Syracuse Planning Commission Meeting - June 8, 2026
Syracuse Planning Commission Meeting - June 8, 2026
The Syracuse Planning Commission met on June 8, 2026, at approximately 5:55 PM to consider several land use applications, including time extensions, special use permits for existing businesses, and a major mixed-use development. The meeting began with the approval of the May 18, 2026 meeting minutes with corrections and the swearing-in of new Commissioner Christopher Montgomery. Public hearings were held on two special use permits for neighborhood markets and a commissary kitchen, along with a time extension and a major affordable housing project. The commission also noted two postponed items.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (May 18, 2026): Commissioner Ballard (acting as presiding officer due to a recusal) moved to approve the minutes with a series of scribner corrections, including corrections to a street name (Shaw Street to Walnut Avenue), references to Commissioner Kulick (should be Commissioner Ballard), and other minor items. The motion passed with one abstention.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Special Use Permit SP-2026-18 (623-625 Wolf Street – Commissary Kitchen): Multiple speakers from the Washington Square Park neighborhood expressed strong opposition, citing historical issues with the property, distrust of the applicant, and concerns about neighborhood conditions. Catherine, representing the Washington Square Neighborhood Association, stated they still object to the proposal. No speakers appeared in favor.
- Special Use Permit SP-25-35 (220-222 Messina Street – Neighborhood Market): Several residents spoke in favor of the store, describing it as a safe haven and a valuable community asset. Speakers included Perish Brooks, Shautina Brooks, Greg Mahoney, and a business associate. No opposition speakers came forward.
- Special Use Permit SP-25-21 (500 Oakwood Avenue – Smart City Market): Numerous community members spoke in favor of the store, including a long-time customer, a neighborhood advocate, a church representative, and the property owner’s son. They emphasized the store’s positive role, the owner's compliance efforts, and requested a second chance regarding a previously denied city tobacco license. No opposition speakers appeared.
- Major Site Plan Review/Mixed-Use Development (1201 East Fayette Street – Housing Visions): No public comment was offered for this project.
Discussion Items
- Time Extension for MASPR-24-21 (3020 James Street – American Legion Project): The applicant, Katrina Skinner, requested a one-year extension to complete construction, stating the project is on track for a March 2027 finish. The commission clarified that the official completion date would be June 17, 2027. No changes to scope were required. The motion to approve passed unanimously.
- Special Use Permit SP-2026-18 (Wolf Street – Commissary Kitchen): The commission discussed the applicant’s business plan, clarifying that the commissary would not host public pop-ups but would allow limited tastings for catering clients. Questions focused on food truck traffic, hours of operation (5 AM to midnight), and overnight parking. The applicant agreed to no overnight parking of food trucks except his own. The commission added conditions requiring sidewalk restoration on Wolf Street and Second North Street within one year and a prohibition on overnight truck parking. The SEQR negative declaration was issued (one abstention). The commission voted to recommend approval to the Common Council with 11 conditions (one abstention).
- Major Site Plan Reviews and Resubdivision for Housing Visions Headquarters (1201 East Fayette Street & 210 Pine Street): The applicant provided an update: the project includes demolishing an existing building, subdividing the lot into two parcels—one for the Housing Visions corporate offices and one for a 144-unit affordable housing development with a small commercial space. The Board of Zoning Appeals approved required area variances on June 4, 2026. Commissioners noted the office building should include exterior bike parking (staple racks) and discussed snow storage, curb restoration, and shared driveway easements. The commission approved both site plans and the resubdivision with conditions, including affordable housing certification and easement filing.
- Special Use Permit SP-25-35 (Messina Street – Neighborhood Market): The applicant, Andre Johnson, summarized that the market had been operating prior to the zoning change and had complied with previous requests for lighting, signage, and a bike rack. Commissioners praised the applicant’s participation in the crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) process. The permit was recommended for approval with 10 conditions, including hours of operation (Monday through Sunday, 8 AM to 11 PM), no neon signage, ADA sidewalk compliance, and bike parking.
- Special Use Permit SP-25-21 (Oakwood Avenue – Smart City Market): The property owner, Abid Zalan, spoke on behalf of the tenant, describing the store’s long history and renovations. The commission noted that the city had previously denied a tobacco license for the property (upheld by a court) due to illegal cannabis sales and second-hand goods violations. The commission clarified that the special use permit does not confer a tobacco license and that selling tobacco would violate the permit. Conditions include no tobacco sales, ADA sidewalk improvements, and compliance with CPTED recommendations. The SEQR negative declaration was issued, and the commission voted to recommend approval with 8 conditions.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Time Extension: MASPR-24-21 (3020 James Street) extended to June 17, 2027 – unanimous.
