DEVELOPMENT City council opposes proposals for housing

One zone change proposal will have two more readings.
By MIKE VAN CLEAVE
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND --Two plans tied to the development of new housing were opposed by a majority of city council Monday night.
City council voted 4-2 against plans to build single-family homes on a piece of industrial land off West Market Street, but five votes were needed to kill the zone change. Councilwoman Diedre Petrosky was absent.
Law Director Patrick Wilson explained to nearly 40 people that council needed at least five votes to overrule a previous judgment by the board of zoning appeals to give permission to develop part of the land into a residential area. The matter now gets two more readings by council.
Six acres of the 15.5-acre land will be used to build 10 single family residences that will overlook a lake, which would leave a significantly reduced piece of land to attract industrial developers.
Opponents of the zone change worry that it would deplete the amount of land in the city available for industry, and that homeowners in the area could eventually come into conflict with the Delphi Packard plant next door.
A representative of Edward J. Lewis Realty, representing Delphi Automotive Systems, which owns the property, said reducing the amount of industrial land available won't make a difference to developers because no one has been interested in buying the site.
Other action
In other business, all council members voted against a resolution that would have lifted a building ban on Laura Lane and Anthony Circle.
A construction ban was imposed on WAE Corp. and owner Anthony Petrocco as a result of flooding problems that arose last summer on some of the Shepherds Hill allotment, which Petrocco developed.
Councilman Terry Tackett said he's seen flooded basements that were caused, in part, by flaws in the drainage system on lots in the Shepherds Hill area.
WAE Corp. is seeking to build multifamily housing in an adjacent area. Tackett said he was not against building an apartment complex but wanted Petrocco to fix the drainage flaws first.
Petrocco described a plan to improve the drainage system to a skeptical audience and drew criticism for failing to follow approved drainage plans in the first place.
Placing blame
When asked if he adhered to the plans that were originally agreed to with the city, Petrocco answered, "The original plans were not followed completely, yes," but he noted after the meeting that the city was also to blame for not finding fault with the system after it was installed.
Much of the blame was placed on Petrocco's former, engineer who "used erroneous calculations" and who "now lives outside of the state," according to a spokesperson for Petrocco.
Among plans discussed was one to simplify the drainage system so water has a more direct route to a holding area. However, some residents were critical when told by John Pierko of MS Consultants, a company retained by the city, suggested that nothing could fix the flooding problem completely.
Tackett said council will meet again later this month to review what Petrocco has done to address the drainage problems and at that time council will consider lifting the ban.