By Chris English
SCHOHARIE COUNTY — An ambitious commercial/residential development in the Village of Schoharie has gotten the blessing of the County Planning Commission.
At its Monday night, Nov. 3 meeting, the PC unanimously recommended approval of a site plan, subdivision and rezoning needed for the Mainbridge Project at 218 Main Street. It involves construction of a new commercial building to serve as the new home for the practice of well-regarded local dentist Dr. Hazem Elbyali with also other professional offices, and a total of 46 rental apartments in four new buildings.
Attorney Terresa Bakner and project Engineer Christopher Knox gave a presentation on the project at the Monday night meeting. It will be located at the site of the long-vacant Great American Grocery Store, which will be demolished as part of the development. Elbyali would relocate his practice from a building across Main Street when the new commercial building is finished.
Bakner and Knox said the entire project would be done in three phases that would take an estimated five or six years to totally complete. First would come construction of the two-story, 38,800 square-foot commercial building, and then construction in phases two and three of the 46 apartments in two buildings of two stories and two buildings of three stories.The apartments of one and two bedrooms would total 37,400 square feet.
Accompanying the construction will be extensive lighting, fencing, parking, Storm water management and traffic control plans. Planning Commission members asked a lot of questions about all aspects of the project but in the end seemed satisfied with all the answers given by Bakner and Knox and voted unanimously to recommend approval.
There will be public water and sewer at the new project.
"The project is consistent with the village's zoning and comprehensive plan and this is a great use for that location," Bakner said. "We want it to look park-like when it's all finished. Right now, it's parking lot-like."
Dr. Elbyali was praised at the meeting for the quality of his practice and for being one of the few dentists who will accept Medicaid and Medicare patients. According to those at the meeting, patients come from throughout the entire Capital Region, and one County Planning Commission member said she knew of someone from Rochester who came out for treatment.
"Well done," said one member of the audience after Monday night's vote to recommend approval.
"We appreciate what he's doing for our community," Planning Commission Chair Denise Lloyd added.
Bakner said the apartments will not be luxury but not technically "affordable" units either. Rents will be at market-rate, and the apartments will be built for "regular people" she said.
"Housing is needed," she noted.
The Village of Schoharie Planning Board is the lead approval agency on the matter and has held a public hearing on the project. Bakner said it's hoped that the board would vote to approve either this month or in December so that construction on the commercial building can start in the spring.
In another action from the Nov. 3 County Planning Commission meeting, members voted to recommend approval of a storage facility for a civil engineering firm called ING Civil on a 13.3-acre site along Route 30 in the Town of Middleburgh.
Kyle Rueckert, a real estate broker who is handling purchase of the site for ING, was at the Nov. 3 County Planning Commission meeting to explain the plan to members and the audience. He said it involves expansion and relocation of storage of construction materials and equipment for the company at the new site, with some storage outside and some and also some light repair in a 6,400 square-foot building to be constructed at the site.
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