To the editor:
As was revealed two weeks ago in local coverage of the proposed massive apartment complex in Fayetteville, the applicant in question, Morgan Management, is under FBI investigation for its financial dealings. This story was first broken by the Buffalo Times in late September of this year and has been covered extensively in major news sources throughout the state.
While the story at first focused on Morgan projects in Buffalo, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle soon published a story on Sept. 26 with the headline “Robert Morgan Investigation Could Extend Beyond Buffalo Projects.”
This investigation is so serious that on Nov. 15 the Rochester City Council voted against extending a $1.5 million loan to Morgan Management in the midst of an ongoing project within the city limits. Several of the city councilors were quoted in the accompanying Democrat and Chronicle story regarding their concerns with the federal investigation and its potential effect on Morgan as a viable partner.
Lest one might conclude that Morgan’s penchant for attracting trouble in Buffalo and Rochester has no bearing on matters in Fayetteville, I would remind citizens that when O’Brien & Gere pulled the plug on the former apartment proposal in late 2015 after concerns were cited about school enrollments in already stressed buildings, senior members of Morgan Management lashed out publicly. They questioned the intentions of the Fayetteville-Manlius School District superintendent in the pages of the Eagle Bulletin, as if he were to blame for their over scaled proposal, and made fantastical claims about the potential economic impact of the project.
These are hardly the actions of a reputable company. Morgan Management is just not a good partner for Fayetteville, its citizens, or the surrounding community.
Why O’Brien & Gere continues to affiliate itself with Morgan Management is also an important question to consider. While the property at 547 E. Genesee St. is owned by a downstate investor, the property is held in a partnership that would allow O’Brien & Gere to profit from environmental cleanup work if a development project was given the green light. In fact, O’Brien & Gere was the lead applicant in the former massive apartment proposal in 2015 with Morgan as the development partner.
Morgan submitted its application for a zone change to the Village of Fayetteville on Oct. 12, over two weeks after the FBI story broke. Surely, O’Brien & Gere is well aware of Morgan’s situation. Is Morgan Management really the best business partner that a reputable company like O’Brien & Gere can find?
Hopefully, in this case the Fayetteville Board of Trustees can learn something from the Rochester City Council. Morgan Management’s request for a zone change should be rejected outright by the village board members which is their privilege under village and state law. Passing Morgan’s PUD application on to the planning board is irresponsible until more information about this troubled company comes to light.
Delayed yet again, the Morgan presentation is now tentatively scheduled for the Dec. 18 Village Board meeting. I would encourage readers to provide their feedback to the village ahead of time, or attend in person.
Jason Feulner
Fayetteville
