POTSDAM — The village Planning Board voted Thursday night to allow the convent at the former St. Mary's Catholic School to be converted into four, two-bedroom apartments.

The board voted 4-1, with David I. Trithart dissenting, to issue a special use permit for James E. Sheehan to turn the shuttered convent into apartments.

In its decision, the board stipulated that the special use permit applies only to the convent and not to the school building, which Mr. Sheehan has said he plans to turn into offices. The board also asked that Mr. Sheehan build a privacy fence along the rear property line.

Neighbors had objected to the use of the former school property, saying the apartments could attract college students to Lawrence Avenue.

"The dilemma here is there's a lot of opposition from neighbors. They see this as a detriment to the area," Mr. Trithart said. "It might be in some ways even worse than what we're imagining."

The property was rezoned to a B2 multiuse business zone in 2006.

Chairman Theodore C. Prahl said that the idea of turning the school and convent into medical office space didn't seem likely, after a conversation with Canton-Potsdam Hospital officials, who favor building a complex on hospital grounds.

The board also voted Thursday to approve a change in Lowe's site plan. Jeda Capital LLC proposed a change in the turn lanes planned for Route 56 outside the store. The lanes would be shifted slightly, to prevent the road from encroaching on wetlands.

That change was approved unanimously.

Michael D. O'Neill, Lowe's developer, said that he anticipates construction will begin next week on the home improvement store.

Clarkson University also received two unanimous approvals for components of its campus master plan Thursday night. As part of its larger plan to develop green space along the Raquette River waterfront on Clarkson Avenue, the college proposed the construction of an athletic field and an addition to Walker Arena to house a boiler.

Hantz Field will feature artificial turf and a 540-seat grandstand with press box, and four 80-foot field lights.

Walker Arena will get a small expansion to house a wood pellet biomass boiler. The building will eventually need to be heated independently, because Clarkson's adjacent physical plant is slated for destruction as part of the master plan.