Photos by Tom Rivers – Brian Bouchard, an engineer with CHA in Syracuse, talks with the Village of Albion Planning Board about the site plan for a new Dunkin’ Donuts in Albion.

The site plan for the new store shows 46 parking spaces and two driveway entrances for the Dunkin’, which would be 2,000 square feet plus a 230-square-foot freezer.

ALBION – Dunkin’ Donuts could have a warehouse knocked down in October and a new restaurant open in Albion in January, an engineer working on the project told the Village Planning Board on Wednesday.

Dunkin’ has submitted a site plan for a 2,000-square-foot store in Albion at 153 South Main St., between Tim Hortons and the railroad tracks. The new store would have 30 seats inside, 46 parking spaces, a 230-square-foot freezer next to the building, and a drive-through lane that could accommodate 10 vehicles.

The property would have exits on both Main and Platt streets. The project doesn’t need any sign variances from the village. Dunkin’ is seeking one sign on the building and a monument sign out in front by Main Street. There would be small directional arrows on Platt Street. Dunkin’ has tried to follow the village code to ensure the project moves forward without delays, said Brian Bouchard, assistant project engineer for the CHA firm in Syrcause.

Village officials looked at the plan the past two months and they asked CHA and the developer to try to make the store blend in with a historic district that is only a few blocks away to the north. Bouchard presented a rendering of the building last night that would have a red brick façade that will be accentuated with concrete panels and grout lines. That is a change from the initial building that was proposed to be cement board siding.

Village Planning Board members credited Dunkin’ and CHA for being sensitive to the historic fabric of Main Street.

“It fits, and everything works,” Village Code Enforcement Officer Ron Vendetti told the Planning Board. “There are no variances. I don’t see any problems.”

The project will go before the Orleans County Planning Board, which next meets Sept. 26. The Village Planning Board can’t give a final vote on the project until the county reviews it. The village may call a special meeting soon after the county meets so Dunkin’ can work to demolish a warehouse, prepare the site and get up the shell of the building before winter.

The warehouse is owned by Charles Breuilly. The building occupies almost the entire property. The Dunkin’ plan would add green space to the site, improving runoff and water quality, Vendetti said.

Dunkin’ is seeking permission from the state Department of Transportation to tie into the state’s storm drain system that runs along Route 98.

Planning Board Chairman Dan Gleason said the project is good news for Albion.

“It’s always good to see new businesses coming around,” he said. “We’re not dead.”

Gleason did voice concerns about Platt Street with the visibility near the Dunkin’ entrance and some of the fast-moving traffic on Platt.

“On that street people just go nuts,” he said.

The Platt entrance will ease some of the traffic congestion on Main Street and also make it easier for delivery trucks, which won’t have to back onto Main after making a delivery.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A motorist drove into the light pole on Main Street next to the Presbyterian Church. The incident happened at about 8:30 p.m.

The driver, who hasn’t been identified, was transported by COVA to Medina Memorial Hospital. Albion firefighters were on the scene, cleaning up a lot of broken glass.

ALBION – I’ve wanted to get a picture of the ice cream truck for years, but never seemed to have time or a camera on me. I was out for a jog this afternoon with my Smart Phone when I heard the truck’s familiar bells.

Bernie Wheater, owner of Scoop’s Ice Cream, pulled right in front of me on Densmore Street and a family soon descended for a frozen treat.

Wheater bought the business from a Holley resident about six years ago. Wheater covers a big territory west of Route 259. He is often in Orleans County, including about three trips a week to Albion.

Congregation expects to stay for several more months while weighing its future

Photos by Tom Rivers – The United Methodist Church in Albion will be abandoned by its congregation and turned over to the conference in the coming months, making the future uncertain for the historic church at the corner of Platt and East State streets.

The church has been using five wooden beams to help support the roof since last December.

ALBION – For several years it has weighed on the minds, wallets and emotions of members of the United Methodist Church in Albion – a roof that was structurally unsound and might take $1 million or more to fix.

Tonight the church congregation voted overwhelmingly to be relieved of a historic building at 19 North Platt St. The building was deemed far too big and costly for a congregation with about 30 active families.

“The way the vote went people want to move forward and this is the only way forward,” said Reid Cole, chairman of the church trustees.

The United Methodists had a special meeting tonight, and members were asked to vote on whether they should abandon the building. There were 47 ballots cast, and 36 supported leaving the site and looking for a different place to worship.

“We are charting a new path,” said Terry Wilbert, administrative council chairman for the church.

The United Methodist Church is part of the Courthouse Square, a district with 35 buildings that are named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Wilbert believes the church is the most beautiful of the eight churches that are part of the Courthouse Square, a district with 35 buildings that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The brick building is loaded with ornate stained glass windows and woodwork. It was built about 150 years ago.

In 1914, the church reoriented the sanctuary. When that happened, some members didn’t like that lower beams that helped support the roof truss system were more visible. The church removed the lower beams. A century later the roof is in danger of collapse from a truss system that needs to be totally rebuilt.

Architects have estimated it could cost $1 million or more to rebuild the roof system. The church last December put in five wooden beams to help support the roof. They have applied for grants to help pay for the costs, and was awarded a $50,000 grant. But that left a big gap to get the project done.

“It’s tough to grow under this burden,” Cole said.

The building will likely be transferred to the Upper New York Annual Conference, which has its main office in Syracuse. Church leaders will meet with the conference within the next month to determine the next steps.

The church has many large stained glass windows and numerous other historical artifacts.

The congregation will remain in the building for a while, but Wilbert said they will be exploring options for the future, perhaps using an existing church, holding services after one of the congregations. Or the United Methodists could use a non-church building, possibly even the library.

The United Methodists will pay to keep the building maintained and covered by insurance in the near future.

Members were asked if the Albion congregation should consider merging with another nearby UM church, but only four out of 47 people supported that.

“We want to stay together as a congregation. That was obvious,” Wilbert said.

The congregation also wants to take as many “usable assets” as possible from the building to wherever the church settles for a meeting place, Wilbert said.

In the meantime, the church plans to keep up with its ministries, including a beef on weck dinner next Thursday from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Wilbert said the church wants to do more for the community, including possible ministries for camping, youth groups and senior citizens.

“It was a difficult decision,” he said about the vote tonight. “This was built when everyone went to church and they went to the mainline denominational churches. But now there are a lot of large churches with congregations that can no longer support the buildings.”