BY Jason Emerson
editor
The Cazenovia Town Board has scheduled a special meeting for the purpose of potentially voting on the annexation petition submitted to the town and village by New Venture Assets, LLC and Sphere Holdings, LLC, and for any other business that may come before the board. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, at the Cazenovia Town Hall, 7 Albany St.
The land requesting to be annexed is 10.7 acres located in two parcels at 2364 and 2390-2392 U.S Route 20. The developers are proposing the construction of an Aldi grocery store, a freestanding pharmacy with a drive thru (potentially Rite Aid) one other commercial business and four, eight-unit apartment buildings anticipated to be used for senior housing.
The project is still in its very early stages of production, and the annexation request is something that needs to happen before the redevelopment plans even begin to be officially considered by the village panning board for approval.
The joint village/town annexation board, comprising all members of both village and town boards, held public hearings on the issue on May 9 and 25. The hearing was officially closed at the end of the May 25 meeting, after which the joint board had 90 days in which to vote to approve or reject the annexation proposal based on, according to statute, whether it is in the overall public interest.
The attorney for the Aldi developer has said the proposal is in the best interests of the community because annexation of the land in question is supported in numerous village planning documents dating back to 1991, the Cazenovia Advisory Conservation Commission recently recommended annexation based on its determination that it was in the public interest, the current land and the dilapidated buildings currently on it (an old motel and café) are eyesores that will be removed and improved upon through annexation and the economic impact will be substantial by bringing in increased local revenues, taxes and jobs.
Project opponents have argued the annexation is not in the public interest because it will draw business away from the historic downtown area, it is not in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan, there is not enough local population to sustain a second grocery store, which could end up being just another empty store in the village and it will destroy the character of Cazenovia.
The annexation request will only be approved if both the village and town boards vote to allow it.
Supervisor Bill Zupan said he encourages all town residents to attend the town board’s special meeting on annexation on June 29 and voice their opinion. “I’d like to have as many people as possible there so we can hear opinions on both sides of the issue,” he said.
The Cazenovia Village Board has also scheduled a special meeting whose sole topic would be the annexation request for 7 p.m. Monday, June 20, in the board meeting room in the village office. The board, as lead agency for the request, will go through the state environmental review that is necessary for such projects and then potentially will vote on the annexation request if members feel they have enough information to do so, said Mayor Kurt Wheeler.
