Walkable Eastwood » vacant buildings

“Family” Video to Eastwood: “We always win.”

Lonnie — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:18:43 +0000

“Family” Video gave a presentation at Monday night’s TNT meeting. In essence, despite their pronouncements of neighborliness, the real message was this:

We will build what we want, where we want it, despite your overlay district guidelines.
We will sell pornographic products within mere feet of a church, a school, and residences.
We will take you (and your tax dollars) to court if you try to prevent us from violating your city codes.
We will win in court.
There is nothing you can do.

There was virtually no positive response to the presentation and many people were quite unhappy with what they saw. Their plan violates the overlay district zoning standards as well as city regulations that prevent the sale of adult materials within 1000 feet of a church, school, or residential area.

Also, the building would be literally within a few feet of the James Street Methodist Church, so close that the church would not be able to properly care for its building because they wouldn’t be able to get equipment in.

Several people pressed them on the issue of the sale of adult materials. They would not come up with a definitive answer. We’ve all seen presentations like this before, and we know how much of it is truth and how much of it is spin or simply avoiding answering… which means they don’t want to say what they know we’ll object to.

I asked them how we could be assured that we would not end up in the same situation as Auburn, which had to go to court over the sale of such materials. They, too, have regulations against it. The response: “Auburn lost.” and “We always win in court because it’s a small portion of the product that we sell.”

But that doesn’t reassure us at all, does it? While their pornographic material may represent a small percentage of the videos in the store, it could mean a huge percentage of the sales. We see no other way this outmoded business model can be as successful as they claim.

We in Eastwood are just so accustomed to this kind of arrogance on the part of a developer who waltzes in with a plan that clearly demonstrates no knowledge of or interest in our community standards. It’s almost laughable – did they not do their homework and, as someone in the meeting pointed out, did they not realize that Eastwood has already stood up to another developer for five years in order to keep our community pedestrian-friendly and safe for our kids?

This message is for “Family” Video: if you insist on moving ahead with the abysmal plan you brought to our community Monday night, you are in for a rough ride. Your plan has done for Eastwood what nothing in the past has accomplished: united it. And that is the feedback from the community that you can bring back to headquarters.

Urban myths about Walkable Eastwood

Lonnie — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:31:10 +0000

Written by Maureen Harding, published with her permission:

There are several myths floating out there in Syracuse that somehow mistakenly are taken as “fact” concerning the Walkable Eastwood group of neighbors:

Myth: Redevelopment at the northeast corner of James and Midler (the former location of Steak & Sundae ) is being prevented by the Walkable Eastwood group.

Fact: The owner of the building at that location, Mike Muraco, has a vacant building because he had doubled the former restaurant’s rent. The restaurant owner decided to leave and build his own restaurant on Teall Ave. There were no other tenants even though there was vacant space. After that, Mr. Muraco submitted a request to the Planning Commission to have the building demolished (this falls under the City Zoning Code and NOT the James Street Overlay District). The Planning Commission denied the request because, under the City of Syracuse Zoning Code, you must have a site re-development plan in place before you can demolish. The owner did not have a plan. The owner retaliated against the Planning Commission with a law suit and he lost. The owner has yet to bring a site plan application under the James Street Overlay District standards to the Planning Commission. Therefore, the Walkable Eastwood group is absolutely not at fault since they had no control over what the owner does with his property, including failure to upkeep the property, failure to pay taxes on the property, or failure to lease the property (which would ONLY fall under the guidelines if there was any rehabilitation and new use in the old building).

Myth: The Walkable Eastwood group is responsible for the tattoo parlors, bars, salons, and pawn shops.

Fact: These land uses are permitted as-of-right under the City of Syracuse Zoning Code regardless of the Overlay District Design Standards. Therefore, the Walkable Eastwood group is absolutely powerless over what or who decides to open a business on James Street.

Myth: The Walkable Eastwood group is against development of any kind on James Street.

Fact: There has been one development application for site plan review on James Street that falls under the James Street Overlay District Design Standards (other than those by Mr. Pomphrey of Pomco) who generally complies with the spirit and the intent of the standards), and that is Walgreens (Five Points Development formerly HDL). The developer of Walgreens, Guy Hart, Jr., was on his own schedule and failed to submit a sign plan with his original site plan back in 2005 (the sign plan was NOT approved before). Therefore, the Walkable Eastwood group simply made sure that the design standards were complied with when he did submit his sign plan four years later. The hold-up was entirely self-created by the developer as he requested 11 waivers from the design standards. Had he complied (as Mr. Pomphrey does) he would have been through the process in a matter of weeks (as Mr. Pomphrey is).

