Let's set the scene. A criminal act destroys the Seneca Falls Town Hall on lower Fall Street. While the Town wrangles with the insurance company a question arises: is re-use of the existing site as a municipal hall the highest and best use for this property? After all, the property is one parcel removed from the waterfront and could someday, if combined with The Mews (former hospital), be incorporated into Seneca Falls' waterfront tourism efforts.
Next, joint Town and Village comprehensive planning efforts result in a recommendation for the two governments to explore a combined municipal building housing both operations under one roof, hopefully saving each some money. The Town and Village agree to launch an effort to explore sharing a facility and where it might be located. Acknowledging a statewide trend toward sharing services the Village applies for and receives a grant from the NYS Department of State to study whether consolidating the two governments would save money; whether a joint facility would be worthwhile and where it should be located; and other potentials for sharing to benefit taxpayers.
The Town and Village, after some delay, agree to hire a consultant of solid reputation and expertise to conduct the study. While preliminary research is being conducted, the Town and Village apparently continue negotiating and discussing various sites for the new facility, quite independent from the grant-funded study by the hired professional consultants. Different sites are reviewed and discussed, usually behind closed doors, and the Town eventually announces its plans to build a new facility on Town-owned land on Ovid Street. The Village agrees to the concept, but takes a step back from the proposal amidst protests that the new site is not centrally located, will be too expensive, and that the plan is premature in light of the anticipated Fall completion of the grant-funded study.
Enter a new character in this play. Seneca Knit Development Corporation (SKDC) reveals it had offered the more centrally located former Westcott Rule Company property on East Bayard Street as home for a new joint facility. This generates little public comment from the Town or Village Boards. The Town appears to be still set on the Ovid Street site. Then SKDC meets with the Town Board offering to sell them the east half of the former Mill property along the canal. This is the half where the old Lehigh Valley Freighthouse once stood and where the south canal wall enhancements are located. This is the half where a Freighthouse-focused park was once part of the development vision. This is the half where townhouse condominiums were once planned as part of the development vision. This is the half where a 60 room hotel was once part of the development vision. SKDC representatives state that the current housing market and the development of the Hotel Clarence preclude pursuit of these types of development on this high profile piece of property.
Now this drama takes a new twist. The Town seems eager to accept this offer from SKDC. The Village gives every indication it, too, is on board to accept this idea for a canalside joint municipal hall. Coincidentally, the Village, followed by the Town, adopts a resolution to amend the contract with the professional consultant conducting the shared services study. Remember the study? The amendment eliminates the task of studying the concept and requirements of a joint municipal facility and where it should be located from the consultant contract.
Wasn't the issue of a joint facility the primary focus of the grant funding the study? In fact, it was! Here is the pertinent section of the grant contract describing the focus of the study. Wasn't this the main purpose for hiring professional specialists to examine this issue? With the joint facility question now removed from the consultant contract what expertise is being employed to enable the two Boards to make a truly informed decision? Didn't the Village make a good faith application for the grant when they requested money to specifically study the potential creation of a joint facility? If so, has the State agreed to amending the change of scope of the grant contract? That question has not been addressed publicly. How can the public know whether or not the Village and Town are endangering this grant by their actions? If they are, how will they pay for the consultants if the State rescinds the grant?
Then there is the issue of "highest and best use." The Town opted not to rebuild at their former site because of the potential for private tourism related development at such a prime piece of real estate. Now both municipalities are ready to take for governmental use what is arguably the most valuable piece of waterfront property smack in the middle of the canal harbor.
The joint Town/Village Comprehensive Plan recommends some form of housing be developed on the former Mill property. Just because the housing market is flat now doesn't mean it will stay that way. And there may be other potential uses for this prime location no one locally has thought of yet. Has the property been sufficiently studied and effectively marketed? Are we passing up an unknown opportunity? What documentation has SKDC provided the Town and Village to show they made good faith efforts to market the property to developers who would capitalize on its potential and bring tax dollars and jobs to our community?
