The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Lodge fight lingers
Supporters, opponents of proposed Moose Lodge rezoning speak out during Common Council meeting
ONEIDA, N.Y. >> The abandoned former Moose Lodge was again the subject of heated debate at the Oneida Common Council meeting on Tuesday.
Currently zoned planned residential, new owners Russel and Katrina Blanchard are asking the city to rezone 42.3 acres on 409 Genesee St. into commercial zoning, leaving roughly 6 acres adjacent to neighboring homes zoned residential. Almost 60 people, amajority opponents to the measure, appeared for the public hearing Tuesday to voice their opinions.
“When I moved into Oneida 20 years, I researched where I was going to live,” David Rose, a resident of Deerfield Drive, said. “And I picked this home because it’s right in the middle of a residential area and that was by design. I didn’t want to live in a home that wasn’t exclusively residential. I’ve seen the downside of that. I’m against this change, in particular, that you (city council) would open up the use of this land to any
use, whatsoever. There’s no restriction on what you’d be voting in favor of or any plan. Any use whatsoever, whether that be a factory, truck depot or shopping mall.”
The Blanchards have previously proposed turning the former Moose Lodge into a sporting goods store and a banquet venue. They are also the owners of Wolf Oak Acres.
At the public hearing, Blanchard said the land had been left neglected for around 20 years, with dilapidated structures on the property deemed nuisances by the city. The Blanchards cleared the buildings within days of purchase of the property.
“We are trying to take a piece of property and create new jobs and create a nice area,” Russel Blanchard said.
Blanchard said the property was not going to be used for industrial but commercial use only.
“I started an online petition and in a matter of two weeks, I’ve gotten over 1,100 signatures in favor of this project,” Blanchard said. “These are all people that live and work in our community who’d love to see that property have some life.”
Mary Friedel, an Oneida resident and business owner, said she has worked with the Blanchards for several years. She addressed concerns some residents have expressed in the past about noise.
“They shut down their venue at 10 p.m.,” Friedel said. “When I drive up, I can’t hear any music or any sound. We go in, we clean and we leave. There’s nobody loitering on or around the property. If that’s what you’re worried about, I can guarantee that Katrina and Russ will not allow that to happen.”
Friedel added that what the Blanchards want to build will only be an asset to the city.
Randy Jones, of West Elm Street, said he had an interest in this situation as a city taxpayer, resident and a business owner— and that he had gone through a similar situation Blanchard is currently going through.
“It comes down to progress versus impact and it needs to be balanced. If the impacts are too great, the progress isn’t worth it and vice versa,” Jones said. “In 1998 I bought property on Fitch Street that had been vacant since 1970. I was asked the same questions we’re asking now. I plead the case that the advantages were greater than the risk and I think for almost 20 years now, I’ve shown that to be true.”
Jones said he has heard the disadvantages of the rezoning but hasn’t heard the advantages yet. He added the decision to rezone or not rezone will affect the city, not just one large neighborhood.
Some residents suggested that should the property be rezoned and leave the Blanchards’ possession, there was no telling what would come to the neighborhood.
Shawn Lynch, of Evergreen Valley Drive, said the full commercial rezoning of 409 Genesee St. would open the area up to much more than just a sporting goods store. He suggested doing a subdivision for the parcel of land 300 feet off the road for commercial use to build a sporting goods store instead of rezoning the entire 42.3 acres immediately.
“You can do a subdivision and do it piece by piece, making it happen over three periods. Does he (Blanchard) have to go through this process three times? Yes,” Lynch said. “But developers do it all the time. Don Skinner was here six or seven times over the time he was doing the Oneida Heights. It’s a way to make it a win-win for everyone.”
After closing the public hearing, the city council received and placed on file three letters alongside the petition from Blanchard.
In the first letter, the Princeton Park Board expressed worry over commercial zoning for such a large area and the possibility for something other than small businesses, such as light or heavy manufacturing coming to the area. The board requested the property remain planned residential or a large buffer zone be created.
The second letter was from the office of Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, who offered his support for the project after speaking with the Blanchards.
“I strongly support this proposed project and believe this will bring new employment and increase the economy of the city of Oneida immensely,” Hood’s letter read.
The final letter was from the office of Assemblyman John Salka, R-121.
“I am in full support of this project,” Salka said in his letter to the city council. “I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the Blanchards and get into the details of their plan and to see first-hand the potential economic impact of this proposed project.”
In Salka’s letter, he said the first phase — a sporting good facility with retail, cafe, restaurant and VIP area — would “create 40 to 60 new higher-income positions.” Phase two — construction of three new lodges, a year-round banquet hall, bakery, day spa, hair salon and additional wedding facilities — would bring in 50 to 70 new jobs.
“I strongly support his project brought forth and believe that this will be an economic driver for the city of Oneida,” Salka wrote.
Some residents said Route 5 is already congested with traffic and has seen several accidents — most recently one involving a city dump truck that was struck by a truck backing out of a driveway.
An Oneida resident at the meeting said she was in a serious accident on Route 5. She said somebody attempting to pass her while she was turning ended with her in the trees.
“There’s a traffic problem right there, people are passing you going 55 (mph),” she said.
Ward 2 Councilor Mike Bowe said he’s been fighting to make that stretch of Route 5 safer since 2013.
Bowe said two weeks ago, he emailed the New York State Department of Transportation asking if anything is planned to remedy the traffic situation.
“A week ago, I met with Assemblyman John Salka,” Bowe said. “I told him this is a problem and have not heard anything from the state. We need to slow the speed down. It should be 35 (mph) the whole way.”
Bowe said he planned to speak with Salka about addressing the traffic issue along that stretch of Route 5. Ward 3 Councilor Jim Coulthart suggested city residents take up pen and paper and mail Salka’s office, asking for action.
One item on the agenda the city has been working on for some time has finally started to see fruition. The city council moved ahead with a bond resolution at a maximum cost of $984,172 to buy the street lights from National Grid and install their own LED lights.
“The current HID-based street lights yield one of the largest annual electrical costs paid by the city,” City Engineer Eric Schuler said to the Dispatch. “LED streetlight conversions minimize energy use, provide reduced carbon emissions and yield an aesthetically pleasing light at night. The anticipated first-year costsavings are $138,781. It is projected that the cost and facility charge savings for converting to LED will pay for this implementation after 7.1 years. Construction is anticipated to be completed in early 2020.”
Oneida resident David Cimpi asked after seven years, who will maintain the poles.
Schuler said the arm is the only part of the streetlight the city will own and will have a 20-year warranty. After that, Schuler said the city will have a contractor on retainer for any maintenance on the poles.
Oneida Rotary member Michel DeBottis asked the city about the future of the Rotary’s Thanksgiving dinner.
“Now that the city is managing the Kallet, would it be a facilities use agreement or given the charitable nature of this, would the city be inclined to donate the use of the Kallet?” DeBottis asked.
Parks and Recreation Director Luke Griff said there are private rental and nonprofit rates for rental of the Kallet Civic Center, with the non-profit rate being $55 an hour.
Mayor Leo Matzke said he would bring it up with the council about donating the use of the Kallet Civic Center but couldn’t promise anything.