The Village of Cobleskill is sticking with…the Village of Cobleskill.
Asked by Stella McKenna to withdraw its support of a Restore New York grant application for the Main Street Newberry’s Square in favor of the $4.5 million wellness center she wants to build in the Town of Richmondville, the village voted last Tuesday to move ahead with paying a consultant $4,500 to apply for the Newberry’s grant.
Mayor Mike Sellers cast the deciding vote in the 3-2 decision with Trustees Bill Gilmore and Mark Galasso voting to back Ms. McKenna’s project instead and Carol McGuire and Sandy McKay sticking with Newberry’s.
At issue is whether supporting two projects in the highly competitive Restore New York grant process would jeopardize them both.
“We’re on the horns of a bit of a dilemma,” said Mr. Gilmore.
No one disagreed even as they debated whether the state funding is intended to rehabilitate downtown “centerpieces” like Newberry’s or encourage community efforts like Ms. McKenna’s.
Mr. MacKay pointed out that because of the cost alone, it’s unlikely anyone would tackle Newberry’s on their own.
“Newberry’s is the single most important potential rehab project in downtown Cobleskill,” he said. “We have an investor who’s willing and anxious…it can’t be done without outside money.
Mayor Sellers had already written a letter supporting Ms. McKenna’s efforts in previous Restore New York rounds, said Mr. Gilmore, “and now it appears we’re changing horses in midstream.”
Mr. Galasso argued that even though Ms. McKenna’s project is in Richmondville, its benefits would extend into Cobleskill—and Schoharie County.
“Business begets business,: he said, arguing for a “global perspective.”
“By forcing two [applications] into the mix, we’re guaranteeing one will fail.”
“But it’s in Richmondville,” Mr. MacKay said. “We’re here to represent the Village of Cobleskill.”
Ms. McGuire argued in favor of letting the state make the decision.
Ms. McKenna, who owns and runs the successful Marantha Fit for Life Fitness Center on Elm Street, said she’s already invested $500,000—everything she’s got—into the new project, which she sees as bridging the communities of Cobleskill and Richmondville.
The village’s decision to stick with Newberry’s doesn’t impact the Town of Richmondville’s support of Ms. McKenna’s project, but it did bring into question the Town of Cobleskill’s support if it.
Supervisor Roger Cohn Monday asked his board to OK his sending a letter similar to Mayor Sellers’; his predecessor, Mike Montario, had done so in 2007, though councilmen said they weren’t aware of it.
Though Councilman Linda Angell had high praise for Ms. McKenna and said she supports her project, she also said she didn’t want to go against the village.
“My problem is being in concert with the Village of Cobleskill,” she said.
Mr. Cohn said he supports both projects; Councilman Ken Hotopp pointed out he could write the letter—really only a formality—on his own.
“I was just trying to bring you into the loop,” Mr. Cohn said.
“We weren’t in the loop…to begin with,” Mr. Hotopp said.
With considerably less discussion than had taken place in the village, the request died without any action.