The Warren Development Review Board continued a conditional use hearing for Awake Coffee at the Warren Sugarbush Airport to October 7 after an initially September 16 hearing.
Awake Coffee owners Serina Gulisano and John Vitko purchased a hangar at the airport two years ago and began roasting coffee in 250 square feet of the 11,000 square foot hangar that was formerly owned by Jim Parker. Vitko told the board that he would like to double the business to use 500 square feet and increase the roasting and bean deliveries accordingly.
Per the sketch that Gulisano and Vitko submitted to the DRB, the hangar also hosts Yestermorrow which uses some 3,000 square feet for winter/spring building projects, an airplane, a studio, space allocated to Jay Kempf and an office. Office space in the hangar was found to have been turned into an apartment by assistant state fire marshal Stan Baranowski during a June 26 inspection. He noted that no construction permit or work notices were sought from his office or the town for that conversion.
Baranowski ordered that the use of any space as an apartment be discontinued immediately and reported that windows in the bedroom and living room of the apartment were small with high sills and a that there was no smoke alarm in the bedroom. He found that plumbing and electrical work were done without work notices and licenses and removed seven LP gas tanks during the inspection.
The sketch plan that Gulisano and Vitko submitted shows parking for 16 spaces in front of the hangar – on the west side of it, with access to the building from the airport access road off of Airport Road. During the September 16 hearing, the issue of parking and access to that building was discussed at length. Airport manager Tom Anderson told the board that the sketch the owners presented did not detail an existing right of way and noted that the property is being surveyed properly by Granite Intersection which owns the airport. He asked that the official survey be part of the record and further pointed out that there had been an historic ‘handshake’ agreement between Parker and Granite, as well as annual fees allowing for access to that hangar from the airport access road as the hangar in question does not have such deeded access, although an undeveloped right of way exists.
The board was also asked to consider a fence separating the hangar in question from the rest of the airport property for safety given the active soaring and general aviation activities present seven days a week on the site.
During the hearing, the DRB learned that Vitko and Gulisano receive a 500-pound delivery of raw coffee beans twice a month. Currently Vitko roasts beans throughout the week as it fits his schedule. Roasted beans are loaded into his van for delivery. The exhaust from roasting the beans is vented through the side of the building and the board discussed the fact that some nearby property owners find the smell objectionable while others enjoy it.
The board imposed a restriction on any bean roasting on Sundays but did not suggest any other limits on the commercial operation at the hangar and also did not address the other uses currently taking place at the hangar.
The board found that, with the exception of the parking plan, right of way and easement clarification, the application was complete and that coffee roasting can be classified as an industrial use and hence, appropriate for the zoning district that includes the airport.
The October 7 continuation hearing starts at 7p.m.
