The Syracuse Planning Commission approved a master plan review and issued a negative SEQR declaration for a multi-part expansion of the Cathedral Candle planned development district, and recommended related zoning-map and district-plan amendments to the Common Council.

Brad Hunt, attorney for Cathedral Candle Company, said the family-owned company has operated at its Kirkpatrick Street site on Syracuse's North Side since 1897 and wants to add four parcels to its planned development district to enable a larger warehouse and manufacturing footprint. The parcels include three on Park Street and one on Carbon Street; one is vacant and others contain vacant or burned-out structures, Hunt said.

Zoning staff completed a full SEQR review (EAF Part 2) and recommended a negative declaration; the commission adopted that finding after a staff presentation of the EAF Part 2 conclusions. Staff noted stormwater management, existing utilities and local code compliance had been addressed in the environmental assessment.

The commission then approved the master plan review (MASPR-25-22) with three special conditions: (1) the owner/applicant must obtain approvals for the zoning map amendment (Z-29-11) and district plan amendment (Z-29-10); (2) the owner/applicant must obtain necessary city approvals before commencing construction of the proposed new warehouse and manufacturing areas; and (3) the owner/applicant must continue working with City Departments to address project concerns related to infrastructure and operations.

The commission also voted to recommend that the Common Council approve the zoning map amendment Z-29-11 and the district plan amendment Z-29-10. Each recommendation to the council included conditions requiring master plan approval (completed) and that the owner obtain necessary city approvals before construction begins.

Staff noted the expansion is intended to consolidate operations and reduce off-site truck trips by providing on-site storage and manufacturing. The application materials indicated Cathedral Candle employs about 100 people and expects operations to remain on-site; the expansion is intended to make operations more efficient, not to change the nature of the business.

All three commission motions (negative SEQR declaration, master plan approval, and recommendations to council for the zoning and district-plan amendments) passed by voice vote; the zoning and district-plan matters will be taken up by the Common Council for final action.