Retail shops, pavilion and dog park part of commercial development proposed for downtown Oswego

Plans are to turn a portion of Harrison Street in downtown Oswego into a commercial development that would include small retail shop spaces, food trucks with a pavilion and a recreational area.

Oswego planning and zoning commissioners will review the concept plan for Harrison Street Square at their meeting at 7 p.m. June 5 at Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, Oswego.

The property consists of three parcels. Applicant USC, LLC wants to renovate an industrial building at 174 S. Harrison St. into a multi-tenant structure for commercial use.

“The central parcel is currently vacant,” Oswego Assistant Development Services Director Rachel Riemenschneider said in a memo to commissioners. “The concept plan depicts a large open space reserved for recreation. On the north side of the recreational area would be three concrete pads for food trucks and a pavilion for outdoor seating.”

Mi Kozina food truck is currently located on the property near the building.

As proposed, eight small structures reserved for individual commercial tenants would be built on the eastern side of the recreational area, along the railroad tracks.

“Each of the shops would be approximately 120 square feet,” Riemenschneider said.

A flyer states the proposed Harrison Street Station Shops would “offer business start-ups an advantage to start selling products and services of interest to guests of Harrison Street Square.”

Village staff members are supporting the concept plan.

“Staff believes the proposed concept is appropriate as it would provide new commercial opportunities to the village and facilitate transitioning Harrison Street from industrial use to commercial use,” Riemenschneider said.

In conjunction with the project, applicant Nicole Nicklin is requesting approval of a special use permit for an outdoor recreation use, which would allow allow her to provide a dog park on the southwest side of the building at 174 S. Harrison St.

There will be a public hearing on her request at the June 5 meeting.

“The applicant intends to open a business where patrons can bring their dogs, which will include an indoor bar area and an outdoor fenced-in dog area,” Riemenschneider said. “An overhead door would connect the indoor and outdoor spaces.”

The area will be fully fenced with a minimum height of six feet, she said.

“The applicant intends to use astroturf, or a combination of astroturf and grass, and has provided a maintenance schedule which will be included as part of the special use ordinance,“ Riemenschneider said. ”Dogs will not be in the area without their owners present at the business."

In explaining her proposed Barkville Buddies business, Nicklin said she would like to provide an outside area for dogs to be able to run and play with each other while their owners enjoy a drink or socialize.

“Owners must be on site with their dogs to limit the amount of barking and noise,” she said. “Dogs will be contained in a fence in an area that is allowed by the village of Oswego.”