- Recommended Approval – Wolf Street Commissary (SP-2026-18): Recommendation to Common Council with 11 conditions; vote 7-0-1 (one abstention).
- Approved Site Plans and Resubdivision – Housing Visions (1201 East Fayette Street): MASPR-2026-14 (office building) approved with 5 conditions; MASPR-2026-16 (residential building) approved with 6 conditions; R-2026-27 (resubdivision) approved with 1 condition. All votes were unanimous.
- Recommended Approval – Messina Street Market (SP-25-35): Recommendation to Common Council with 10 conditions; vote unanimous.
- Recommended Approval – Oakwood Avenue Market (SP-25-21): Recommendation to Common Council with 8 conditions, including prohibition on tobacco sales; vote unanimous.
- Postponed Items: Major site plan review at 726 University Avenue (MASPR-2026-19) and resubdivision at 303-307 Emerson Avenue (R-2026-40) were postponed by the applicants and will appear on a future agenda.
- Next Meeting: The commission will reconvene on June 29, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Meeting of the Circuit's Planning Commission. We are going to do something tonight we have not done in a very long time. Christopher Montgomery joins us for the first meeting as a member of the planning commission. So welcome, Christopher. So thank you and welcome aboard. Before we begin our series of public hearings for this evening, we will take care of some housekeeping business, namely the action on the minutes of our previous meeting that was held on May 18th. Those minutes have been distributed to the commission members in advance of tonight's meeting for review. And now would be I will ask if there's a motion for action on the May 18th minutes as distributed. Yes, uh I I have uh suggestions for corrections that are essentially all sort of scribner corrections. There are eight scribner collections, uh corrections related to the language that's used in the uh assertion of the negative seeker declaration. There is one scribner change related to a misplaced seeker uh term, and then I have three additional uh scribner changes. Uh the changes I just mentioned, everybody has a copy of those that you've seen them over uh the weekend. The additional changes are uh threefold on page seven of the uh document. There is a problem in the discussion of MASPR 2026-14. In the second paragraph of that discussion on page seven, there is a uh description of the block in which the uh the project occurs that that states uh Fayette Street, Pine Street, Shaw Street, and Washington Street. Uh Shaw Street should be Walnut Avenue. Uh the other changes are on page 16 in the uh the discussion of MASPR 2026-10. The two instances in which uh the chair uh commissioner Kulik had recused himself because of his affiliation with Lemoine College, and there are two instances on page 16 where it's referred to Commissioner Kulik, that should be Commissioner Baller who uhler, who was uh the vice chair who was sitting in as a presider for the meeting. And at the bottom of that page is another instance in which Commissioner Kulick should be referred to as Commissioner Ballard. So those are the uh scribner changes the eight plus one plus the three final ones. So I make a motion that the uh minutes be approved with the recommended scribbler changes. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. Discussion on the motion before us for the minutes. If not, all those in favor of the motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed, please say nay. Any abstentions? One abstention. One abstention noted. Thank you. Uh we proceed now to our uh public hearings for this evening. First starting with uh old business item. Uh just as a note to those who might be here for the first time and unfamiliar with our process as each application is announced by a member of the staff. We ask that the applicant come forward to the podium in the center of the room, provide your name and address for the record, and then a brief summary of the application involved. Following any questions from the commission members, we will open up an opportunity for members of the public who wish to speak in favor of that application, and then similarly an opportunity for those who wish to speak in opposition to the application. Where comments are made in opposition, the applicant will be encouraged to return to address the comments made in opposition, and we ask that all speakers uh hold their comments to two to three minutes so that um when there are many interested parties in a given application, they can be heard. So with that, um may we begin with our first application this evening. Uh before that, just a couple one more announcement. Uh we do have two applicant postponed items that were advertised and that do appear on the agenda. Um so we do apologize, but anybody here for new business item uh MASPR-2026-19. It's a major site plan review at 726 university AV. Uh the applicant has postponed that. And uh also new business item uh applicant postponed resubdivision R-2026-40 at 303-307 Amerson. So anybody here for those two items, they will not be heard tonight. We expect them on a future meeting agenda, and we will make sure that we uh advertise notifications. Great. Uh so first up, uh, we do have uh three old business items.
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