Planning Commission postpones decision on Barbat proposal for fueling station, convenience store and carryout at Crooks and South Boulevard

The City of Troy Planning Commission on Feb. 25 postponed a decision on a special-use application from the Barbat Organization to redevelop the former Rite Aid site at the southeast corner of Crooks Road and South Boulevard (1981 South Boulevard) into a convenience store with fuel pumps, a carryout restaurant and EV charging.

Ben Carlisle, senior planner for the City of Troy, told commissioners the property is in the Neighborhood Node zoning and that ‘‘vehicle fueling or automotive uses require special use approval in this district’’; staff’s review raised questions about a requested setback deviation along Crooks, a parking shortfall, the canopy design and the timing of the proposed restaurant.

The session matters because the site sits at a gateway intersection; Commissioners and nearby business owners said they wanted assurance the project would address traffic, pedestrian safety and the character of the corner.

The application would demolish the existing building and construct a 6,300-square-foot single-story building that would combine a convenience store, a takeout restaurant with a covered patio facing Crooks and a fueling canopy set toward the rear of the lot. Carlisle said the applicant proposes 51 parking spaces; the zoning ordinance calculation shows a requirement of 61 spaces for the combined uses. The project includes an initial set of EV chargers and infrastructure for more in the future.

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