Multiple warehouses and one fried chicken biz eye Chester locales

At the October 30 Village of Chester Planning Board meeting, a number of members from the Chester Historical Society spoke publicly, praising the adjustments that were made to the initial remodeling plans of the NY Onnuli Evangelical Church on Main Street. The official project description for the site calls for a demolition of the existing church building and the construction of a new church that’s set to include an expanded parking lot, accessible walkways, and a landscaping overhaul.

The planning board initially held a public hearing on the proposal back in 2021, after which they accepted public comment on the matter via email for a 15-day period. The members of the Historical Society, whose mission statement includes “the restoration and preservation of [Chester’s] historical places,” noted that while the initial design plans announced in July 2021 may not have been in sync with their desire to preserve the historical appearance of the village, the new plans show an overall improvement on the matter.

One speaker voiced their opinion, claiming that the new design is “much more in harmony with historic nature of the lower village.” Additionally, the church is home to a number of stained-glass windows that date back to 1895. The Historical Society noted that they wish for the widows to be preserved on the basis of historical value.

The board later discussed construction plans for a number of office and warehouse spaces within the village. Most notably, a 400,000-square-foot warehouse on Summerville Way was up for review by the board. In addition to the behemoth Summerville Way project, plans for a 10,000-square-foot warehouse space on Kings Highway, and a manufacturing building with accessory office space on Brookside Avenue were also reviewed by the board.

While the new businesses are expected to add to local tax revenue, and create jobs, there were concerns about trash and debris from the Brookside Avenue location spilling over into the neighboring Chester Cemetery, and creating unwanted waste. Chester resident Susan Barron voiced her concerns about the current state of the location, which she described as being “in a lot of disarray.” The board responded by noting that they believe the intention of the applicant is to make the space “a lot nicer.”

Finally, the board discussed a proposed a Popeye’s chicken location on Brookside Avenue. The Orange County Department of Public Works sent a letter to the board regarding the location’s potential impact on the village’s sewer capacity. The matter will need to be resolved before further action can ensue.