Archive for the ‘Committees’ Category
2025 Committee
Committee Members:
Bill Waller, Chair
Dan Hooker
Jessie Ravage
Ed Landers
Neil Weiller
Susan O’Handley
Teri Barown
Ashley Cooper
October 9, 2008
2025 Committee Minutes (In draft form – Subject to change)
A regular meeting of the 2025 Commission of the Village of Cooperstown was held in the Village Office Building, 22 Main St., Cooperstown, New York, on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Members in attendance were Chair William Waller, Members Eric Straus, Neil Weiller, Jessie Ravage and Village Clerk Teri Barown. Member Milo Stewart, Jr. was absent. Also in attendance were Mayor Carol Waller, Ashley Cooper and Ed Landers.
Mr. Waller opened the meeting at 7:20 p.m.
Mr. Waller stated that the minutes of the August 28, 2008 meeting were distributed and committee should review and be prepared to vote on them at the next meeting.
Mayor Waller introduced Ashley Cooper and Ed Landers to members of the committee and stated that she will appoint them to the 2025 Commission at the October Trustee meeting. Ms. Cooper will be representative on behalf of children and school issues and Mr. Landers will join as a representative of the business community.
She stated that she would like to see this commission continue long-term and be a proactive commission in dealing with outside influences such as Dreams Park and the impacts of the proposed Madison Square Garden event in Springfield.
She stated that she has discussed her thoughts of this commission continuing long-term with Trustee Katz and he agrees.
Mr. Waller noted that Mr. Weiller has provided two additional comprehensive reports for review by the commission.
Mr. Weiller stated that he is still working on the summary for each report and will provide them to members of the commission when he has them completed.
He stated that he feels one of the highlights of the reports are the under-utilization of the 2nd and 3rd floors of downtown buildings.
Mr. Weiller stated that he noticed that there are similarities with all the reports.
His question is how we enact the recommendations that are made by the commission.
He feels the 2nd and 3rd floor of buildings could be utilized for housing. He suggested inviting a representative from Small Cities to a future commission meeting.
Historic Preservation Presentation – Jessie Ravage
Mr. Waller introduced Ms. Ravage and stated that she would be providing a presentation to the commission on historic preservation.
Ms. Ravage stated that although a high percentage of properties in the Village have kept their historical integrity, the Village as a whole is stronger in this aspect.
She stated that the Village’s single largest group of historic buildings dates to the Victorian era, much of it domestic architecture and a significant part of Main Street’s commercial buildings. Earlier Federal and Greek Revival buildings survive in significant numbers, most along streets developed early in Cooperstown’s history. There are also very intact neighborhoods of early twentieth-century houses at the edges of the village.
She stated that she feels “heritage tourism” could be a valuable asset to the community. She stated that the visitor who is more likely to stay in the Village and leave money behind in the Village is the person coming to attend the opera or other cultural activities.
She stated that many baseball visitors stay outside the Village, come in to eat one or two meals and visit a few souvenir shops.
As for background of the historic preservation movement, Ms. Ravage stated that in the 1960’s the Village lost a lot of historic buildings and she believes this is why the first historic preservation law was developed in the 1970’s.
Mr. Waller asked what direction the Village should take to preserve what it has.
Ms. Ravage stated that the Village needs to legislate to encourage preservation. She feels that this law should be a separate from the Zoning Law with a separate process to follow.
She stated that the Village needs to appoint individuals with a historic preservation background to the board that oversees this process.
Mayor Waller asked what direction the Village should take with Lakeland Shores to prevent the further development of “Mc-Mansions.”
Ms. Ravage stated that this development was designed in the 1960’s as an electric community. She said that the structures built may have a more limited life span. The older buildings due to choices of building materials and construction methods at the time.
Mayor Waller stated that one of the concerns of creating a separate historic preservation commission is that some individuals feel they can’t afford to replace with original materials.
Ms. Ravage stated that she feels that cheap replacements are a short term fix. Rehabilitation of original materials may take more initial outlay, but will last longer and better.
She feels that the Village needs to develop a good base of restoration contractors and it will be less expensive to do preservation.
Ms. Ravage stated that this is part of an educational process that is essential to provide to residents and the community at large.
She stated that it includes practical information on how to care for older buildings, but we also need to generate greater interest in preserving historic infrastructure.
She feels it should also include education at the school level on local history and that grades 4 and 7 should be targeted because New York State’s social studies curriculum focuses on local history in those grades.
She stated it could include walking tours of historic buildings, if it is led by people able to match their audience with the level and detail and information provided.
She said that historic preservation pamphlets would be a great tool in explaining why this is important. If a Historic Preservation Law and Commission is adopted, there are funds available to assist with the development of educational material.
Mr. Weiller stated that it is also important to educate realtors.
Mr. Waller stated it would include education on many different levels.
Mr. Weiller stated it is important to let individuals know that when they maintain a level of historic preservation that it can increase the value of their property by 15-20 per cent.
Mayor Waller asked if the commission should be looking at regulations to prevent sprawl at Lakeland Shores.
Ms. Ravage said that the state of the economy may encourage people to build smaller, well-designed homes rather than larger sprawling homes.
Mr. Straus stated that he feels this commission should identify some guiding historic preservation principles that can fit into the overall plan developed and recommended to the Trustees. He stated economic issues may be part of this. He feels it should be limited to three or four major topics.
Mr. Landers stated that he goes back to the Notre Dame study’s recommendations. He would like to re-visit how we use properties and to create more density.
Ms. Cooper stated that she believes walk-ability of the Village is one of the best assets we have. She also feels that there is a need for well-designed newer houses.
Mr. Waller stated that he sees some of the guiding historic principles as education, historic preservation law, economics, and how historic preservation would fit in with new buildings.
He asked Ms. Ravage to think about this and prepare a list of proposed guiding historic preservation principles for the next meeting.
Mr. Waller thanked Ms. Ravage for her presentation.
Mr. Waller stated that the focus of the next meeting will be to review the various plans that the commission members have received and discuss what we would like to develop as a document.
He stated that he feels we should recommend to the Trustees that the commission be an ongoing long-range planning commission.
The next 2025 Commission meeting will be held on November 20, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________________________
Teri L. Barown , Village Clerk