LOWVILLE — The village Planning Board recently gave final approval on several projects, including a planned dog wash and new bed and breakfast.
The board on Monday also discussed proposed wastewater pre-treatment upgrades at the Kraft Heinz plant on Utica Boulevard and set a public hearing on the project for later this month. Board members approved a plan by Hometown Businesses — operated by Douglas P. Hanno — to put a dog wash at 7367 Utica Blvd., adjacent to Hanno’s Hometown Car Wash.
The 38-by-40-foot building, located to the rear of a residence on the property, is to have two bays for dog washing and include a new access drive and four parking spaces, according to submitted plans. Any storm runoff would be directed toward the car wash into the village drainage system.
Timothy and Renee Widrick also received approval to use their historic home at 7485 S. State St. as Judges Quarters Bed and Breakfast.
“The original part of the house was built in 1800 and is believed to be one of the oldest houses in the village,” according to a project summary submitted by the couple.
It adds that the old home was “built and lived in by the first judge in Lewis County, Daniel Kelley, who was also involved in the founding of Lowville Academy,” hence the name.
“We bought the house because most of the original federal colonial integrity is intact and set up perfectly for very comfortable family style gatherings,” the Widricks wrote. “We have taken great care to keep the historic integrity of the house. We have freshened and painted rooms, added a new kitchen, bathroom and windows. Our desire is to offer a comfortable, homey atmosphere.”
The Planning Board additionally signed off on plans by Thomas Turck to remove the 40-by-50-foot garage portion of his automobile business off Shady Avenue and replace it with a same-sized addition to the 40-by-30-foot front office portion and by New Day Community Church to put a 7,200-square-foot addition around three sides of its 60-by-84-foot sanctuary.
Kraft Heinz is also proposing to add a 2,600-square-foot process building featuring a 33-foot-tall Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor tank and blower pad and other equipment. The intent is to improve wastewater pre-treatment to lessen the strength of effluent sent to the village’s wastewater treatment plant from the plant.
The project is being designed by Syracuse engineering firm O’Brien & Gere.
At the request of Kraft Heinz, the village and Lewis County planning boards have set special meetings over the next couple of weeks in hopes of speeding up the approval process. The county Planning Board will meet at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Room 327 in the county office building on North State Street to conduct its review, while the village Planning Board set a public hearing for 6 p.m. May 15 at the municipal building on Bostwick Street.
The county board at its meeting also plans to review a proposal by Zehr’s Flowers and Landscaping to build a new garden center with offices at greenhouses at 8484 Van Amber Road in the town of New Bremen.