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August 05, 2010
By Brendan G. Coyne
"The sooner the better." Those were the words of Cornwall town councilman Al Mazzocca, who was calling for a building moratorium at the town board's work session Monday night during a heated discussion of the future of New York Military Academy.
Mazzocca and councilman Randy Clark, now a non-voting member of NYMA's board, argued for the town board to protect its citizens by declaring a moratorium.
Councilman J. Kerry McGuinness vehemently argued against a moratorium. "We agreed to let the developers invest $6 million to save NYMA," McGuinness said. "I can't see taking action that would kill their deal."
Councilman Clark Wants Town to Make an Offer
Clark also called for the board to make an offer on the NYMA property. "We told residents we would make an offer," said Clark, who mentioned that a cash offer had already been made to purchase NYMA.
Clark said that NYMA has shown interest in selling two thirds (90 acres) of its property, just keeping what they need to run the academy.
Supervisor D. Kevin Quigley and Deputy Supervisor Mary Beth Greene-Krafft oppose a moratorium.
Councilman McGuinness Argues Against a Moratorium
McGuinness said that the investors, restaurateur Joseph Bonura, dentist Peter Chiadello and Woodbury developer Wayne Corts, have already started to renovate the houses along Faculty Row. He raised the prospect of lawsuits if the town put a moratorium in place. Clark said that lawsuits are inevitable regardless of what the town does.
Quigley said he had recently met with the investors and they were willing to turn Faculty Road over to the town, which would be required for development. Clark, who wondered why he hadn't been at that meeting, said that NYMA trustees weren't ready to do so.
Nixon Peabody, the land-use law firm hired by the board to help it deal with NYMA, has recommended that the town revise its zoning; moratoriums often precede such changes. McGuinness heads a committee to update the town's master plan.
Town attorney Steve Gaba said it would take two to three months to enact a moratorium. A moratorium would cover the entire town.
"We're not here for NYMA," said Mazzocca. "We're not here for the investors," said Clark.
Public Expresses Concern
During the public comment segment, several people expressed fears regarding the future of the NYMA property.
"We can't sit around and wait," said Pat Moore of Cornwall. "I'm not walking away with trust of this board."
Mazzocca kept pushing for a moratorium. "Set a date for a public hearing on a moratorium and let the people decide," he argued.
The board will take up the topic again at its business meeting next Monday.
Comments:
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Is it at all possible that NYMA can be declared a historical property or is is already? This way perhaps grants would be available.
posted by Kathy Eastwood on 08/13/10 at 10:16 AM
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