The Jamestown Zoning Board of Appeals has approved an area variance for parking at the proposed new Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union locat at the corner of West Fifth and Clinton streets. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

An area variance for parking has been approved for the proposed new building for the Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union in the city of Jamestown.

The city Zoning Board of Appeals recently approved the area variance for parking area setbacks in a C-2 (community commercial district) zone. The minimum setback for automotive use in a C-2 zone is 15 feet and for the proposed project it is 7.02 feet on the east side, which is near Clinton Street, 4.22 feet on the west side, near Martyn Alley, and 7 feet on the south side.

Edmund Schober of LaBella Associates, who spoke on behalf of the project, said there is going to be 13 parking spots in the parking lot, with the minimum code requirement being nine. He said credit union officials expect the location on the corner of West Fifth and Clinton streets to be busy and they want additional parking spots so customers don’t have to park on the street.

In April, the city Planning Commission approved the site plan for the project. At the time, Schober said the plan for the new building calls for the existing smaller bank building to be demolished, with the existing drive-through lane that enters from Clinton Street and exits on to West Fifth Street to remain, but will be resurfaced. The new credit union branch will be a 2,300-square-foot full-service branch.

In March, the zoning board originally heard about the proposed new credit union building, but tabled the resolution because the original plan called for the use of Martyn Alley, which was originally thought to be a public street until Tom Turner, owner of the alley, informed city officials it was private property. The new plan for the credit union doesn’t call for the use of Martyn Alley, but there are still some concerns about the proposed new project.

Turner, who sent an email to city officials in regards to the area variance and also joined the online virtual meeting, said he is concerned about there not being enough room for the piling of snow during the winter. He said there is not enough room for both properties to pile snow in the same area.

Larry Scalise, city building and zoning code officer, said if there is not enough room to pile the snow, than both property owners will have to find a way to remove the snow because it’s illegal to push snow from one property on to another.

Schober said snow removal or finding a place to pile snow on the credit union property shouldn’t be a problem.

He said there is plenty of room for snow to collect on the north east corner of the property and they can use the extra parking spots in the parking lot, if needed.