Syracuse Planning Commission Meeting Summary - December 15, 2025
Syracuse Planning Commission Meeting - December 15, 2025
The Syracuse Planning Commission met on December 15, 2025, to consider several land use applications including a special use permit for a funeral home, a resubdivision for a McDonald's parcel, and a zone change to facilitate a lot alteration. The meeting began with approval of corrected minutes from December 1 and an update on two postponed items.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes from December 1, 2025, were approved as corrected (corrections included changing "house" to "hours" in a reference and correcting "Mark Caitlin" to "Mark Cass").
Public Comments & Testimony
- For the special use permit at 4400 South Salina Street (funeral home), a letter in opposition was received but not read aloud; it raised concerns about parking and curb cuts.
- For the zone change at 153-55 Fayette Street, property owner Supremo's Bay and his wife spoke in favor, stating they want to square off their lot to improve appearance and reduce trespassing.
Discussion Items
- Old Business: Special Use Permit SP-25-30 (4400 South Salina Street)
- Applicant Dave Colgrove (Labella Architect) confirmed no changes since previous meeting. The application is for a funeral home primarily for Muslim burials but open to others. Commissioners discussed parking, driveway, and curb cut concerns. The applicant stated typical ceremonies are small and parking can be shared with adjacent property. The commission recommended approval to Common Council with six special conditions including evaluation of curb cuts, one-way drive aisle design, bike parking, noise restrictions, and adherence to operation hours.
- Resubdivision R25-59 (Grant Boulevard)
- Pat Reynolds (INUsine Romans Land Survey) presented to subdivide a parcel to create a separate lot for McDonald's. The reciprocal easement for access was not yet finalized. Commissioners expressed concern about creating a landlocked parcel. After discussion, a conditional approval was passed with a 30-day deadline for submitting the reciprocal easement agreement to staff.
- Zoning Map Amendment Z 2916 and Companion Lot Alteration R 25 53 (153-55 Fayette Street)
- Terry Luckett (Syracuse Land Bank) requested to rezone a triangular vacant lot from R2 to R3 to sell a portion to the adjacent property owner at 159 Fayette, squaring off both lots. The lot alteration would create two regular-shaped lots. Commissioners noted the irregular parcel lines and supported the fix. A negative declaration was issued, and the commission voted to recommend approval to Common Council with a condition that the lot alteration map be filed within 62 days after Common Council action.
Key Outcomes
- Special Use Permit SP-25-30: Approved recommendation to Common Council (vote unanimous) with six special conditions: 1) obtain necessary approvals; 2) evaluate necessity of three curb cuts; 3) redesign one-way drive aisle with narrow curb cuts; 4) provide at least five bike parking spaces; 5) no amplified speakers and control interior volume; 6) adhere to approved operation hours.
- Resubdivision R25-59: Conditionally approved (vote unanimous) with condition that reciprocal easement agreement be completed within 30 days, and subdivision map filed within 62 days. If not, approval expires.
- Zoning Map Amendment Z 2916: Recommendation for approval to Common Council (vote unanimous) with condition that the companion lot alteration map be filed within 62 days after Common Council action.
- Environmental Review: Negative declarations (SEQR) issued for all three applications.
Note: The agenda update noted two postponements: a billboard application (AS-25-03) at 617 North Gaddish Street and a new business item (apartment project) at 201 South Krauss Av, pending Landmark Preservation Board review.
Meeting Transcript
City Hall Commons application. One which is listed was the resub will be a zero lot line resum. And the second, which I think we just forgot to type, the rest of the sentence is that we will change number five in our recommendations from the staff. The affordability requirement shall be effective, shall be in effect for the term of the regulatory agreement, which is what we did in compliance with our text amendment. Whenever that was a month ago. Yeah, two other ones. Uh relatively minor but important words. We we don't really check for spelling on words throughout, but important words they do catch my eye. So on page seven in the uh third paragraph down, refers to Commissioner Murphy asked for confirmation of the word is house. It would be open until Monday, Friday to 8 a.m. That should be ours. It was a uh discussion about the hours of operation. And the uh second item is on page 18. There is a reference to uh Mark Caitlin that actually should be Mark Cass in that discussion. It's on page 18 of 16, maybe 16, yeah, sorry. Correct. Written down wrong. It's in it's in the uh the third paragraph or the third sentence as the case may be. It starts out, Mr. Mark Caitlin spoke in favor of the application, and that should be Mark Cass. Great. Thank you. Any further corrections for the minutes from December one? Uh so we have those and with those corrections noted. Is there a motion for action on the corrected minutes? Move approval of the amendments uh uh the minutes as corrected. Thank you. Second any discussion on this motion. If not, all in favor, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed, please say nay. Any abstentions minutes from December 1st are approved. Uh before I offer a little background on our public hearing process, uh, I think there's a little update to the agenda. And could um a couple of items we will not be taking up this evening. Um Jay, could you just maybe mention those changes? So if anyone is here for those, they might want to not wait for the whole meeting. Yes, uh, the first one is an off-promise sign application. Uh it's postponed by the applicant. This is uh project AS-25-03. Again, this is for our billboard at 617 North Gaddish Street. That is postponed for this evening if anyone is here for that. Uh the second item that's postponed uh for this evening is uh new business item at 201 South Krauss Av, the apartment project. Um that is postponed for the re-subdivision and the site plan review. Um pending uh uh revisions and design element changes with the landmark preservation board. Um once the landmark preservation board is complete, um we'll bring it back to this body for our review and decision. Thank you. And next we'll begin our meeting with old business and just by way of um reference for those not familiar with our process as each application is announced. We ask that the applicant or their representative come to the podium, provide their name and address for the record, and then a brief summary of the application. And an opportunity for those who wish to speak in opposition to the application to do that as well.
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