A Catholic Charities proposal to build two six-unit apartment buildings for affordable and crisis housing near Nick Iorio Park and the Cobleskill pool was met with skepticism and opposition Thursday.
About 60 people turned out to protest the project, which would be built on a vacant lot at the corner of Campus and Granite Drives, at a Village Planning Board public hearing.
Among their fears:
Lower property values, crime, and drugs.
Robert Santos, who lives on Campus Drive and said he and his family moved back to Cobleskill a few years ago on the condition that they find a house in the neighborhood, said already they don’t feel safe letting their kids walk by some of the existing apartment complexes on Campus Drive.
Neighbors echoed those concerns.
Others said they’re worried about what the project would do to their property values—and asked if the 1.4 acre lot would come off the tax rolls.
It’s too soon to answer that second question, said Tom Coates, who is developing the proposed project for Catholic Charities; they pay taxes on some projects like it and not on others.
But in his experience, Mr. Coates said, that decision is typically negotiated during the permitting process as a payment-in-lieu of taxes.
Village zoning allows the project, but citing missing information on who will be staying at the facility, where they’ll be coming from, and how long they’ll be staying—the County Planning Commission has yet to give a thumbs-up or –down to the project.
The CPC’s ruling will only be a recommendation—the Planning Board could over-rule it with a super-majority—four out of five members.
Planners kept Thursday’s meeting open till their next meeting, May 9, 7pm at the village offices on Mineral Springs Road, and said they’ll continue to accept letters and comments until then.
Neighbor Richard Todd was one who already has his mind made up.
Mr. Todd said he’s had three robberies and one home invasion on his property.
“I don’t want a bunch of low-lifes floating around my neighborhood,” he said.
Mr. Coates said they won’t rent to sex offenders or arsonists.
About half of the apartments would be for income-eligible local residents, he said, and half would be considered crisis housing for people like the 28 the Department of Social Services is now housing in hotels; minimum income requirements for crisis tenants would be waived until they got back on their feet, Mr. Coates said.
“DSS is paying a half million dollars a year to house people in hotels,” Mr. Coates said, “with no staff or resources to help them find new housing.”
Gary Morgan, who lives on Pleasantview Drive and rents out student housing, said he doesn’t have a problem with the concept—just the location—and suggested the former Chris Greenhouses on Grove Street instead.
“I like the idea,” he said; the village needs affordable housing. But “it’s the wrong, wrong, wrong location.”
Vicky Irish and Mary Ann Wollaber-Bryan both characterized Cobleskill as good people in a caring community who care about the poor, but asked if Catholic Charities had considered other sites and again, whether the project would pay taxes—like other landlords do.
Mr. Coates said they did look at several older homes, but there wasn’t enough parking.
They also considered county tax-sale properties, he said, but potential buyers can’t check those homes out before buying them so that option didn’t make any sense.
Former mayor Mark Galasso characterized the lots as one of the best commercial properties remaining in the village and said it would be a waste to use it for housing.
Gail Oksa, who lives on Canterbury Drive, was one of those thanking Craig Morlang who owns a vacant lot behind the proposed site—also vacant land--for alerting neighbors about the project in letters and on social media.
Mr. Morlang is a member of the CPC.
He’s recused himself for the project, but Thursday he joined those calling the apartments a burden on the community and too close to the village park and pool.
“It doesn’t add anything to our community,” he said, “but detracts from it and as such, I think it should be denied.”