Myth: The Walkable Eastwood group is responsible for that “hole in the ground that used to be the Bowling Alley” (the southwest corner of James and Midler).

Fact: The owner of that property, Tino Marcoccia, had worked with the original James Street Overlay District Review Board back in the early 2000 period (prior to the review board being dissolved by the City) on a site plan. The funding for Mr. Marcoccia’s project fell through and he did not return with a site plan. Therefore, he never went through the review process to have it denied or granted. The owner was approached with purchase offers, the owner refused to sell.

The Walkable Eastwood group is simply a grassroots volunteer organization of neighbors who value pedestrian-oriented development. This type of development is what is revitalizing Syracuse’s downtown as well as many other cities and towns in the country. It is 21st century-style development. Unfortunately for Mr. Hart, the Walgreens development was the antithesis of a mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented, traditional neighborhood Main Street design of which the Overlay District Standards require.

Some of the Eastwood residents are willing to settle for less…or are desperate (which is not a requirement under the Eastwood Overlay Design Standards). The Walkable Eastwood group is willing to hold out for something better because it knows that it’s possible to develop something uniquely Eastwood that looks and is cohesive, pleasing to explore, and diverse in its businesses. The group, comprised of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, includes professional urban planners, civil engineers, landscape architects, architects, and college professors who know by their training, education and expertise that the alternative, design centered on automobiles, is no longer acceptable. Auto-centric design is unhealthy, unsustainable and bad for property values. Thus they are protecting their own property values as well as those of their neighbors by using the tools and resources available to them. Nothing more, nothing less.

Ideas from other cities for next mayor

Lonnie — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:19:18 +0000

I posted the following over two years ago, but the ideas are good ones that the next mayor would do well to look at. They’re concerning how to deal with property owners who allow their business-district buildings to rot and bring down the values of all our properties.
———————–
James Street is our main business district. It has a number of really super businesses on it. What happens there affects all of us, as residents, as business owners, as property owners. Those who allow their vacant buildings or lots on James St. to remain in their present ugly condition are affecting your property values. It’s time the Common Council acted more decisively to get owners to fix up these properties or sell them to someone who will develop them within the James Street Overlay District Zoning Standards.

While searching the web for what other cities are doing about vacant buildings , I came across a website simply titled “AMCBO Member Call Summary.” (AMCBO is the Association of Major City/County Building Officials.) It appears to be a summary of a meeting that took place in 2005. It’s worth a thorough read. Below I’ve pasted the ideas I found most appealing:

Several major approaches (are) being used to address what is not only a building department issue but also one that impacts police, fire, historic preservation and social services of a city.

…(S)ome cities register all structures that are vacant on a website (St. Paul, MN) with information on owner and value of the property as a way to potentially attract investors or developers who may be interested in acquiring the property for redevelopment.

Chattanooga, TN for example, tries to shame owners into making corrections by putting up 4’ X 8’ signs noting who owns the derelict building and will put ads in newspapers where the owner lives noting that they hold abandoned run down properties.

Milwaukee is considering a Board and Vacant Resolution. After 6 months, the city has authority to issue a directive to the owner giving him 30 days to make corrections and to take the boards off the abandoned structure.

In that city the owner can either get a rehab permit for their building or, if the building has been designated a historic structure, can get a mothball permit to seal and hold the building as is until it can be rehabilitated under historic preservation guidelines. If owners do not make the minimum repairs mandated by the city, then the city can set the property at fair market value.

Mr. Collins said that his city (Milwaukee) has experimented with SkunkShot (also being used in Los Angeles) as a chemical that is activated inside abandoned buildings and is so nauseous that squatters and others will not try to enter and inhabit the boarded up buildings. The website for this product is www.skunkshot.com.

Milwaukee has an ordinance – 25 illegal acts or 3 at a premises within a 30 day period and the building can be declared a chronic nuisance and go after a tax lien. 81% of the owners comply after the first such letter from the city. Get 100% compliance with the city’s tax bill.

