Syracuse Planning Commission Meeting - December 1, 2025
Syracuse Planning Commission Meeting - December 1, 2025
The Syracuse Planning Commission met on December 1, 2025, to consider multiple applications including a greenhouse manufacturing plant, resubdivisions, a hospital renovation, a mixed-use redevelopment, a private club conversion, a funeral home proposal, and a time extension request. Several items were approved, while two were postponed due to legal questions about the zoning code. The meeting began at approximately 6:00 PM and adjourned after action on the final item.
Minutes Approval
- The minutes from the November 10, 2025 meeting were approved after a friendly amendment to correct a typo: "S E K E R" changed to "S E Q U E R" (environmental review).
Old Business - Greenhouse Manufacturing Plant (Resubdivision R-25-34 and Special Use Permit SP-25-20)
- Location: 2956-2960-2964 Genesee Street.
- Applicant/Representative: Mr. Bose (SCAT – Sustainable Energy and Agriculture Technology LLC).
- Project: Light manufacturing plant for smart greenhouses (10x10 ft units, primarily wood and glass, automated manufacturing).
- Discussion: Mr. Bose reported meeting with neighbors on November 15, 2025, addressing four concerns: future sale of the business (SUP not transferable under new code), visual impact from the south (30-ft buffer with tall trees preserved), scale of operations (one greenhouse per day, minimal traffic), and lighting (height and intensity to be limited). A retaining wall (9 ft 10 inches at highest, varying with slope) was discussed.
- Public Comments: One speaker in favor (supports modest green industry startup). Two speakers in opposition: Donald Stoner (206 Hurlbert Road) argued the application should not have reached this stage due to zoning incompatibility, traffic concerns, and the availability of more suitable locations; another neighbor opposed the location, suggesting the site would be better used for beautification.
- Outcome: The commission did not take action, citing the need to clarify legal implications of the new zoning code regarding special use permit transferability. The item will be reconsidered at a later meeting (likely December 15, 2025).
New Business - Resubdivision R-25-57 (306-340 Wolf Street)
- Owner: SVN Realty LLC.
- Project: Combine five parcels into two lots (one for the business, one separate).
- Action: Approved with a special condition to file the map within 62 days. The SEQR negative declaration was issued.
New Business - Resubdivision R-25-58 (212-214 Broadpark Parkway)
- Owner/Applicant: Sharon Glavin.
- Project: Combine two parcels into one for tax simplification and yard maintenance.
- Action: Approved with a special condition to file the map within 62 days. SEQR negative declaration.
New Business - Project Plan Review Z-2915 (3101 Prospect Avenue, St. Joseph's Hospital)
- Applicant: Kevin Gilligan, Vincent Petrack (landscape architect), Keegan Bowen (project manager).
- Project: Renovation and addition (~4,500 sq ft) to Building 8 (101 Union Ave) to relocate a behavioral health unit (30 beds, not new capacity). No new parking; drop-off loop eliminated; new sidewalks; one light pole relocated.
- Public Comments: None.
- Action: Approved with four special conditions: all approvals before construction, address city department concerns, obtain plumbing permits, coordinate with Onondaga County on sanitary flow. SEQR negative declaration.
New Business - Major Site Plan Review MASPR-25-28 (200 East Genesee Street and Warren Street)
- Applicant: Jamie Williams (Holmes King Kallquist Architects), Adam Fumarolo (Hanover Real Estate Development).
- Project: Mixed-use redevelopment of historic city-owned building: ground-floor commercial, 39 residential units (mix of market-rate and affordable) on floors 2-7. Historic tax credit project.
- Discussion: The atrium encroaches 41 feet into the former East Genesee Street right-of-way (originally approved for 12.5 ft in 1986). Staff explained the right-of-way was abandoned but never sold; the city is working to assign a tax parcel and complete the resubdivision to make the atrium zero lot line.
- Public Comments: Melissa Zell (State Tower Building owner) spoke in favor but raised concerns about the encroachment issue, asking for a zero lot line solution.
- Action: Approved with conditions including that the resubdivision map must achieve zero lot line (no further encroachment) and that affordability requirements shall run with the regulatory agreement (not necessarily 30 years). SEQR negative declaration.
New Business - Special Use Permit SP-25-29 and Major Site Plan Review MASPR-25-29 (6252 West Onondaga Street)
- Applicant: Hillary Donahue (CityLink Architecture) on behalf of Robin Barrett (Saruk 7 Properties LLC).
- Project: Convert historic mansion (built 1893) into a mixed-use building: two residential apartments in the rear servants' quarters and a private club in the front (for small performances, neighborhood meetings, max 25 attendees, Thursday-Sunday). No amplified outdoor music.
