OSWEGO, NY – Despite some strong opposition, the Common Council tonight (July 14) paved the way for a developer to have his project blacktopped by the city.
Councilors remain divided over a resolution to authorize the mayor to sign an agreement between the city and Ash Street Development. The deal authorizes the city to pave Sophie Drive in the Seventh Ward.
It passed 5-2 with Connie Cosemento (D-First Ward) and Bill Sharkey (R-Sixth Ward) voting no.
Voting to approve the agreement were Republicans Mike Myers (Second Ward), Sue Sweet (Third Ward), Shawn Walker (Fourth Ward), Dan Donovan (Fifth Ward) and Mike Joyce (Seventh Ward).
The meeting was moving along briskly and near the end when councilors agreed to waive the rules and allow the resolution to be brought off the floor without first being discussed at the committee level.
“This is pretty much the same proposal that did not pass council last time, and here we are again,” Cosemento noted.
She pointed out there is a chance the developer could pay the city nothing.
The resolution calls for the paving of Sophie Drive, installing the base layer in 2008 and the top layer after the last of eight townhouses have been completed; and also calls for the developer to “reimburse the City of Oswego the difference between any or all of the taxes collected from 2008 – 2013, subtracted from the cost of any paving done at Sophie Drive.â€ÂÂ
Alderman Joyce, who brought the matter to the council last month, said it is a win-win situation and the city needs to be developer friendly in order to grow and survive. The city would receive tax revenue from the development, he noted.
Opponents claim the city shouldn’t use taxpayers’ money to assist developers.
The city would get paid back in taxes but the city is paying for the materials, equipment and manpower up front, Cosemento said.
“I have to tell you, the public hasn’t changed its mind,” she said referring to the number of calls she’s received from constituents opposed to the plan. “I represent the public and so I stand firm here. I can’t support this.”
Sharkey said he “is absolutely appalled” that residents in his ward won’t have their streets paved so the city can help out a private developer instead.
The developer could go bankrupt; there is no guarantee that he will sell a single townhouse, the councilor said.
“I am appalled. I am absolutely not supporting this,” he said. “I’m disgusted!”
Joyce read off an inventory of projects the city helped the developers with over the last 25 years that are now worth millions of dollars in tax revenue to the city.
Over all, he said, it adds up to more than 300 homes and $45,350,000.
“That is why we need to be developer friendly,” he said. “These are the fact, these are the numbers. We get this revenue for ever and ever. This is what we need to do.”
“We need to be business friendly. We need to be developer friendly,” Sweet agreed. “That’s how we grow and that’s how our tax base grows.”
She has heard a lot of feedback, in a positive manner, about the city finally being receptive to developers, she said.
“We’re an administration that is going to open their arms to growth,” she continued. “I’m very pleased with where we’re headed.”
Cosemento said she would have appreciated all the figures Joyce reported at Monday’s council meeting “yesterday, or Saturday or Friday.”
“Yes, the city apparently did do roads. The operative word is did,” she said.
She has been begging to get street work done in various parts of her ward, she pointed out.
“Hello – we owe it to our citizens to keep their streets as good as these brand new streets that are being paved,” she exclaimed. “Here we go again with something coming off the floor. It is not fair to all of the aldermen here. I don’t know how the rest of you feel about these figures; I am very concerned that I am sitting here, representing 2,000 people, and I don’t have these numbers. This shouldn’t be happening. The procedure isn’t to bring this type of legislation off the floor. This is becoming common place with this council. This is not how the council ought to be operating.”
All the numbers were taken off the county’s website, Joyce noted.
“This is public information. Anyone could have done it; you just need the time to sit down and research it,” he said.
A lot of people aren’t happy with not having their streets maintained because the city is busy helping a private developer, Sharkey said.
“And we’re going to start the whole process over again because of your buddy? I don’t think so,” Sharkey said, adding the taxpayers will remember in November.
“We’re not best buddies,” Joyce said.
It would cost approximately $11,000 for the city to put down the base coat of blacktop. Each of the developer’s eight townhouses would be assessed for more than $178,000.
Donovan, who was previously against the resolution, supported it Monday night. A misconception had been cleared up; the development wouldn’t be a private drive, he noted. It would be deeded over to the city for $1 prior to the start of paving, he explained.
It will be a city street, Mayor Randy Bateman pointed out. The city doesn’t pave private property, he added.
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