| Welcome to the Cooperstown Crier |
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
1-03-2007 By JIM AUSTIN Editor In December, Galati submitted a proposal to build a motel made up of 10 four-unit buildings on the narrow parcel. Each unit would essentially be a two-bedroom apartment with cooking and laundry facilities, and would be geared toward extended stay visitors like those coming to the Dreams Park. The 10 buildings would be located between Cooper Lane and West Beaver and from West Beaver to Chestnut Street. He has submitted a preliminary site plan for the motel to the planning board, and, as required by the zoning law, has simultaneously submitted a special use permit application to the board of trustees. He now wants to add a 60- person restaurant with parking and a pavilion south of West Beaver Street, a daily parking lot and a self-storage warehouse as potential uses for the property if he is special use permit is denied. The motel would require a special use permit from the board of trustees, but because it is zoned commercial, the three additional uses would require only site plan approval from the planning board. If his motel proposal is not approved, it is likely he will pursue the parking lot, warehouse and restaurant options. "If it comes to the point where obstacles are put in front of me and it becomes not cost effective in terms of the timeline, I'll revert to a rightof- use (a permitted use in the commercial zone)," he said. Galati told the board of trustees during its December meeting that he is currently under contract to purchase the property from the Leatherstocking Historic Railroad, and believes his site plan will meet all the requirements of the commercial zone. Originally, he had explored the possibility of building a nine-unit duplex residential development on the property, but because the property is zoned commercial, it required a change in zoning. In March, Galati proposed a change in zoning from commercial to R- 3, but with the lesser setbacks for commercial structures. "This is not a permitted use; however, I feel that it is the best use of the property, as opposed to what is permitted under the present land use laws for commercial and business zones," he wrote in a letter to the planning board. The planning board sent him to the zoning board of appeals, where he was told they would consider the zoning change, but not with the R-3 setbacks which were necessary to build the residential units. He was told he could submit a second request for setback variances, but there would be no guarantee they would be granted. In April, he sent a letter to the board of trustees and asked for its assistance. "Wouldn't these duplex units be more in keeping with the character of the neighborhood and better serve the village than a used car lot, self- storage units or some other allowable commercial application?" he asked in his letter to the trustees. Two months later, after not receiving an answer from the board of trustees, he wrote again and was told the board reviewed his letter during the May meeting and the consensus of the board was that a change in zoning must come to the trustees as a recommendation from the planning board. After getting nowhere in regard to a zoning change, he said he decided instead to pursue the motel development and now the parking lot, restaurant and warehouse uses. Last month, he appeared before the board of trustees with his special use permit application for the motel, and trustee Paul Kuhn, the former chairman of the planning board, suggested the board of trustees assume lead agency status for the environmental quality review of the proposal "because it is the trustees who will ultimately approve or disapprove." Trustee Milo Stewart said during that meeting he would prefer to see the residential development. "I would rather slow down and back up," he said, adding that housing is needed more than a new motel. Galati said this week he has not heard anything more from the trustees, but still believes residential use is better for the property and more in keeping with the neighborhood. "I have been waiting to open up a dialogue, but in the meantime I am moving ahead with the motel," he said. The planning board will begin its review of the preliminary site plan for the motel during its meeting Jan. 8. The board of trustees will conduct a public hearing on the special permitted use application. |
Copyright 2007, Cooperstown Crier, Cooperstown, NY All rights reserved