Former CFM Building Eyed for Apartments

Bing.com aerial view of the CFM Building. Click image to enlarge.

by Timothy W. Scee II
Special to Newzjunky.com
Published January 26, 2012

WATERTOWN, N.Y.  —  A north side building that once served as a food distribution center may soon become a multifamily dwelling as a local developer is seeking a special use permit and zoning change to begin renovations.

Black Bay Enterprise, 47052 Dingman Point Rd., Alexandria Bay, submitted documents Wednesday to the city Planning Office to convert the former CFM Food Distributors Inc., 576-580 W. Main St., into a 30-unit apartment building. 

The developer is seeking to shift the .62-acre parcel’s zoning from light industry to neighborhood business to meet the criteria for multifamily housing.

“The multifamily use of the brick building is allowed in the neighborhood business zone,” Hillary S. Wagoner, principal of Bay Commercial Advisors, wrote in a letter to the City Council. “We are aware of the requirement of a special use permit for this building use and a special use permit application is being submitted concurrently with this application.”

No plans were noted for the building’s rear portion that once served as a freezer, although the developer suggested it may be used as a storage area. 

Requests to change the zoning of two adjacent properties on the same block, 582 W. Main St., owned by Bruce M. Clemons and 594 W. Main St., a vacant auto repair shop owned by Jason J. Gilmore, Watertown, were also submitted by the developer. 

City Planner Andrew T. Nichols said the zone change request for the two neighboring parcels would prevent “spot zoning,” which can be legally challenged in court by adjacent property owners, and make the block more uniformly zoned within the neighborhood. 

Mr. Gilmore, who purchased his parcel on Dec. 30, 2011, says he isn’t happy about the zoning change that could affect future business plans for his property.

“(Black Bay Enterprise) came to me and I said I don’t care what they do what the property but me, myself personally, I don’t want to change my zoning,” he said. “It’s going to make more work for me in the long run.”

Under neighborhood business zoning, Mr. Gilmore said he would be required to file special permits to establish certain businesses on his parcel, from which he is now exempt under light industry. 

“The way it is right now, I could do whatever I want,” he said. “My property is already that way and I shouldn’t have to go through all that trouble, that’s why I bought it.”

Mr. Gilmore added a zone change to neighborhood business could depreciate the value of his property. 

The city Planning Board will discuss the proposed zoning change and special use permit at 4 p.m., Feb. 7, in the third-floor council chambers of City Hall, 245 Washington St.

The 27,000 square-foot building had been vacant since early 2011 when Maines Paper & Food Service Inc., Conklin, N.Y., acquired CFM Food Distributors and transferred its operations to 200 Howk St.

A phone call to the developer was not returned Wednesday. 

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