Office/condos approved for Main and Ferndale

Plans for a three-story, mixed-use building at the northwest corner of N. Main and Ferndale in Rochester were approved Monday, November 5, by the Rochester Planning Commission.

The plans, which had already gone before the planning commission on previous dates, went before commissioners in an updated version on Monday. Those plans included the development of 3,100 square feet of office space and six residential condo units.

The developer, Gregory Schneider, received approval in 2015 for the construction of a two-story, mixed-use development consisting of 5,500 square feet of office space and 12,000 square feet of residential space within eight units. Following findings of a market study, the developer was not able to proceed with the project as approved after demolition and clearing work at the parcel.

Rochester Planning Consultant Vidya Krishnan said in a report to planning commissioners that two office spaces would occupy the main floor with the residential garages, while six residential, two-story units would occupy the top floors.

Krishnan said the updated plans change access to the site in the rear alley area, requiring special restrictions on trash pick-ups to non-peak hours. Additional issues to be resolved include final determinations on the landscaping plan and some other minor details.

Krishnan recommended the planning commission approve the plan, pending four recommendations, including adjusting the curb line to allow for full-depth parking spaces on the west side; including signage to identify tandem parking spaces; regulating trash truck timings; and installation of different landscape plantings.

The commission unanimously approved the site plan, including the recommendations.