The Central New York Fair Housing group is informally monitoring the village planning board’s site-review process regarding the Meyer Manor apartment complex proposed for 1225 Tulip St.
Local developer Cosimo Zavaglia plans to purchase Marvin Meyer’s property to construct four 27-unit apartment buildings on a vacant wooded lot located just south of the Johnson Tract residential neighborhood.
At a public hearing conducted by the village board of trustees on Sept. 18, 2017, several Johnson Tract residents complained that the 108 apartments would draw “transients” and “riff raff,” and CNY Fair Housing took notice.
CNY Fair Housing, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization that works to eliminate housing discrimination, promote open communities and ensure equal access to housing opportunities for all people in Central and Northern New York.
“If that project in Liverpool is not approved, it must be rejected by the planning board for legitimate reasons,” said CNY Fair Housing Inspector Katie Frawley-Clarke. “Community members should be welcoming.”
The group routinely investigates complaints of suspected cases of housing discrimination.
Civil Rights Act
Headed by Executive Director Sally Santangelo, CNY Fair Housing will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the federal Fair Housing Act on April 11, with its seventh annual Birdhouses for Fair Housing Live Auction, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at SKY Armory, 351 S. Clinton St., downtown.
The Fair Housing Act was enacted as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
“But unfortunately, there are still these attitudes that exist,” Frawley-Clarke said, “attitudes like ‘We don’t want a certain type of people to move in.’”
The planning board conducted another public hearing on Feb. 26, and many Johnson Tract neighbors spoke out against the project. This time, no mention was made of “transients” or “riff raff.” Instead the speakers cited traffic safety, wildlife displacement and the sheer magnitude of the project as reasons to reject it.
Peg Salvatore, president of the Johnson Tract Homeowners Executive Board, said many families “will suffer a major impact on their property values, family lives and their quality of life.”
Sally’s Liverpool roots
Before she took the top job at CNY Fair Housing, Sally Santangelo worked from 2006 to 2009 as a server, a hostess and a manager at Santangelo’s, her family’s landmark Italian restaurant on Old Liverpool Road. She later became a constituent services representative for Congressman Dan Maffei.
Now after nearly seven years as executive director of CNY Fair Housing, Sally has been chosen as the 2018 recipient of the Seidenberg Award from the CNY Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Sally will receive her award at the chapter’s annual dinner at 6 p.m. April 13, at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown (the former Hotel Syracuse), at 100 E. Onondaga St., downtown.
Well-deserved day off
Back in February, the village Department of Public Works Superintendent Bill Asmus predicted a snowstorm for March 13, his birthday.
Well, this year the skies remained clear that Tuesday, and Bill celebrated his special day with a well-deserved day off. It’s well-deserved because he and his crew have done a bang-up job of clearing snow from village streets during this particularly precipitous winter.
Once Bill got back behind the wheel of his truck, another nor’easter dropped a few inches on us later that week.
Pickle planned
If the town of Clay agrees, Hafner’s Red Barn on Buckley Road will be transformed into Brooklyn Pickle delicatessen.
Another big if: financing must be secured, but the undeniable success of Ken Sniper’s sandwich shop at two other city locations should be enough to convince any banking institution of the wisdom of that investment.
Last word
“It really comes down to money: Who has the ability to pay for New York City broadcast television?” — William F. B. O’Reilly, a Republican consultant commenting on the need for New York gubernatorial candidates to win votes in the Big Apple.
Contact the columnist at [email protected].