The impatience and frustration of the Town to find a new Town Hall is understandable, but why not wait for the completion of the study? Why not let the consultants do the job they were hired to perform? Why not spend the grant money the way it was intended to be spent? If the Town is impatient the Village should step in and insist that if a joint facility is truly desired it be pursued properly with a careful, well planned documented approach that takes place in full public view.
More to come....
Next, joint Town and Village comprehensive planning efforts result in a recommendation for the two governments to explore a combined municipal building housing both operations under one roof, hopefully saving each some money. The Town and Village agree to launch an effort to explore sharing a facility and where it might be located. Acknowledging a statewide trend toward sharing services the Village applies for and receives a grant from the NYS Department of State to study whether consolidating the two governments would save money; whether a joint facility would be worthwhile and where it should be located; and other potentials for sharing to benefit taxpayers.
The Town and Village, after some delay, agree to hire a consultant of solid reputation and expertise to conduct the study. While preliminary research is being conducted, the Town and Village apparently continue negotiating and discussing various sites for the new facility, quite independent from the grant-funded study by the hired professional consultants. Different sites are reviewed and discussed, usually behind closed doors, and the Town eventually announces its plans to build a new facility on Town-owned land on Ovid Street. The Village agrees to the concept, but takes a step back from the proposal amidst protests that the new site is not centrally located, will be too expensive, and that the plan is premature in light of the anticipated Fall completion of the grant-funded study.
Enter a new character in this play. Seneca Knit Development Corporation (SKDC) reveals it had offered the more centrally located former Westcott Rule Company property on East Bayard Street as home for a new joint facility. This generates little public comment from the Town or Village Boards. The Town appears to be still set on the Ovid Street site. Then SKDC meets with the Town Board offering to sell them the east half of the former Mill property along the canal. This is the half where the old Lehigh Valley Freighthouse once stood and where the south canal wall enhancements are located. This is the half where a Freighthouse-focused park was once part of the development vision. This is the half where townhouse condominiums were once planned as part of the development vision. This is the half where a 60 room hotel was once part of the development vision. SKDC representatives state that the current housing market and the development of the Hotel Clarence preclude pursuit of these types of development on this high profile piece of property.
Now this drama takes a new twist. The Town seems eager to accept this offer from SKDC. The Village gives every indication it, too, is on board to accept this idea for a canalside joint municipal hall. Coincidentally, the Village, followed by the Town, adopts a resolution to amend the contract with the professional consultant conducting the shared services study. Remember the study? The amendment eliminates the task of studying the concept and requirements of a joint municipal facility and where it should be located from the consultant contract.
Wasn't the issue of a joint facility the primary focus of the grant funding the study? In fact, it was! Here is the pertinent section of the grant contract describing the focus of the study. Wasn't this the main purpose for hiring professional specialists to examine this issue? With the joint facility question now removed from the consultant contract what expertise is being employed to enable the two Boards to make a truly informed decision? Didn't the Village make a good faith application for the grant when they requested money to specifically study the potential creation of a joint facility? If so, has the State agreed to amending the change of scope of the grant contract? That question has not been addressed publicly. How can the public know whether or not the Village and Town are endangering this grant by their actions? If they are, how will they pay for the consultants if the State rescinds the grant?
Then there is the issue of "highest and best use." The Town opted not to rebuild at their former site because of the potential for private tourism related development at such a prime piece of real estate. Now both municipalities are ready to take for governmental use what is arguably the most valuable piece of waterfront property smack in the middle of the canal harbor.
The joint Town/Village Comprehensive Plan recommends some form of housing be developed on the former Mill property. Just because the housing market is flat now doesn't mean it will stay that way. And there may be other potential uses for this prime location no one locally has thought of yet. Has the property been sufficiently studied and effectively marketed? Are we passing up an unknown opportunity? What documentation has SKDC provided the Town and Village to show they made good faith efforts to market the property to developers who would capitalize on its potential and bring tax dollars and jobs to our community?
The impatience and frustration of the Town to find a new Town Hall is understandable, but why not wait for the completion of the study? Why not let the consultants do the job they were hired to perform? Why not spend the grant money the way it was intended to be spent? If the Town is impatient the Village should step in and insist that if a joint facility is truly desired it be pursued properly with a careful, well planned documented approach that takes place in full public view.
More to come....
