Planning board approves two-story addition and bioretention for Seal Works at 555 Ludwig

Anthony Pandolfi, project engineer with Carmena Wood Design, told the Town of Cheektowaga Planning Board the applicant, Seal Works at 555 Ludwig, proposes to remove a small front office and replace it with a two‑story, roughly 3,000‑square‑foot showroom, office and storage area and to reconfigure customer and employee parking.

Pandolfi said the site includes a flag lot extending to wetlands and a drainage ditch at the rear. To address stormwater from the stone area, the applicant will install a bioretention area at the edge between the developed stone area and the wetlands. "What that bio retention does is it captures that stormwater runoff, treats it, filters down through an engineered soil media that treats the water so that when it discharges back into the ditch, it'll ... clean it out," Pandolfi said. He added that he spoke with Drew Lloyd in engineering, who indicated he expects to issue an approval after a short remaining review.

Board members asked whether the project would add lighting; Pandolfi said only building‑mounted perimeter lighting is proposed and no new light poles. The board noted the applicant had previously received variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals for parking setbacks; Pandolfi said the ZBA determined the front parking is consistent with adjacent commercial properties.

A motion to approve the site plan was made and seconded; the board voted in favor. The motion as recorded in the meeting did not specify a mover or seconder by name. The approval is conditioned on the remaining, minor engineering comments and the issuance of final sign‑off from the town engineering department.

The board did not adopt additional conditions in public comment. Pandolfi said the applicant will work with town engineering to resolve the minor items Lloyd identified before final sign‑off.