VOORHEESVILLE — Fifteen months after it was first presented as a restaurant-only proposal, the Voorheesville Planning Commission recently approved Ed Mitzen’s scaled-up plan to remake a large part of the village’s downtown.

Mitzen, a village native who’s done very well for himself in the world of health-care marketing, first came to the commission in April 2021 with half a proposal for a restaurant whose profits would go to charity. (He had yet to purchase the former Stewart’s Shop.)

On July 5, the planning commission approved three properties near Village Hall — 40, 42, and 43 South Main St. — to become a new restaurant, café, and parking lot. 

“We are very grateful to the Village for approving these two exciting projects. It is our vision to bring great jobs and great food to downtown Voorheesville.  Having grown up a Blackbird (Class of 1985), these projects are very personal to me. I can’t wait for the ribbon cuttings,” the not-for-profit said in a statement attributed to Mitzen. 

The conditions of approval imposed by the planning commission on the project revolve largely around hours of operation and adhering to the village’s noise ordinance.

The new Blackbird Tavern restaurant will be open Monday through Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Café hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“There’s a bit of a break between [the] closure of the café and opening of the tavern. That’s actually a good thing. Theoretically, that will help reduce some traffic issues,” planning commission Chairman Steve Reilly told The Enterprise this week One of the concerns raised during the project’s June 7 public hearing was the overlap in hours of operation between the café and tavern. 

Reilly noted the major concerns related to the project had to do with noise, parking, and traffic — the last of which the village recently sought to deal with. 

On July 1, Mayor Rich Straut wrote to the Albany County Department of Public Works formally requesting it consider installing a four-way stop at the intersection of Voorheesville Avenue, South Main Street (county routes 306 and 201, respectively), and Center Street. 

Parking had been an issue since the project was proposed in April 2021, with the concern first raised by Mitzen himself.

Reilly said parking “require[d] a fair amount of legwork” on the village’s part, which “stepped up and produced” a “plan for additional parking” on village-owned property in addition to working out agreements with individual property owners for additional spots. 

A study by the village’s parking consultant, Frank Fazio, determined the restaurant and café needed 83 parking spaces but the project was providing only 37 on-site spots. 

Voorheeville has a plan to increase parking capacity at two Village Hall lots from 27 to approximately 51 spaces, according to Fazio’s estimate. By including these 51 spaces in the overall total needed for the project, which village code allows, “this would exceed the requirements of the project,” Fazio writes. 

In addition to the village-owned parking, Voorheesville recently received a signed letter of intent from Jonathan Phillips, allowing it to use the former Phillips Hardware site for parking, yielding an additional 43 spots, according to Fazio’s estimate. Phillips is leasing the village the site for $1 until he decides what to do next with the land.

The board of trustees also sought to allay the planning commission’s parking concerns in a July 1 letter, which said in part, “To address parking needs in the vicinity of the Main Street business district, the Village has taken a number of steps over the past several years. The Village has constructed two parking areas along Grove Street … The Board is continuing to explore additional options for shared parking in the area­ whether through other agreements with private landowners; intergovernmental agreements; or the acquisition of additional property…”

As for a timeline, Business for Good has yet to submit for permits but offered the following approximate completion dates for the projects:

— Blackbird Bike Café: Construction is to start in mid-August and last for nine months with completion expected in May 2023; and

 — Blackbird Tavern: Construction is to start at the end of August and last about 14 months with expected completion in October 2023.