Menands board approves special-use permit for Veil Works at 5 Elmwood Road

The Village of Menands Board of Trustees voted to approve a special‑use permit and site‑plan for The Veil Works (also referred to as the Mail Works) to occupy and renovate the former bowling‑alley property at 5 Elmwood Road.

The decision came after a public hearing and a site‑plan presentation by the applicant. The Veil Works’ principal, Brianne Bagueta, told trustees the company is a 41‑year‑old direct‑mail marketing business based in the capital region that recently relocated to 236 Broadway in Menands and now seeks a second facility for redundancy and planned growth. “We are a direct mail marketing company, and that is full service, right, from concept and strategy all the way to execution,” Bagueta said. She said production at the company’s existing site totals “over 2 and a half million pieces of mail a week” and that the Elmwood site would allow the firm to expand output and resilience.

Why it matters: Trustees and nearby residents said they want the building and lot improved, and the board adopted conditions intended to maintain safety and traffic flow while allowing the business to proceed. The approval clears the way for the applicant to move into site building‑permit review and to begin the interior renovation and loading‑dock construction described in the presentation.

Board and staff described the proposal as primarily an internal renovation of an existing industrial building with a small amount of exterior work. The applicant’s team — including Chris Foley of Chris Foley Associates (construction) and an engineer from ADD — told the board they will re‑stripe and reseal existing parking, create two loading docks on the south side of the building, relocate or add a trash compactor and install two new exterior lights; water and sewer utility sizes will remain as existing. Matt (LaBella) explained the application was routed to Albany County, which asked only whether any new state DOT access was proposed; the village and applicant confirmed no new DOT access is authorized by this approval.

Public comments were generally supportive. Resident Bill Garvey said the project would bring jobs and urged approval: “I do support this project for welfare, economic, social, budgetary, and quality of life reasons,” he said. Neighbors asked operational questions about truck routes, parking, and emergency access; Bagueta and the project team said truck activity would be limited (she estimated “1 to 2 tractor trailers a week” at full build‑out), that production shifts would start with about 8–10 people per shift and could grow to about 20 a shift, and that the company expects the site to allow the business to double annual pieces produced from roughly 100,000,000 to up to 200,000,000 pieces per year and to create as many as 50 new jobs as it ramps up.

Board action and conditions: The board approved the special‑use permit and site plan by motion and vote. The draft notice of decision and resolution incorporate standard conditions described during the hearing and in the planner’s draft: (1) no‑parking designation and signage for a narrow/bottleneck area adjacent to the southwest corner of the property (the planner said the resolution will include a “no parking” striping condition), (2) required building‑code review and permit approvals before construction begins, and (3) a requirement that any new exterior uses, additions or property disturbances return to the board for an amended permit or site‑plan review. Trustees also noted signage, parking restriping and the required building permits will be handled in post‑approval review.

The board record notes the action was treated as a Type II action under the village’s SEQRA/State review reference in the draft (the planner read a statutory reference as part of the draft decision). The applicant and project team will proceed to building permit review and to implementing the parking striping and exterior lighting described in the record.

What remains: The village planner said the applicant may contact NYSDOT separately about any formalized access or boundary agreement touching DOT right‑of‑way, but any such agreement would be independent of the village’s approval and not authorized by this resolution. The board and applicant agreed to finalize the signed resolution and deliver it to the applicant the following day.

The board’s approval does not authorize immediate site disturbance beyond building‑permit work; any expansion of use beyond the approved plan must be returned to the board.

Ending note: Trustees cast the final vote after the public hearing; the board also noted that construction and utility work will be subject to normal building‑code inspection and that the applicant will return for signage permits.