St. Lawrence County officials approve Nice N Easy, Aldi site plans

POTSDAM — Two projects in the town have been given the go-ahead by St. Lawrence County planning officials.

Both the site plans and special-use permits of a proposed Aldi along Route 11 and a Nice N Easy on Route 56 in the village of Norwood were approved, with conditions, by the county Planning Board on Thursday night.

“They are two pretty different sites, but I think it’s great to see these sites being developed,” said Jason C. Pfotenhauer, deputy director of the county Planning Office.

In Norwood, initial plans call for a 4,500-square-foot Nice N Easy convenience store and gas station, similar to ones in Watertown and Gouverneur, to be built at 72 S. Main St., the current site of Doran’s Garage.

According to Edward J. Valentine, owner of Valentine Stores, Watertown, and developer of the project, the gas station will feature eight fueling positions.

Mr. Pfotenhauer said site plans also included a franchise sub sandwich shop within the building.

“It’s a great project, a great reuse of that parcel,” he said. “We are excited about that.”

His office recommended, and the board approved, a handful of small improvements to Mr. Valentine’s original plan, including the addition of a sidewalk along the front of the property, the addition of trees and shrubs to prevent customers’ lights from shining into residents’ homes and limitations to company signs.

The plans will now be sent back to the village for review. Mr. Valentine has said he hopes to get through the planning process this spring so that construction on the gas station and convenience store could begin in May and it could open in July.

The Planning Board also reviewed an application for the grocery retailer Aldi, set to be located on Route 56 in Potsdam, between Tractor Supply and Mahoney’s Auto Mall.

Original plans called for 75 parking spaces on the lot. However, the planning office suggested, and the board approved, the removal of seven parking spaces near the Route 11 entrance.

“Vehicles parking in these spaces will always need to back out or pull out into traffic entering the site,” the planning office concluded in its report.

The staff also recommended a row of trees or a solid fence be placed between the site and Morley Potsdam Road. The hope is that buffer zone would shield homes on the road from the loading area and trash container, Mr. Pfotenhauer said.

“It’s great to see that development utilized to its capacity,” Mr. Pfotenhauer said. “As long as it’s done right and the impacts to the surrounding neighbors can be mitigated, I think it can be a great development.”

The town’s Planning Board will be presented with the county’s report. Town Supervisor Marie C. Regan has said that developers would like to begin building in the spring.