September 03, 2008 07:56 am
—
By Jake Palmateer
Staff Writer
ONEONTA _ The Common
Council voted Tuesday to amend
its summer-rental ordinance to
give aldermen the authority to
approve or deny new permit applications.
Aldermen also voted to specify
that for a renewal application,
which is reviewed by the city
clerk, the property must have
been a permitted summer rental
the year before.
The changes include inserting
the word “documented” in a
paragraph dealing with reasonable
and rational factors for denying
a permit.
In order to take effect, the ordinance
must be signed by the
mayor after a mayor’s public
hearing at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16 in
City Hall.
During the Aug. 19 Common
Council meeting, Eighth Ward
Alderman Kevin Hodne proposed
a last minute change to
the amendment that involved the
insertion of the word “documented.”
Hodne said this came about
after aldermen met with summer
rental owner Nathan Batalion,
who he said was worried about
the arbitrary denial of summerrental
permits.
All five aldermen present
at the Aug. 19 meeting of the
Common Council voted for the
amendment. But because the
insertion of the word “documented”
was considered a substantial
change, the motion
amending the ordinance needed
to be tabled until Tuesday
night’s meeting.
Renting weekly in the summer,
especially to the families
of baseball-camp attendees, has
been a growing business within
the last decade with the opening
of Cooperstown All-Star Village,
Cooperstown Baseball World and
Cooperstown Dreams Park.
Those opposed to summer
rentals have said they are concerned
about traffic, noise and
other quality-of-life issues during
what is normally a quieter
time in Oneonta.
However, property owners in
the summer-rental business contend
they are improving properties
when they renovate them to
rent to families in the summer,
and that they provide a service
that bolsters Oneonta’s tourist
economy.
Fourth Ward Alderman Michael
Lynch had the only vote
against changing the summerrental
ordinance amendment,
even though it was he who had
originally suggested it.
Lynch, who was not at the Aug.
19 meeting, said during a discussion
before the vote said the
use of the word “documented”
undermined the intent of the
original proposed changes. He
suggested that the term “documented”
should have been voted
on by itself.
Mayor John Nader interjected
and said it was, referring to the
5-0 vote from Aug. 19 and he and
Lynch sparred over who had the
privilege to speak.
First Ward Alderman Maureen
Hennessy came to the mayor’s
defense and addressed Lynch directly.
“I’m very offended by your approach
and your lack of respect
for the mayor,” Hennessy said.
“Your attitude is unnecessary.
If you are uncomfortable with it,
you don’t have to vote for it.”
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