Glens Falls planning board delays approval for 156 Maple Street restaurant over grease-interceptor, water-use and parking questions

Glens Falls City Planning Board members on May 7 reviewed a site-plan application for 156 Maple Street, where applicants Robert Newell and partners seek to open a restaurant in an existing building. The board did not grant final approval and asked the applicant to return with detailed grease-interceptor documentation, an updated parking plan and other specifications.

The board’s code enforcement officer, Phil Canceler, told the planning board he and the city engineer had requested manufacturer documentation and a clear description of the installed interceptor but had not received the information. “At this time, we have not received anything that we’ve requested,” Canceler said, citing a long list of code-based questions about make, model, installation per manufacturer instructions and which waste lines discharge through the interceptor.

Canceler summarized water-usage data the city had on file and explained why staff raised additional scrutiny for a restaurant use. He said the city’s billing records, converted to gallons for the board, covered roughly 1,459 days and showed a total of nearly 600,000 gallons; those records produced an average of about 401 gallons per day and higher rolling averages the office used to estimate peak daily use. Canceler said the applicant’s proposed hours (7 a.m. to 4 a.m.) would increase daily demand compared with a prior tenant that he estimated averaged 12 hours of operation.

Applicant Robert Newell provided photos and sketch drawings for the planning board and said the kitchen currently has a three-basin sink. “It is a 3 basin sink with a single faucet,” Newell said. Newell also said he had supplied a technical diagram, a manufacturer flyer and a stated flow/capacity — “10 gallon per minute to 20 gallon” — but acknowledged he was not a plumber and offered to have inspectors verify on-site conditions.

Board and staff discussion focused on three areas: (1) formal grease-interceptor documentation showing model/capacity and how the device is installed relative to kitchen fixtures; (2) clarified water-usage records or owner-supplied metering data so staff can apply the code’s sizing and flow formulas; and (3) a parking plan and site markings. The planning staff and board members repeatedly asked for a manufacturer’s specification sheet and an engineering diagram showing the interceptor configuration and certified flow/performance standards.

Other details discussed included driveway widths, one-way circulation (in from Maple Street, out to Long/ Walnut), curb-cut dimensions and trash/dumpster enclosures. The applicant said existing concrete barriers and fences are in place and proposed a 4-foot fence with gate around the dumpster; board members confirmed the code requires a fence and gate for such enclosures.

Outcome and next steps The planning board did not vote to approve the site plan. Instead, members summarized items the applicant must provide before the application can be acted on: grease-interceptor specifications and manufacturer installation diagram; explicit grease-interceptor capacity and performance certification; a compliant parking plan consistent with code section 220-26 (parking schedule); a fence and gated dumpster enclosure specification (approximately 4-foot fence noted); and directional/striping plans showing one-way entry/exit and painted arrows and signs. The application was effectively tabled pending those submissions and on-site verification by city staff and the city engineer.

The board advised the applicant to coordinate directly with the city engineer and code enforcement for any necessary site inspections and to submit the requested documents by the next meeting.