Although it has only recently been presented to the Town of Crawford Planning Board, O’Reilly Auto Parts is a nationwide automotive store that could find its way to the Town of Crawford.

The auto parts store is in multiple states and sells automotive tools, equipment, supplies, accessories and more to both professional car services and handy customers. It would be located right next to McDonalds, on Route 52. Currently the site there is undeveloped with vegetation.

Samuel Burden, with Bohler Engineering, represented O’Reilly last Wednesday at a Crawford Planning Board meeting. A few weeks earlier the project was introduced for technical review, and last week Burden explained what the applicant, O’Reilly, is looking to do. “The applicant is looking to subdivide 1.05 acres of the almost 24 acre parcel. There’s a New York State DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) delineated wetland that exists off the site, but the site does fall within the 100 foot buffer,” said Burden, who noted that the auto parts store would be 7000-square-feet.

There’s also a 25-foot water and sewer easement, associated parking, landscaping, stormwater plan, loading/unloading facility and more.

Originally, they weren’t seeking out any variances from the zoning board because they were under the impression they were within code. However, for a few aspects of the project, like signage and front parking, they learned they would need to apply for variances after all.

The project’s intended signs exceed the footage in the town’s code. Planning Board Chairman Linda Zwart explained that they’d have to go through the zoning board variance application process. “There’s businesses that have not gone for variants and kept their sizes small for it and then were like ‘No, we want it proportionate to the building.’ So they went through the variance, it was proportionate to the building, and it was approved,” said Zwart, who explained that their code was written for small storefronts, which is why many bigger stores have to receive different variances. They will also have to get a variance for parking, as Crawford’s code also states that parking is not permitted in the required front yard.

The applicant and engineers also came up with a different architectural approach after technical review in order to be more intact with the town’s character.

“We got feedback at the last [technical review] that we were looking at being more towards the character of this town,” said Burden. “Originally we had a flat roof and we didn’t think that went with the architectural feel of it so they added the false gable on the front of the building,” Burden said.

Since the project is still early on, the board passed a motion to declare the lead agency of the project, as well as preparing it for their town engineer to review.