Plans to build a Taco Bell in Oswego moved one step forward, passing the City of Oswego Planning Board on Tuesday night.
Holding its monthly meeting at 6 p.m., the planning board approved the site plan for the fast-food restaurant, as well as its plan for off-street parking, and provided three favorable advisories to the zoning board.
The company behind the proposal, Hospitality Services Inc., which owns Taco Bell locations across the state, will have to bring its proposal to the zoning board in two weeks before beginning any construction at the location, the former Ponderosa Steakhouse building on George Street, on the east side of the city. The location is across the street from the Price Chopper plaza off East Bridge Street.
The Ponderosa closed in 2014 after 30 years of business when it was unable to come to an agreement on the terms of the lease. The building has been vacant since then.
In 2016, a proposed Taco Bell, on Route 104, was stopped by a suit against the city by the owners of the Dunkin’ Donuts on nearby W. Seneca Street, Kimco Realty.
Roy Clark, co-owner of the local Dunkin’ Donuts franchise in Oswego, threatened an injunction against the project, claiming that the incoming chain’s breakfast menu, which was newly introduced at the time, would cut into the donut and coffee retailer’s sales.
City officials appeared disappointed with the holdup, with Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow saying in a statement given in 2016 that it appeared that “this is simply a tactic for one fast-food company to delay the development and opening of a competitor.”
The proposed Taco Bell on Oswego’s west side was a peace offering by Hospitality Services Inc., which is the same applicant as the 2016 Taco Bell. Rather than fighting the lawsuit from Katko Realty, they opted to find a different site.
The proposal must still go before the zoning board, as well as get special permits for its drive-thru, paved parking lot and signage.
Jim Bell, city of Oswego code and zoning director, stated that the process for getting a business into the city is as unique as the plots of land that the buildings occupy, based on water runoff, signage, and traffic among other things.
The Oswego Taco Bell location closed over a decade ago, and the closest one in proximity is currently in Liverpool, New York.
The planning board also heard an application for a new Dunkin Donuts, put forth by ESW Realty LLC., on First Street in downtown Oswego. The resolution was tabled after residents and board officials expressed their respect for the appearance of the downtown area and desire that any new locations fit the character of the area.
Rachel Futterman | The Oswegonian
