Planning board approves Marchioni law-office renovation with 6-foot buffer and fence condition

The Henrietta Planning Board granted conditional approval July 21 to application 26-005 from Marchioni & Associates for renovation of the existing Luxe Spa at 1615 Jefferson Road into an 8,500-square-foot law office building, subject to conditions addressing a reduced transitional buffer to adjacent residential property.

Paul Overhoff of Passaro Associates presented the proposal and the team's responses to town comments. The project would reconfigure the northeast entrance, widen pavement in places, provide 68 parking spaces, and restore vegetated areas. Overhoff said the design preserves most existing curb cuts and utilities.

A principal point of debate was a request to permit six parking spaces in the northeast corner of the site to sit within the transitional buffer that would otherwise be required between commercial property and adjacent residences. Overhoff and the applicant characterized the request as relief within an existing nonconforming condition; they said no vegetation would be disturbed and that the applicant proposed additional landscape screening.

Board members examined alternatives: relocating those spaces to a land-banked area, increasing plantings, or requiring a fence. Planning staff noted notices were sent to adjacent residents and that only one response had been received. After discussion about snow storage, light intrusion, and maintenance, the board agreed to permit a reduction to a 6-foot transitional buffer conditioned on installation and ongoing maintenance of a minimum 6-foot-high solid fence along the relevant eastern edge (beginning at the northeast corner of the parking cluster and extending south to the fourth parking space). The resolution will include language requiring the fence (or equivalent maintained landscaping) and a note that building materials for the fence must be approved by the director of engineering and planning.

Board member comments also covered site lighting, dumpsters, and preserving existing vegetation where practicable. The board moved and approved the application with the amendments reflected in the resolution; the motion included the requirement that construction within the land-bank area would require a zoning variance if later pursued.

The approval requires the applicant to submit revised plans that reflect the fence condition, final lighting and landscaping details, and responses to the town-engineer comments before staff issues final administrative approvals.