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Planning board approves 5th Avenue convenience store despite neighborhood hours concerns
Summary
The Troy Planning Board unanimously approved a site plan for a Casablanca LLC convenience store and pickup window on 5th Avenue after hearing neighborhood concerns about traffic, late‑night activity and litter; the board did not impose a hard hour restriction, though members urged the applicant to limit food service to 11 p.m.
The Troy Planning Board unanimously approved a site plan for a Casablanca LLC convenience-store and pickup-window project on 5th Avenue, after the applicant told the board the food operation would likely close at 11 p.m. while the store could remain open until midnight for cleanup and incidental sales.
Roger Keating of La Bella Schultz Associates, the project civil engineer, said the plans presented tonight reflect changes made after the board's prior review and noted the applicant obtained area and use variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals. "We're back here this evening, looking to advance our site plan review and approval," Keating said.
Board members focused extensive questioning on hours of operation, the pickup window, and how the store would manage traffic and litter. The applicant, who identified himself on the record as Al of Casablanca LLC, told the board the food service would close at 11 p.m. and the app used for orders would stop accepting new orders roughly 10:15–10:50 p.m. He said the site would remain staffed for about an hour after food service to clean and lock down indoor food operations, and that pumps, groceries and other incidental sales could continue until midnight.
Residents who spoke during the public comment period urged caution. Martin Apoca said the nearby 125th Street intersection already has safety issues and predicted additional traffic and on‑street parking conflicts. "Nobody's up at 12:00 at night 11:00 at night," Apoca said, adding concerns about litter and late‑night congregation. Other neighbors supported the project as a neighborhood amenity and employment source.
Staff and the applicant said circulation and trip-generation studies show only a modest increase in morning peak trips and a decrease in evening peak trips compared with the prior commercial use. Staff noted the design aligns site access with existing signalized intersections to reduce conflicts.
After discussion, a board member moved to approve the project "to move forward"; that motion excluded an explicit condition setting hours for the business. The voice vote carried unanimously. The board emphasized it expects the applicant to cooperate with code enforcement and police if neighborhood complaints arise and said it will monitor any problems that develop.
The planning board record shows the board accepted the applicant's commitments to maintain on‑site trash control and clean the lot during the store's last operational hour. The applicant said he would work with the neighborhood and policing agencies if the board or residents report recurring problems.
The board's decision advances the site plan; any operational enforcement actions would be handled through city code enforcement or police if issues occur.
