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Neighbors press board over traffic, hours and variances for 5th Avenue gas‑station redevelopment; project tabled
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Summary
The Planning Board reviewed a proposal to redevelop a former service station at 5th Avenue and 125th Street into a convenience store with pumps and an app‑based pickup window. Neighbors raised concerns about late hours, lights and fumes; the board declared the project an unlisted SEQR action but tabled it and asked the applicant to return with a revised site plan, lighting plan, survey and elevations.
The Troy Planning Board spent the bulk of its April 21 meeting examining PLPV 20260022885, a plan to redevelop a 0.29‑acre former service station at 125th Street and 5th Avenue into a Valero‑branded convenience store with new pumps, a canopy and a food tenant that would offer a paid, app‑based pickup window.
Roger Keating of Lobello Associates described a plan to reshape the pavement edges, close a curb cut and create defined access points, while adding green space and bicycle racks. "The biggest thing that jumps off the page ... is that sea of asphalt," Keating said, describing efforts to improve circulation and pedestrian access.
Board members and staff pressed the applicant on traffic and curb‑cut placement, pump location changes, and the potential for drive‑through stacking. The city engineer, Chris Marini, said the adjacent street is legally a two‑way route but has been signed and used as a one‑way, and he recommended the design accommodate the legal two‑way classification.
Applicant Al told the board proposed hours would be 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. and said his model would not include alcohol sales: "It's not our best option to have alcohol or beer...so the regarding the pickup window...it's only for the food operation." He said orders would be placed via an app or inside the store to avoid stacking at an order speaker window.
Neighbors objected. Martin Opoca, who lives directly behind the site, said lights, late hours and cooking exhaust would harm family life and air quality, and raised concerns about dumpsters, rodent attraction and emergency‑vehicle access if a street is closed. "This operation...is gonna impact the family life of the people there," Opoca said.
Staff noted the project as constructed includes canopy and pump work done under an earlier code but that moving pump locations under the new zoning creates additional variance needs. The planning staff and board identified missing or incomplete materials: a current survey, full building elevations, a lighting plan and an urban‑runoff control plan. Staff advised that many technical reviews could proceed administratively but that the board should see revised drawings before scheduling a public hearing.
Procedurally, the board moved to declare the project an unlisted SEQR action so environmental review can proceed administratively; that motion passed. The board also voted to table the item and asked the applicant to return next month with a revised site plan, lighting plan, updated survey and elevations and to report on any ZBA scheduling for variances.
Next steps: the applicant will work with staff and the city engineer to reduce or clarify variance requests where possible, submit the missing technical materials, and re‑present the project at the board's next meeting.
