is already frequenting the farm brewery. Therefore, the project, in and of itself, will not increase the intensity of the existing business use.
According to Huftalen, parking was added to the site plan along the existing drive between the current patron parking and the employee parking/service entrance.
The adopted resolution also states that the new sign will improve the ability of travelers on Route 13 to locate the entrance driveway, thus enhancing traffic safety.
Additionally, the document notes that the proposed amount of lot coverage and impervious surface is within the limits of the zoning code guidelines, that the new on-site lighting will be dark skies compliant and meet the requirements of the village code, and that the village engineer reviewed the applicant’s storm water management plan and determined that “the impacts of the new paved parking area can be adequately mitigated on site.”
“The board considered the fact that the current parking is sometimes inadequate and [forces] cars to park on the margins of the driveway, often in unpaved areas,” said Huftalen. “The new proposal will provide designated areas further from the road, partially screened with landscaping, with designated pedestrian access to the entrance. We were also very sensitive to the storm water management practices, and the design will mitigate the impact of the changes to impervious surface. The applicant modified their initial proposal substantially based on consultation with and feedback from the village engineer, and the board was pleased with the final outcome for both the applicant and the village.”
The planning board meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Village Municipal Building, 90 Albany St. For more information, visit villageofcazenovia.com/planning-and-zoning.
