POTSDAM - Billy’s Deli may eventually move from 2 Main St. to the former Tardelli’s Restaurant at 141 Market St.

The village planning board unanimously voted Thursday night to give conditional site plan approval for owner Cornelius “Con” Mahoney’s plans for the Market Street location. Mr. Mahoney had opened the 2 Main location 18 months earlier in a space he rented. A second location, which opened last fall at 109 Main St. in Canton, has since closed.

The Market Street location will give Billy’s additional space in an owner-occupied location; Mr. Mahoney bought the former Tardelli’s following its spring 2011 closure after over 50 years in business.

Mr. Mahoney is updating the space to include a drive through window for customers.

He said he does not on any timetable yet for moving; he is working on it gradually in addition to running his other business, Mahoney’s Auto Mall.

“It’s going to be a gorgeous building when we get done,” he said. “It needs to be beautified and that’s what we’re doing.”

Thursday night’s meeting was not without snags. The conditional approval was for Mr. Mahoney to comply with the code enforcement office’s directive to ensure adequate parking lot lighting.

Mr. Mahoney’s site plan did not include lot lighting; he pointed out that most of his business was during the lunchtime hours.

“You still need parking lot lighting,” board member Theodore Prahl said. “You can’t have anyone stumbling around.”

Mr. Mahoney said he would make sure his property had adequate lighting.

“I just haven’t put the time in to do it right,” he said.

Board members also instructed Mr. Mahoney to install adequate signage to instruct customers to the drive-through window’s location.

“People are going to be really stupid and they’re going to drive everywhere,” Mr. Prahl said.

The board recommended Mr. Mahoney obtain a village building permit before proceeding any further with renovating the structure’s interior. The village will ensure any upgrades Mr. Mahoney made so far to the building’s interior prior to obtaining a permit are code compliant, according to Planning and Development Director Frederick J. Hanss.

Mr. Mahoney will also either have to change the “Billy’s” sign at the front of his property or obtain a variance from the Potsdam Zoning Board of Appeals. He had painted over the Tardelli’s sign, which is not compliant with village code, Mr. Hanss said.

“That sign may have been there long before we had codes,” Mr. Hanss said. “You can’t just repaint what’s there and expect it to be legal.”

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