Kyle Engstrom of ME Studio Architects told the Troy City Planning Board that the owner of 80 Fourth Street seeks approval to convert an existing mixed‑use building (one ground‑floor commercial space and three apartments) into a total of 12 residential units while retaining ground‑floor commercial space. He said the project includes work on a separate rear carriage house structure that will hold four units and that the Zoning Board of Appeals has granted an area variance for that rear structure.
The board declared the proposal an unlisted action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, made a negative declaration, and voted that the application is complete. All votes on the item were unanimous given the three members present; the board scheduled a public hearing for its August meeting.
Why it matters: The conversion would substantially increase the number of dwelling units on a downtown parcel and requires coordination with several city departments and commissions before final approval.
Board members and staff asked about outstanding permits and agency sign‑offs. Engstrom said the project team has returned to the Historic Review Commission to show the extent of proposed demolition to the carriage house and that the commission raised only a remaining detail about exterior sconces; he said his team “sent a proposed sconce over to Angie” for HRC review. He also said the applicant submitted an encroachment permit application for work under William Street and that the project team had reviewed the proposal with the fire chief.
On public works and utilities, Engstrom said the owner is working with a plumbing contractor to complete flow calculations and that Troy Public Utilities (TPU) was reviewing submitted materials. A staff planner confirmed the department had received capacity information and had the review “under review” for permitting completeness.
The board recorded the following formal actions: a motion to classify the project as an unlisted action (passed unanimously), a motion to issue a negative SEQR declaration (passed unanimously), a motion declaring the application complete (passed unanimously), and a motion to schedule the public hearing in August (passed unanimously).
What remains: staff and the applicant will continue to coordinate final flow calculations with TPU and finalize the encroachment permit and HRC lighting detail before the scheduled hearing. The applicant said updating the city 911 addressing for the new units is on the team’s to‑do list.
The Planning Board did not take final site‑plan approval at the meeting; it advanced procedural determinations and set the August hearing date.