P-J file photo The site of a new CHQ Transit Hub is pictured at Second Street and Prendergast Avenue, Jamestown. The project was approved recently by the Jamestown Planning Commission.

City Planning Commission members have gotten their first look at the long-discussed CHQ Transit Hub in downtown Jamestown.

Presented by Ron Kessler with LoBello Associates, the hub is planned to be built on the corner of Third Street and Prendergast Avenue. The building will include a waiting room for about 20 people, along with a break area for drivers. There will also be a public restroom and a few other spaces.

Kessler addressed the exterior plans for the building, which will be one story with a flat roof. A bus shelter already exists on the current site, and a former gas station used to sit up in the corner, as shown on the plans presented to the commission.

“The proposed plan is to plot the building near the corner of Prendergast and Third,” Kessler said. “We kind of moved it to the west a little bit to make it accessible and make the floor more level with the sidewalk it’s going to be approached from. The majority of the site will be paved for bus traffic, and there will be a small area of greenspace around the building.”

There will be no area for parking at the hub, and there is a planned bus waiting area on the west side. Buses will enter on Third Street, pick up, and then exit onto Prendergast Avenue. Signs will be posted for buses only and no entry as well.

Kessler then addressed the utility and grating plan, with plans to add drainage. One parking meter will be taken out, but Kessler noted there were some spots on Third Street where some spots may be gained as the one driveway will no longer be there. A question was asked by the commission about who would be in charge of maintenance on the building, with the answer being the county, and what the maximum number of buses that would fit at the site would be.

“We’re kind of limited by the size of the site, obviously … to the west there’s probably enough room to store two buses and you can probably stack two or three along the back,” Kessler said. “Not any more than probably what you see now.”

It was noted that right now there are about four buses there, but not all at the same time, with a peak time being at about 2:50 p.m. because that is the time when they are all seen to be leaving town to go to the rural areas. Routes have the ability to be staggered too, and will be more determined once the Hub is finished and they can see what it looks like.

There will be an entrance in the front from the street but the main loading place for people onto the buses will be through the exit at the back.

The commission asked a few more questions about roof drainage, lighting, the removal of the parking spot, emergency access, restrooms, and following a little bit more discussion on some other items, the planning commission approved the SEQR and site plan for the CHQ Transit Hub project.