JOHNSTOWN – Aldi can begin to renovate and expand its food market as early as today after the city Planning Board quickly approved its application for a 2,210-square-foot addition and interior improvements.
The board Tuesday unanimously approved the Route 30A store’s proposal, which would allow the 15-year-old market to match the company’s newest store prototype, which features energy-efficient operations and more fresh food.
Aldi presented the project to the Planning Board in January, and the board said it would act quickly, moving back its February meeting a week to allow enough time for an environmental-impact study and a review by the Fulton County Planning Board so Aldi would have its answer before March.
The county Planning Board last month chose to not take action on the project when members said the plan posed no regional impact. The environmental review turned out to be unnecessary because of the relatively small size of the addition. Chairman Peter Smith said there have been no comments from residents or businesses since the project was announced, and no residents attended a public hearing at the start of Tuesday’s meeting.
“This was a very straightforward project. They’re ready to go,” Smith said.
Fire Chief Bruce Heberer, a member of the Planning Board and the city’s chief code enforcer, said the company submitted its building permit application early, so the permit could be issued as early as today.
Aldi officials would not comment on when construction could begin or say whether the store would close.
The $1.2 million project will require extending the south end of the building, creating a new entrance, and giving the interior more of a warehouse look, with open ceilings and modern concrete floors.
