VILLAGE OF FAYETTEVILLE – The “very preliminary” outline of a project proposed for the vacant lot next to the Fayetteville Senior Center was presented to the village’s board of trustees this week.
Though nothing has been set in stone as far as its exact floor plans, its building costs or its expected financial gain, the project as suggested would feature seven two-story townhouse units, each with two bedrooms and a garage, as well as six single-story cottage homes.
While sharing generated images of the potential layout on April 11, in-ARCHITECTS representative Jim Knittel said the conceptual plans give a living area, a bathroom and a kitchen to every “fairly small” cottage, a type of residence he said would appeal to senior citizens who desire a close proximity to the East Genesee Street center but who require little spaciousness.
Taking into consideration the likelihood that the housing would be intended for an older crowd, trustees Mike Small and Dan Kinsella questioned the aspect of two-story living and whether the upstairs element of the townhouses would become a detriment. Small also said it should be expressly stated what precise age range is covered by the targeted demographic for this senior living.
Mayor Mark Olson said ensuing talks among the board, revised drafts from the architecture firm, input from public workshops at the site, and glances at similar projects placed in other communities will help to reveal whether the housing setup would be a beneficial, in-character option for the village.
Citing a shortage of senior and affordable housing in Fayetteville, the mayor said a fulfillment of that need would have to weigh the size of the project and the effect of taking away green space on the parcel.
“If it can’t work, it can’t work, but if we had the opportunity to bring over 20 residents that either don’t want to leave the village or can move into the village, I think it’s an opportunity that we need to look at,” Olson said.
Adding that the project would be helped along with the use of American Rescue Plan money handed down by Onondaga County, Olson said he remains certain that the Village would not be the entity managing the proposed housing facilities.
Earlier on in the April 11 meeting, Small and Mark Matt were sworn into their new terms as trustees. Right after, Manlius Deputy Supervisor Sara Bollinger was congratulated for her Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony honor in the category of community/civic affairs.

In other news
The board also opened and closed a public hearing relating to the Village budget in addition to adopting a local law allowing an override of the tax cap if necessary. Though there is not an expectation to exceed the cap, the safeguard prevents the incurrence of penalties.
In contrast to its “moderate” fiscal stress score of 55.8 the previous year, the Village’s score for 2021 is down to 27.5, and the municipality has been given a “no designation” stamp by the state comptroller.
The Village is hosting its Easter Egg Hunt at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 16 in the parking lot of the Fayetteville Senior Center, located at 584 E. Genesee St.