Large Asian eatery planned
By NATHAN BROWN, Enterprise Staff WriterArticle Photos
SARANAC LAKE - The Village of Saranac Lake Planning Board said Monday evening that it will probably approve plans for a 150-seat Asian restaurant on Lake Flower Avenue next to Pizza Hut, but wants to hear more details about some aspects of the plan.
The Asian Buffet and Mongolian Grill would go on property currently occupied by the former Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED) Twin State building, and two houses, one of which would be torn down. It covers four lots in total, all owned by Elwin J. Hall of Saranac Lake. Part of the Twin State building would be retained and incorporated as the restaurant's kitchen and storage, and a dining room with a view of Lake Flower from some tables would be added to it.
The applicants, Linda Celeste Li-Zheng and Jian Shan Zheng, already operate similar restaurants in Ogdensburg, Gouverneur, Massena and Potsdam.
"You've made great strides in incorporating the project into the setting, and we appreciate that," planning board Chairwoman Leslie Karasin said to the architect, Rich Hanpeter. "We just need to get our ducks lined up a little bit."
The planning board said it would like to see more detailed plans on aspects such as the stormwater drainage, landscaping and the size and lighting of the sign.
The current plan calls for two two-way entrances; Hanpeter said he is waiting for an answer from the state Department of Transportation regional office in Watertown as to whether single or double access would be safer.
"I'm very concerned about the double access," said Kevin LaPlante, who lives across the street. "This could really turn out to be a comedy of accidents in front of my house."
Henry Douglas, who also lives across the street, said traffic is already bottlenecked on that stretch of Lake Flower.
"In the summer, we wait 10 minutes to get out of that driveway," Douglas said.
The applicants had asked for a special meeting because they are going to China soon and wanted to know where the project stands before leaving. Hanpeter asked the planning board to approve the project conditionally; however, planning board members said there were too many unanswered questions to approve the project yet.
"There are a lot of contingencies," said planning board member D. Scott Tooker. "That's part of the concern. I feel more comfortable with fewer contingencies and more stuff laid out."
The building would be stucco with a Chinese-style facade and roof. The parking lot would accommodate 36 cars, and screening plantings would be made on the property line adjoining Pizza Hut, along the roadway and in the parking lot, dividing it and further screening it from view from the road. The parking lot and sign would only be lit during business hours, and even then, "We're purposely underilluminating the parking lot by most standards," Hanpeter said.
The restaurant would be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Hanpeter said the Zhengs' other restaurants appeal to a family clientele and feature long buffet tables. Takeout would also be available; people could get in the buffet lines and pick the food themselves to bring home. Their other restaurants have wine and beer licenses but no separate bar, Hanpeter said.
The planning board will take the matter up at its next regular meeting on July 15.
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Contact Nathan Brown at (518) 891-2600 ext. 26 or nbrown@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
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dreamer
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07-01-09 10:32 AM
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Stop sprawl by preventing a restaurant from opening next to four other existing restaurants and an existing motel. Please, you're going to have to do better than that. I've eaten at the one in Potsdam, they won't have any problem being successful here.
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NativeTransplant
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07-01-09 9:55 AM
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"Large Asian eatery planned." An eatery that excludes everyone but large Asians? How ridiculous! Good luck with that.
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andie79
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07-01-09 9:17 AM
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Pompous, my parents currently DO live in China and I think your statement was juvenille, stereotypical and just plain unneccessary for the commentary at hand.
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transplant
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07-01-09 7:52 AM
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I love to go the Asian Buffet in Potsdam. It would be great to have one close by. I noticed somone commented on the number of seats versus the number of parking spaces---ever been to CASA? Count the parking spots.
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IMatter2
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07-01-09 5:49 AM
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I'm not sure this place would survive a winter, dealing with mostly local diners - locals seem narrow minded here, if it's not served in a wrapper between two pieces of soggy bun. Good luck to them, though.
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YouKnowImRight
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06-30-09 8:27 PM
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No more development! Let's all rot together!
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northcountrynell
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06-30-09 4:20 PM
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Hey if SL does not want them....they should open where the old dollar store and laundry mat was in the Cold Brook plaza in LP. Already has a traffic light...enough parking spaces for the entire Ming dynisty.....and best of all...the building is already there....just a thought.
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Kms692000
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06-30-09 4:18 PM
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aldi and ace were in existing buildings
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phahn50
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06-30-09 2:27 PM
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Aldi opened across the street. Ace hardware etc next door. DW are you really concerned or just trying to stir things up?
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DW12983
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06-30-09 1:33 PM
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Stop sprawl! It should be made to move downtown like the "Planning Group" recommends. How can we allow restaurants and motels to open outside of the Main Street Shopping District but not stores?
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Afinehowdoyoudo
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06-30-09 1:23 PM
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How many Mongols does it take to park a Lincoln Town car? With a faux leather roof?
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ahousedividedagainstitselfcannotstand
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06-30-09 1:10 PM
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I'm concerned with the entry and exit - that's already a dangerous area due to the hill and lack of sight line for cars approaching vehicles that are stopped to turn.
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northcountrynell
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06-30-09 12:17 PM
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I know one 82 year old widow who won't have to travel to pburgh to go to the Toe-Mein Palace anymore. The problem is she drives a 78 Lincoln Town Car and will take up at least 15 spots when she parks there to eat.
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Adkjay78
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06-30-09 12:16 PM
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I've been to the Mongolian Grill in Potsdam several times. It is a really great restaurant. I hope we get one in Saranac Lake.
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LinjiS
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06-30-09 11:29 AM
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The C.S., historic society, and Save Saranac Lake folks are going to have to get busy immediately to put a stop to this. They have a perfect score so far. They stopped the college renovations, development by Walmart, and have gotten us to foot the bill for the CS location on Depot Street rather than in one of the many empty buildings in the downtown.
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Afinehowdoyoudo
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06-30-09 10:45 AM
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150 seats and 36 parking spots. Plus staff. There's a joke in here somewhere... Nell?
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