By Doug La Rocque
It was more than five years ago the Brunswick Planning Board approved the Aldi store on property next to Planet Fitness on Hoosick Road. The project ran into a snag when the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) refused to place a traffic light at the intersection of Hoosick Road and Lord Avenue. That signal was a demand by Aldi, who refused to spend a dime on construction without it. So there the project sat with neither side willing to budge. The time frame on the Planning Board’s approval ran out, and the project was dead in the water, or so it seemed.
Fast forward to 2020 and developer David Leon came back before the planners with a new proposal for Aldi, a Wendy’s restaurant and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet. An Aroma Joe’s Coffee drive through was later added to the mix. This time around DOT was more amiable to a traffic light with some conditions: they wanted a cross conductivity that allowed access to the light from Hillside Drive and a rear entrance into the plaza. That met with opposition from neighbors at a lengthy public hearing. Again, the project was on hold. Enter Hannaford supermarket with a plan to build a new store across the road. DOT then said a light would be needed even without the rear entrance. The light was erected and Hannaford build their store. Full steam ahead, right? Wrong. First there were ground preparation problems, supply chain issues held up some integral components to the construction, and finally a mix up with National Grid over what kind of electrical service was needed. Most of those rough points have now been smoothed over and Aldi says they have targeted the final week of February to open.
Wendy’s Will Open First
The Hamburger Restaurant will possibly open before the end of January, while construction on the Aroma Joe’s is still percolating.
Another New Business on the Horizon
It was announced at the Planners’ January 5 meeting that Dollar General would like to come to Town. They have picked out land at the corner of NYS Route 7 and Carroll’s Grove Road, and are beginning the application process. Before a site plan can even go before the Planning Board, Dollar General needs what is labeled as a Spot Zoning change. The land in question is not zoned for retail at this time. They would need a recommendation from the Zoning Board of Appeals to the Town Board, who alone has the authority to make such a change.
