Allied receives final approval
for site plan at former Owens-Illinois complex

Allied Frozen Food Storage Inc. was granted final approval for their site plan to upgrade the former Owens-Illinois complex on Owens Road in Brockport.

Allied officials, who made their first application to the board December 10, were asked to address concerns regarding noise and the installation of an access road around the perimeter of the 600,000 square foot complex.

The planning board had asked the company to install a baffle around a condenser unit. Terry Stevens, vice president of Allied, said the baffle was not required. "The noise is projected upward and the unit is 25 feet off the ground," he said. "We feel the baffle is not necessary."

Brockport's Code Enforcement Officer Scott Zarnstorff discussed the need for the installation of an access road around the building. "What was formerly stored in that building was a low hazard commodity and Allied's products present a moderate hazard," he said. "The lack of a continuous road for firefighter access to the building is lacking."

Without the installation of a smoke and fire detection system throughout the building, he said, the road would be required. "The best case scenario would be to have both," he said. Scott Winner, chair of the zoning board, said, "There are historical problems with the ability to fight fires within that complex … we aren't' looking at what if's, we are looking at what is and what has been."

The zoning board approved Allied's plan which included the installation of the access road.

Allied is in the process of purchasing the 600,000 square foot building. A portion of the complex will be converted into a 100,000 square foot freezer storage unit while the remaining area will be used for dry storage of food commodities, Zarnstorff said.

"The village is very excited that this complex will be revitalized for a business that really has a low impact on the village as far as industrial emissions or as a hazardous facility," he said. "This will be a nice use of the property."

The issue of standing surface water and water run off from the facility was also addressed during the meeting. Zarnstorff said officials were looking at the possibility of reducing the amount of storm water discharge on the property.

"Allied is going to be cutting down on parking area which will cut down on storm water discharge," he said. "Any plan to lower the discharge is excellent."

"Next phase will be submission of building renovation plans for building permits and we will start reviewing those documents for permits that they will need to start renovations," Zarnstorff said.

While Allied has not purchased the property yet, Stevens said receiving the site plan approval was their first step in the process.

The Allied Group's director of Real Estate and Business Development Drew Blum said it is the company's intent to proceed with the purchase of the property. "We still have some things to work out but our intent is to purchase it," he said.

Once the purchase is finalized, Stevens said, Allied will begin the process of getting the building permits and beginning the upgrades to the facility.

Mayor Josephine Matela said the approval of Allied's site plan is a demonstration of the village's ability to work with people or companies who are interested in investing in the community.

"We don't want to be a stumbling block to inhibit progress," she said. "We want to work very closely with businesses to make things happen."