Planners suggest changes to Caprara VW store

Jefferson County's Planning Board is encouraging less intense lights and only one access driveway into the new F.X. Caprara Volkswagen dealership proposed for outer Washington Street.

The site now is a display area for trailers, next to Grenadier Construction across Route 11 from the Kia-Volkswagen dealership.

The site plan shown at a county Planning Board meeting Tuesday afternoon had two driveways and lights mounted on poles and the exterior of the building.

"It illustrates a very bright site, in my estimation," Senior Planner Andrew R. Nevin said. "It indicates off-site impacts, including onto neighboring property and Route 11."

The county's Planning Board did not take any action on the project during a meeting Tuesday afternoon, because it did not have a quorum. But the department will send the town of Watertown Planning Board comments on the project.

The new dealership would cover 7,000 square feet and the lot would hold 150 to 200 cars, owner William F. Caprara has said.

The building is part of splitting the Kia-Volkswagen dealership at 18476 Route 11 that owner William F. Caprara announced in May. The Kia operation has moved to the former Saturn lot at 18675 Route 11. Once Volkswagen moves out, it will become a Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep dealership.

The plan also showed cars displayed on three sides of the lot. The site would connect to a compacted area where trailers would be sold through an access route behind the building.

"We suggest that they put in parking lot access through the trailer site, too, and eliminate an access point," Mr. Nevin said.

The site plan also needs more vegetative buffering and drainage detail, planners said.

The town of Watertown Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. today at the town offices, 22867 County Route 67, on the car dealership.

Members of the county board also heard plans for:

■ A hair salon in a portion of a home at 506 Brown St., Dexter.

■ A convenience store with gas pumps at 402 N. Main St., Mannsville.

■ A zone change from light industrial to residence B for 561-579 Burdick St., Watertown.

■ A use variance for a parking area for employees and trailers at Peter R. Daly's landscaping business, 18993 Old Rome State Road, Watertown.

■ A 1,100-square-foot addition onto DC Buildings, 18621 Route 11, Watertown.

■ A Dunkin' Donuts at Bridge Street and Route 26, West Carthage.