The Schoharie County Planning Commission voted to approve Catholic Charities’ site plan for a 12-unit affordable housing complex on Granite Drive, Cobleskill Monday.
Next, the Village Planning Board will meet tonight, Wednesday, 7pm, at the fire house to continue a public hearing on the project begun in April. (See related story.)
The CPC’s unanimous ruling came with two modifications; planners want Catholic Charities to add pedestrian access from the apartments to Granite Drive and they want developers to work out “an acceptable tax agreement” for the project.
The Village Planning Board next needs to decide whether it will accept the CPC’s recommendation or rule against it; ruling against it will require a super-majority vote of four of the five Planning Board members.
In considering Catholic Charities site plan for the project, County Planner Shane Nickle told CPS members they should be considering physical characteristics like layout, landscaping, lighting, and drainage; the proposed apartments are already a permitted use under village zoning, he said.
Still, CPC members quizzed Catholic Charities spokesman Tom Coates about whether the project would be paying taxes or if it would be tax-exempt and who would be providing the promised on-site case and property management services.
After a while, Mr. Coates bristled at those questions.
“How does that apply to the review by this commission?” he asked.
CPC member Terry Keller answered that it’s their job to “look beyond village code” and consider a project’s likely impact on the community and services.
“It might be the right project in the wrong space,” he said. “That’s a highly desirable property,” that’s paying taxes and not requiring services.
Mr. Coates said it’s too early to answer the tax-exempt question—they can’t get approval for funding till the proposal is approved—but said traditionally, they don’t pay taxes.
Rents are intentionally kept low, he said; if taxes are added to the equation, they’re no longer affordable.
Mr. Keller and CPC Chairman Peter Shulman also questioned Catholic Charities’ plans to stockpile snow onsite and Mr. Keller pointed out that much of the green space surrounding the apartments is so steep as to make it unusuable.
The CPC didn’t address either of those issues, however, in its recommendations.