City answers questions from town hall meeting last month

Mar. 25—After a town hall meeting Feb. 27 hosted by the city of Oneonta on downtown revitalization, City Administrator Greg Mattice left with a stack of about 160 questions and comments from the crowd written on index cards.

He and other city officials promised to address them all.

On Monday, March 25 — nearly a month later — Mattice released a 13-page spreadsheet with 140 transcribed questions and their answers, along with a list of 20 comments. None of the crowd's questions were excluded from the spreadsheet, he said Monday.

About 250 people attended the town hall meeting at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center expecting an open dialog, and many wanted speak their minds on Rehabilitation Support Services Inc.'s proposal to develop 27 Market St. into a mixed-use building.

Instead, people were encouraged to write their questions and concerns on index cards. LEAF Executive Director Julie Dostal reviewed the questions to remove duplicates and Police Chief Christopher Witzenburg read the summarized questions aloud.

The answers were a group effort. Mattice said that he, Mayor Mark Drnek, Community Development Director Judy Pangman, Code Enforcement Officer Stephen Yerly, Finance Director Virginia Lee, Witzenburg and RSS director of strategic partnerships Christine Nealon all contributed to the answers.

How the city acquired 27 Market St.

The RSS proposal to purchase and develop 27 Market St. drew the most questions of the 28 topics, plus a miscellaneous section, into which Mattice organized the crowd's questions.

Questions included how much the city paid for the 27 Market St. property — a collective name for the roughly half-acre site at 23, 25 and 27-33 Market St. — how much it cost the city to demolish the old Oneonta Sales Co. building and how much RSS is willing to pay, though no agreement has been signed yet.

"The city spent $425,000 to purchase 27 Market St. and $414,000 to demolish the building, for a total of $839,000 in city investment," the city's spreadsheet stated. "The city obtained a $478,000 grant to demolish the building. The city is seeking the post-demolition appraised value of $477,500 for the sale of the property ... RSS is willing to pay this amount."

One person asked about competitive bidding and whether the property is open to other developers. Another asked why the property was not listed for sale publicly.

The city began marketing 27 Market St. in 2016, according to the spreadsheet. The city spent $100,000 of DRI grant funds on consultants for public and private development marketing efforts in 2021, for 27 Market St. and other potential development sites in downtown.

The consultants, Delaware Engineering and Mathes Public Affairs, issued request for proposals to more than 100 large property developers across the state, which resulted in one response from a developer that decided against investing.

"If the city listed the property with realtors," according to the spreadsheet, "it would be listed and sold with a development plan for a project comparable to the scope and value of the RSS project [about $25 million] and with a timeline that must be met. These and other conditions agreed upon as part of the sale must be met or ownership of the property could revert to the city. The city is not interested in selling the parcel to someone who has no immediate plan to develop the site for mixed-use, residential and commercial."

Others had questions about the role of the city's elected and appointed officials.

The city code requires that at least three-fourths of the Common Council — six out of eight members — vote in the affirmative to sell city-owned property after a public hearing is held.

While the city does not have the ability to predict any developer's future plans, any plan would need to satisfy the city's zoning code.

Another person asked how the RSS mixed-use building would enhance the revitalization of downtown Oneonta.

"Infill housing with right-sized rents for all income levels will increase population density and add vital energy and activity to downtown," the spreadsheet stated. "By mixing uses, we create vibrant neighborhoods where residents, workers and visitors all have access to retail, services, entertainment, etc. There are many benefits to such walkable cities, many of which were outlined in the presentation."

Nealon speaks for RSS

Nealon emailed answers to questions specifically about the RSS proposed project, which were copied and pasted into the spreadsheet.

"If RSS proceeds with this project, we would engage architects and civil engineers to provide full and complete renderings of all other details of the project, including parking," she said.

The 30 planned parking spots would be located closer to the Water Street side of the property and along the side that runs parallel to Market Street, she added.

A payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, would be negotiated if the project moves forward.

"The negotiations will determine the expected property tax revenue of 27 Market St,." she said.

Nealon also addressed the question of whether it would be detrimental to the successful rehabilitation of RSS clients to house them near bars, a cannabis dispensary and "the epicenter of the student party zone," as one question put it.

The RSS clients housed at the building — there would be 15 dedicated units for them — would have offered "the supports necessary to meet their individualized goals, including maintaining their health and well-being."

"Supports will assist individuals navigate any of the common nuances of living in an urban and densifying environment," she said. "RSS empowers individuals to choose the environment most desirable and productive for them."

The other residents of 27 Market St. would have household incomes of 30-70% of the area median income by household size.

"Individuals living in the supportive housing component will meet eligibility through the specific qualifying characteristics RSS identifies through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative," she said. "The units designated for supportive services will be marketed within Otsego County."

Other topics

Town hall attendees came up with questions on a slew of other topics, ranging from poverty and homelessness in the city, to economic development and business assistance, to recreation, public art and parking.

Witzenburg answered questions about the Oneonta Police Department.

He addressed a question about what the city can do to stop drug dealing in the city.

"OPD has never stopped or slowed our efforts in curbing illegal sale and possession of controlled substances," Witzenburg said, "despite the changes in law that have handicapped investigative measures. An example of this is people with syringes loaded with controlled substances can no longer be charged for the contents of the syringe. The Oneonta Police has seen arrest numbers rise, but are the evidence gathering arm of the courts. OPD has little control over the speed at which the cases are adjudicated. OPD will be partnering with the district attorney's office to enhance efficiency and are confident that this will make an enormous difference at the street level over the next year."

Many of the questions focused on housing. One person asked what the city is doing to provide to provide middle income housing.

"The answer to this question depends on your definition of 'middle' income housing," the spreadsheet stated. "Various governmental funding [and] housing agencies use different definitions of income levels related to the housing programs they offer. For example, in 2023 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defined moderate income for a family of four as being up to $65,300. The city can apply for certain housing assistance programs, most of which benefit low-income homeowners. In addition, the city is willing and eager to work with any qualified developer of market-rate housing or any other other income level."

Several questions asked about downtown — how have DRI grant-funded projects brought new tax revenue to the city, how many permanent jobs have been created since DRI award, how best to improve downtown overall.

"For 45 years downtown has been a ghost town. Why the hurry now to spruce up things?" one person asked, and the city answered, "If not now, then when?"

The full Q&A and comments from the town hall meeting, plus the 27 Market St. timeline, can be found on the city's website, www.oneonta.ny.us, on the Market Street Projects webpage, reached via the link on the top left of the home page.