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Glen's Falls planning board approves murals, signs and outdoor dining recommendations and clears several site plans
Summary
At its May 6 meeting the Glen's Falls Planning Board approved sign and mural permits, forwarded outdoor-dining encroachment recommendations for two downtown restaurants to the Common Council, approved a short-term rental and a business relocation site plan, and approved revised lighting for a bank. The board tabled a major Burger King renovation pending revised architectural and landscaping plans and issued an advisory opposing a zoning text amendment as drafted.
The Glen's Falls Planning Board on May 6 approved a series of routine and contested items across a full agenda, sending encroachment recommendations for outdoor dining to the Common Council and clearing multiple site‑plan requests while requesting additional design work on one major renovation.
The board approved three murals for storage containers under SPR-26-005 after applicants showed sketches, a color sample and a photo concept; the motion, made by Committee member (speaker 7), included a requirement that the murals be maintained and that the boxes be locked. Jamie Polartolo, the applicant representative for a separate sign application at 45 Hudson Avenue, told the board "The monument sign is not illuminated" and confirmed the channel letters on the building would be illuminated but can be timed off; the board approved that application with a condition that building-mounted channel letters be turned off by 10 p.m.
Votes at a glance
- SPR-26-005 (Kern Lane LLC): approval to install three murals on storage containers; outcome: approved (motion carried). - SBR-26-006 (45 Hudson Ave): approval for a non-illuminated monument sign and illuminated channel letters, with channel letters required to turn off by 10 p.m.; outcome: approved. - Encroachment E26-001 (Mean Max, 193 Glen St.): advisory forwarded to Common Council recommending approval of 5 tables/28 seats with typical roadway and fire-department conditions; outcome: advisory forwarded. - Encroachment E26-002 (Fire Mission Smokehouse & Taproom, 126 Glen St.): advisory forwarded recommending approval for 44 seats as presented, subject to fire-department clearance; outcome: advisory forwarded. - SPR-26-018 (Barbara Daley, 112 Crandall St.): approval to operate a hosted short-term rental, subject to final fire and code sign-offs; outcome: approved pending inspections. - SPR-26-014 (Adirondack Management Services): approval to establish a mechanical contracting and metal-fabrication location subject to fire inspection and on-site chemical inventory filing; outcome: approved. - Architecture review 26-001 (TrustCo / 37 Bay St.): approval of revised LED linear/accent lighting; front fixtures to remain on a 24-hour setting and side accents on timer with shielding; outcome: approved. - SPR-26-017 (Lawrence & Cooper, 153 Maple St.): approval for a 480 sq ft deck replacing an exterior stair; outcome: approved.
Board members and staff pressed applicants on enforceable conditions such as fire-hydrant clearances, ADA clear paths and the mechanism for enforcing sidewalk setbacks. On the outdoor-dining proposals, the board repeatedly asked applicants whether furniture would be fixed or removable and confirmed a requirement that illuminated signage be timed or turned off to avoid late-night glare.
The board also tabled or continued a handful of items to allow additional action or notice: two applications were continued pending ZBA action; the board asked Carol's LLC (the Burger King proposal) to bring back revised architectural and planting plans (see separate article). The board voted to submit an advisory opinion to the Common Council opposing a proposed zoning text amendment to add "semi‑detached single‑family dwellings" to R‑1B and R‑1C districts as drafted, citing lack of a clear definition and concerns about unintended city‑wide impacts.
What happens next: Approved site plans requiring inspections must obtain final sign-offs from the fire department and code office before operations or building permits proceed. Advisory recommendations on encroachments will be considered by the Glen's Falls Common Council. The zoning text amendment will proceed to the Common Council with the planning board's advisory attached.
