CAZENOVIA — On April 26, the Cazenovia Town Board held a special meeting to consider the future of the town offices, which have been housed in the historic Gothic Cottage at 7 Albany St. for over half a century.
The town board started exploring the possibilities of either renovating the Gothic Cottage or relocating the town offices over a decade ago.
Currently, the board is exploring two options: either moving forward with some version of “Plan C” — the board’s preferred plan for remaining in the Gothic Cottage — or building a new town hall at an offsite location.
Holmes, King, Kallquist & Associates (HKK) — a Syracuse-based architectural firm with a record of restoring and preserving historically significant buildings — initially presented a preliminarily version of Plan C to the town board in 2014 along with several other renovation options intended to preserve and enhance the Gothic Cottage’s historic character while also modifying the building to allow for more efficient workflow, more room for public meetings, better accessibility, and more secure storage.
With assistance from a “citizens’ advisory committee,” the board initially chose another HKK plan, “Plan F,” which called for a modest addition for the clerks’ offices on the north side of the building, accompanied by improved and more accessible entrances; a small elevator; and alterations to the front rooms to create a more functional public meeting space.
More recently, however, the board turned its attention to Plan C, which calls for the construction of a larger addition to the rear of the building to accommodate a new meeting room and a universally accessible restroom. The plan also includes accessible entries, a more appropriate space for the codes enforcement officer, and an elevator, which would be installed in a space that is now used as a closet. Under Plan C, the front rooms — the two first-floor parlors and central hallway that are currently used for board meetings — would serve as offices for the town clerks.
During the special meeting, the board had the opportunity to hear from HKK Associate Partner Julia Hafftka-Marshall, AIA, and ask questions about the potential renovation of the Gothic Cottage.
Option 1: Gothic Cottage renovation
During their conversation, the board and Hafftka-Marshall agreed that HKK’s Plan C should be revised to reflect the town’s current, expanded needs.
“If the decision is to move ahead in terms of revisiting Plan C, we would want to sit down and talk about the matrix and talk about the spaces, because things have changed due to the pandemic, due to security, [and other considerations that] were not part of the plan to begin with,” Hafftka-Marshall explained. “All those items need to be revisited, and we need to talk about what the needs are. [For example,] your storage needs have changed, because I know you’ve digitized a lot, but you still have to have certain records that stay here.”
Cazenovia Town Supervisor Bill Zupan commented that secure record storage is one of the key things he hopes to see in HKK’s new plan. He also listed updating the mechanicals such as electrical, plumbing and heating as well as repairing the building’s exterior as priorities.
“I want this building, if we are going to do something with it, to be good for 50 to 75 years,” he said.
He also noted that if the town ultimately decides to relocate its offices, the board could consider either keeping the building for use by civic groups or putting it up for sale with “a whole lot” of covenants and restrictions.
Hafftka-Marshall then reminded the board that although Plan C, unlike Plan F, does not involve alterations to the front rooms, the project would involve restoring those spaces.
“You would be restoring finishes that need work, [such as] plaster work in various areas,” she said. “You’re restoring it with materials in-kind, which is what the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards would want you to do.”
She also noted that the parlor windows would need to be repaired without being removed, and that the town could request approval from New York’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to install storm windows on the inside — not the outside — of the original glass.
When Town Councilor Jimmy Golub asked whether it would be possible to avoid paying to relocate the town offices during the building renovation/construction, Hafftka-Marshall responded that many of HKK’s projects are phased, often for reasons related to funding availability.
She added that HKK would be able to design a phasing plan that would allow the town to continue operating on-site throughout the entire project.
During the meeting, Hafftka-Marshall also touched on such topics as the position of the proposed addition; the entrances and bathrooms; reinsulating the roof; waterproofing the basement and deterring water away from the building; and HKK’s plan to restore the space that currently houses the clerks’ offices to its original use as an anteroom — a small outer room that leads to another room and is often used as a waiting room.
“The anteroom becomes a public space of gathering, which is how it was designed” she said.
The group also discussed the proposed hydraulic elevator from the first to the second floor.
“The second floor is going to be used just as much, if not more, than it’s used now, realistically,” said Councilor/ Deputy Town Supervisor Patrick Race. “. . . Right now, we are flying under the radar because we are grandfathered in with the situation we have, but after this, it has to be [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliant, and we need an elevator.”
When asked about the types of building alterations that would disqualify the Gothic Cottage from grant funding opportunities, Hafftka-Marshall assured the board that HKK plans to consult with SHPO throughout the development of the project to ensure that the building adheres to preservation standards and is not disqualified.
In the coming weeks, HKK will present the board with a proposal for an analysis of the Gothic Cottage to determine the building’s current needs and the full scope of the project. The firm will then present the town board with its latest version of Plan C — which will be given a new name — and an estimated total cost.
“Once we have a scope of work and we are reengaged in the project, we’ll update plans, we’ll update elevations, and we’ll update renderings, so that [the board has all that],” said Hafftka-Marshall.
To help calculate the project budget, Hafftka-Marshall recommended that HKK consult with a professional cost estimator.
“The market has been so volatile these days. . .” she said. “For instance, roofing materials [and insulation] can change daily, it can change weekly. So, a cost consultant that does that every day would be highly recommended in this case.”
According to Zupan, once the board has the updated plan and the cost, it will decide whether to continue with the renovation or “pull the plug.”
“We are going to be working on this for a year,” he said. “Everybody thinks it’s going to be a slam-dunk; well, it’s not. I want to pull everything apart, because if we are spending all this money, I just want to make sure we do the right thing. I think if we follow the process, we will come out OK.”
Option 2: building new
After ruling out the possibilities of moving the town offices into several existing buildings such as Burton Street Elementary School, the old GHD building or the Trush property at the end of the lake, the town is continuing to explore potential locations for a new building.
According to Zupan, developer Dennis Gregg plans to attend the board’s May work session to present a plan for a new construction behind Cazenovia Dental on Nelson Street.
About a year ago, Zupan spoke with David Muraco, of Empire Management of CNY, Inc., about a site next to Aldi on Nelson Street.
“I don’t know if it’s true of not, but I heard he might have a national company coming in there,” Zupan said. “I haven’t talked to him recently, but those are the two sites I was going to look at for [building new].”
Once the board feels it has enough information on its options to present to the public, it will seek input during multiple public comment periods.
According to Zupan, all voices will be heard and carefully considered before the board makes its final decision.
For more information on the town board, visit towncazenovia.digitaltowpath.org or call 315- 655-9213.
