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Thursday, October 5, 2006
Future of Woodside Hall
By JIM AUSTIN
Editor
Rumors have been running rampant about the future of Woodside Hall since the announcement of its sale in late August and now it is once again on the market.
The property was purchased by Michael Mercier, of Rochester, NY. Mercier has put the property back on the market at an undisclosed asking price.
Woodside Hall administrator Margaret Banks said all of the former residents have been relocated and she expected to turn over the keys on Wednesday to George DeGraca, the former owner of the property.
Banks confirmed the property was, indeed, sold and the new owner was putting it back on the market. According to the Otsego County office of real property taxe services earlier this week, no property transfer has been recorded.
A website devoted to the property _ www.woodsidehallmansion.com _ describes it as being in ``very good condition'' and suitable for conversion to a single family residence, a bed & breakfast, a museum or other uses.
According to the website, Woodside Hall is almost 14,500 square feet in size and features multiple living rooms on three floors, a dining room that seats 40 people, 30 bedrooms, 23 bathrooms and four fireplaces. It sits on a 6.2 acre parcel of land at the foot of Main St.
Mercier did not respond to requests for comment prior to press time.
While the property may be suitable for uses other than a single family residence, they are not allowed in the R1-A district in which it is located.
Zoning enforcement officer Al Keck confirmed this week that the R1-A district is the most restrictive in the village and tourist accommodations, museums, and hotels are not permitted uses nor is it possible to apply for a special use permit from the board of trustees.
The restrictions in the R1-A district were the topic of discussion at Tuesday's zoning board of appeals meetings when Estli Avenue resident Pat Thorpe asked about the possibility of establishing a tourist accommodation in her home.
Thorpe said here home has been on the market for some time and many of the potential purchasers were asking if it could be a B&B.
``It's the most frequently asked question,'' Thorpe told the board. ``I wanted to see exactly how stringent these requirements are. My property is very well suited for this use.''
ZBA chairman Susan Snell said that based on her understanding of the law there was no way they could give Thorpe what she was after.
Board members said one possibility was a request for a use variance, but the requirements for a use variance are laid out in state law and very stringent.
I would say this is a point better discussed with the planning board or the board of trustees,'' Snell said, adding that it might be easier to change the law than to get a use variance.
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