By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
On June 24, the Town of Cazenovia Zoning Board of Appeals spoke to Torrey and Brian Marti regarding the status of their special use permit application for 3360 Thompson Road.
With the zoning board’s approval, the couple plans to open a preschool on the corner of Thompson Road and New York State Route 13.
The proposed facility is intended to help meet the “critical need” for all-day preschools in the Cazenovia area, according to the applicants.
“Right now we have 20 preschool spots in all of Cazenovia,” said Torrey Marti. “We have two preschools: one is a two and a half hour program — which is not conducive for a working family . . . — and we have another one that’s full-time with just 16 spots.”
Torrey also made a connection between the recent decline in Cazenovia Central School District enrollment and the lack of preschool opportunities.
The building under consideration, which formerly housed the Awaken Church, has stood vacant for over two years.
The property is located in the Rural A (RA) district and is currently zoned for residential use with an allowed religious use.
Town Attorney John Langey explained that the Martis are currently seeking a special use permit for an educational use, which — according to the current law — is an allowed use only for facilities certified by the New York State Department of Education.
The Martis reported that they submitted their application to SED over a month ago.
While the applicants and the board are confident that the proposed facility meets the state’s criteria, the Martis have yet to receive a letter from SED.
“It’s in the state’s hands,” Torrey said.
She went on to say she calls and emails SED daily to check on the application.
The Martis expressed their increasing concern that the letter will not arrive in time for the start of the next school year.
According to the Martis, the preschool already has 30 students signed up for the fall.
“If we aren’t open by the upcoming school year, this thing could fall apart,” Brian said.
During the public hearing, several neighbors and other town residents stated their support for the Martis and their willingness to help get the preschool off the ground.
Mary Horan, a social worker at Burton Street Elementary School, also spoke in support of the proposed facility. She said in addition to fostering learning and development indoors, the Martis plan to bring the classroom outdoors to help children connect to the natural world.
She said such efforts are critical for addressing “Nature Deficit Disorder” — the idea that people, especially children, are spending less time outdoors, and, as a result, are experiencing a wide range of behavioral problems.
The board acknowledged the need for another local preschool, but reiterated the fact that the current zoning laws prohibit permit approval without SED certification.
“We can’t move forward until we have the letter,” Chairman Thomas Pratt said. “That’s where we stand.”
Torrey encouraged the town to consider removing the SED certification requirement from the zoning laws.
“I would guarantee that there is maybe only one center in Madison and Onondaga Counties that is certified with State Ed.,” she said. “We are licensed [through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services]. Why is that not equivalent?”
Torrey also spoke out against SED’s emphasis on pre-kindergarten Common Core Learning Standards.
Additionally, she noted that neither Cazenovia Community Preschool (CCP) nor Cazenovia Children’s House (CCH) has an SED letter.
Zoning and Codes Enforcement Officer Roger Cook explained CCP falls under the village guidelines and that CCH is located both in the Town of Nelson and in an industrial zone, which allows for “all kinds of uses.”
After describing the purpose of the Rural A Zoning District regulations, Langey said that the board could potentially reconsider the SED certification requirement at a future time.
The board suggested that the Martis — and other supportive community members — pressure their state representatives to speed up the SED review process.
“That’s what it takes to get things moving,” board member David Silverman said. “Talk to your representatives, camp out at their offices, introduce yourself to them and see if they can move it along.”
The zoning board will hold its next meeting on July 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cazenovia Town Office, 7 Albany St.