- Public Comments: Six speakers in favor (neighbors, local residents) praised the project for preserving the historic building and enhancing the neighborhood. No opposition.
- Action: Special use permit recommended to the Common Council with four conditions (no amplified music, adhere to operation hours, coordinate with Onondaga County on sanitary flow, provide two bike racks). Major site plan approved with four conditions (demolish connecting bridge structure, further zoning review for changes, county coordination, bike racks). SEQR negative declaration.
New Business - Special Use Permit SP-25-30 (4400 South Salina Street and West Glen Avenue)
- Applicant: Dave Colgrove (LaBella Architects) for a funeral home (Muslim burial services).
- Project: Convert former Purcells Paint Building into a funeral home with parlor, body preparation area, office, garage, and seven parking spaces. Proposed curb cuts on West Glen Ave and South Salina St.
- Discussion: Hours of operation: 24-hour availability for body retrieval, but gatherings likely during daytime. Parking concerns: seven spaces may be insufficient; applicant noted potential overflow arrangements with adjacent hotel. A speaker in opposition (Kathy Stribley, 316 Monasella Drive North) raised traffic safety issues at the offset intersection, suggesting the South Salina curb cut be removed.
- Outcome: The commission did not take action, needing to resolve legal issues regarding applicable code. The item will be reconsidered at a later meeting.
New Business - First Time Extension for MASPR-24-27 (East Adams Phase 2, 1105-17 South State Street and Bridge Street)
- Applicant: Jen Conception (McCormack Baron Salazar) on behalf of Syracuse Housing Authority.
- Project: Extension of completion date from March 28, 2026 to June 25, 2028 due to project complexity.
- Action: Approved with a condition that all conditions from prior approvals (MASPR-24-27, MASPR-24-60, MASPR-25-48) be followed.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Resubdivisions R-25-57 and R-25-58; Project Plan Review Z-2915; Major Site Plan Reviews MASPR-25-28 and MASPR-25-29; Special Use Permit SP-25-29 (recommendation to Common Council); Time Extension MASPR-24-27.
- Postponed: Greenhouse manufacturing plant (R-25-34/SP-25-20) and Funeral home (SP-25-30) – both to be revisited at later meetings after legal clarification.
- Next Meeting: December 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
We have to unmute everyone. Yeah, I got it. I got it. I got it. Okay, there we go. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this meeting of the Syracuse Planning Commission. We've changed our arrangement a little bit for this evening's meeting, but I think we'll be back to our normal setting at our next meeting. Minutes have been distributed to the commission members in advance. And at this time, I will ask for a motion for action on those minutes of November the 10th. Move approval of the minutes of November 10, 2025. I have a correction. Please. So if I could offer a friendly amendment on uh page six, uh the last paragraph, the last sentence, there's a reference to the seeker that was performed by uh SIDA, and in that reference, uh apparently an auto spell check took over and listed seeker. S E K E R rather than S E Q R. So we should make that correction. We were seeking an environmental review. Uh it was close. Thank you for the correction though. Uh for the record. And the maker of the motion accepts the accepts a friendly amendment, yes. Any discussion on this motion for the minutes? If not, all in favor, please integrated by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed, please say nay. Any abstentions? Uh the minutes from our November 10th meeting have been approved. And we can move into tonight's business. Uh we will introduce each application one at a time. And for the benefit of those who may be here for the very first time, uh, a word about our process. As each application is announced, we will ask for the applicant or their representative to come forward to the podium, which is still in the front of the room. They didn't move that, provide their name and address for the record, and then a brief summary of the application involved. Following any questions uh from the commission members, we will extend an invitation to members of the public who wish to speak in favor of the application. And then similarly, we will extend an invitation to members of the public who wish to speak in opposition to that application. Where comments are offered in opposition, we will uh provide an opportunity for the applicant to return to the podium to address the comments made in opposition. And we ask that all speakers for or against limit their comments to three minutes so that um many people can be heard if they wish to speak. Uh let us move to our first chairman. Are there any items that are going to be? Yes, thank you. I have a good memory, it's just short. Uh there's one item that is posted on our agenda, but we will not be acting upon tonight. And that is AS 25-03, the project at 617 to 619 North Ghetto Street and Edison Street. I believe that will be ready or we'll be returning for our next meeting, which would be December to the 22nd. So that specific project will not be acted upon tonight. We will not hear the application tonight. Rather, we will look forward to that on the 22nd of December. I think you so December 15th. I'm corrected. Sorry. Notice will go out in either case.
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