To the editor:
That seems to be happening regarding the Route 20 East redevelopment proposal. My wife and I love Cazenovia. We have lived here since 1994. We raised a family here. Like most everyone, we favor responsible development. We prefer new businesses and housing that will add to the attractiveness of our community rather than detract from it.
That said, with every proposal, from Empire Brewing to Owera, the Hampton Inn, Red Apple, Sunoco or the Oneida Bank (now Community Bank) expansion, there are folks unhappy with change of any kind, no matter how responsibly planned. A vibrant community adapts because things change. We no longer ride horses to town. We don’t take the train to Syracuse. We drive cars. We want to park near where we shop. Many tourists prefer to stay in hotels. We order many products online. Successful development must accommodate the way people live today.
If redevelopment of Route 20 East moves forward, it would help stimulate overall commerce while providing some choice in grocery shopping and adding to the tax base. In the heart of our village, the old NAPA location and adjacent gas station have remained eyesores for years. Developers are not clamoring to build there. It’s expensive and there may be costly brownfield issues.
Maybe, as business activity in our community increases, that property will merit development. Maybe if Route 20 East redevelopment is successful, the brown warehouse which was once a car dealership at Route 92 and Route 20 west could be developed. It has been periodically for sale, but nobody bites. It is not an attractive gateway to our community from the west. Downtown Hamilton remains charming and diverse, co-existing with development along the main roads into town. The two things can happen together. It can happen here.
Our village, town and county boards, zoning boards, planning committees, watchdog groups, this paper and committed citizens do an admirable job of protecting the character of our community. Bless them all for being passionate, involved and serving. Preserving what we value for our children and their children in this community while also opening opportunities for them are both important. We hope that development isn’t made so expensive and difficult that responsible builders and contractors are discouraged from considering Cazenovia.
At this point, only one developer has been willing to move forward along Route 20 East. It’s the same business that manages the existing shopping center and also owns properties in town. Competitive diversity is diminished when only one entity is willing to jump through multiple, expensive hoops to move forward, but we should appreciate that the developer is making the effort. We should not assume that another developer will simply step up with a better proposal if the existing plans are brought to a halt.
Kevin Curtis
Cazenovia
