City's appearance keeps getting worse
Efforts to transform downtown Oneonta from being a typical, struggling, backwater upstate city into a charming, vibrant city continue to fail. The latest obstacle to this goal is the profusion of street signs populating downtown sidewalks. If city code 254-32 is applied to these signs, then it would seem that most are not legal.
First, they are to be "temporary, periodic and intermittent." This is hardly the case, since most have been up for months and show significant signs of aging.
Secondly, the code also requires that they be placed, "so they do not extend more than three feet from the face of the building." Many signs also fail this test and one is actually chained to a lamp post. Incidentally, the umbrellas have points on them that are very dangerous to people more than 5 foot, 11 inches tall.
Thirdly, signs are to be "of a high quality which shall be compatible with the quality of architecture in the downtown area." Many signs are tacky-looking and achieve the opposite appearance than that required by city code.
Finally, I would like to know how many merchants have acquired insurance and presented the city with a certificate of liability insurance to have their signs. One really wonders about observance of this code requirement.
It seems a shame that our community cannot make progress on making downtown clean, attractive and inspiring as a public place.
Why must empty storefronts look so dirty and poverty-stricken? Why can't owners fix the facades of their buildings? Why can't we sell the parking garage and enable a private owner to charge for parking as all cities do and then transform the garage into a beautiful structure? Why, why, why?
Time keeps passing and our community looks more shabby by the day.
Tony Ferrarese
Oneonta
Summer rentals hurting in Oneonta
Two years ago, I challenged the prediction that the summer rental business was approaching a sizable explosion that would threaten Oneonta neighborhoods. Instead what was really looming was a crisis of survival. This was due to an impending gas crunch and downward economic conditions. Two years ago, few seemed to share this vision in the midst of political uproars, partly due a pent-up hostility and a feeling of helplessness in the face of rundown rentals affecting some neighborhoods. These feelings were misdirected at summer rentals. which are actually of a different quality. It is rare that the visitors are rowdy or disturbing, because most of the time they are at their games, and then return home late to largely eat out, shop, relax and sleep.
Now that the Soccer Hall of Fame is closing, the stark reality of this is sinking in. The average summer landlord's rentals were down at least 20 percent this summer and some more. This is after at least four years of holding down or lowering prices. When less than five out of 11 weeks of the season are rented, the enterprise is questionably economical. The intense degree of hands-on attention, weekly costs of cleaning, supplies, Internet, cable and other extra services no longer make it that feasible.
At the same time, I know that very hard-working Oneonta summer landlords who sacrifice their summer vacations to endure this business, and who each week greet tourists in a more personal way than hotels, create the best support for commerce in the city of Oneonta during the summer. They ought to be legally and morally encouraged rather than restricted unduly as in the current law.
Nathan Batalion
Oneonta
Batalion is a member of the Oneonta Landlords Association.
Put memorial on Main Street
This concerns the Memorial Walkway project in Oneonta's Neahwa Park.
I was at the Aug. 5 meeting in the park. It was brought up that plans for this project were made in the '90s. So why weren't they carried out?
Leave the trees alone _ other than trimming the ones that need it.
Why can't we have a real nice permanent Honor Roll on Main Street where it can be seen by everyone? I've gone through cities smaller than Oneonta and they have beautiful Honor Rolls. This would truly honor our vets.
If people want to walk in the park there certainly is plenty of room.
Ann Briguglio
Oneonta
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