Ron Smith from St. Louis noted that abandoned and vacant buildings are a problem in his city as well. He said the city has a new tool – legislation that establishes a nuisance ordinance regarding vacant and abandoned buildings.

The first part of the ordinance involves “behavioral nuisances.” This applies to buildings that house (legally or illegally) people whose behavior generates numerous police calls. The Mayor is having the City Council look at ways of getting the building into the hands of a different owner, one who will fix the building up.

Secondly, the city can issue a fine and after 6 months or more violations the property can be put under notice for sale by the city.

St. Louis follows a program similar to Milwaukee for nuisance buildings. City issues a cease and desist letter and then takes penalties to next level with the city attorney stepping in to get the property to someone else.

St. Louis has 15 designated historic districts in the city. Consideration is being given to put demolitions under the control of a special preservation board.

Chicago has the legal authority to pursue owners who live out of state.

Florencio Pena from San Antonio noted that because of the way his authority is set up his department is not directly involved. A dangerous buildings board handles abandoned and vacant buildings. The city runs an incentive program to get new owners for buildings whose owners can’t or won’t fix them up to code.

Chicago has an exterior facade ordinance and covers porches as well. The city has 178 inspectors for over 1,000,000 buildings.

The city goes after out-of-state owners and works closely with the Department of Housing and Landmarks to encourage housing conversions in once vacant properties. Attached housing is not a problem in Chicago.

The city has day-to-day fines that can get upwards of $300,000 to $500,000 to shift over the property to those who are willing to develop. Chicago has 9 inspectors in its vacant buildings and demolition program. The city has a very tenacious department of revenues that garnishes revenues.

Milwaukee: On vacant buildings in an historic district, our code allows the city to make safety repairs and put those costs on the owner’s taxes.

Letter from Joe Nastri

Lonnie — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:29:52 +0000

Joe Nastri is a long-time Eastwood businessman who was involved in the original Eastwood Review Board that was disbanded by the City.

I too hope that the city does the right thing and upholds the zoning Overlay standards. Assertions have been made time and again that Eastwood looks the way it does because of neighbors and or the Zoning Overlay Guidelines. This is false. The reason why Eastwood has some problems with appearance is firstly because property owners, such as the owner of the old Steak and Sundae building and Byrne Dairy properties have made a conscious decision to allow these properties to fall into disrepair. The plan is for neighbors to get so fed up that we will accept what ever they decide is appropriate.

Furthermore, Eastwood has been allowed (as elsewhere in the city) to develop as any property owner sees fit because of a lack of design standards. The first exception to that previous statement is Walgreens and Pompco. Wow, the best looking properties on James Street. The only two that have complied with zoning overlay district standards and guidelines. It shows you what can be done when property owners and developers choose to do the right things and comply with certain standards.

It is for the betterment of Eastwood and the hope that the business district will look good in the future that I ask the city planners to please uphold the standards and guideline that were passed into law. One of the standards states that no free standing signs will be allowed. Remember if we make this exception we will have to continue to make exceptions. Walgreens did a nice job with their building. Across the street is a nice pocket park with a monument to soldiers. Let’s not muck it up with a digital signage announcing a sale on toilet paper.

Earth Hour downtown: SU gets F-plus

Lonnie — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:39:49 +0000

For all its connectivity to downtown, how is it that Syracuse University blew the exam on global warming? Last evening, people in great cities large and small throughout the world participated in Earth Hour. We decided to do the same, turned off all our lights and headed downtown, expecting to see people walking in the balmy evening, enjoying the 60-minute relief from light pollution, maybe even talking to each other in candle-lit bars and restaurants.

But no. Except for two appropriately darkened buildings, City Hall and City Hall Commons, life went on as usual in our basically empty downtown. While even the birds and the bees know that change on a massive scale is taking place, Syracuse University’s Warehouse building was ablaze with light.

We expect more leadership than this of such a great institution. If City Hall got it, why not S.U.? In our house, when I comment to my husband about a particularly bone-headed answer on some test I’m correcting (never using names, of course!), he invariably yells, “F-plus!” You can guess what we yelled in unison when we saw that building lit up like a Christmas tree… just like the National Grid building.

I’m sure if the University of Sydney can figure it out, S.U. can, too. We’ll be looking forward to a darker night this time next year!

2008 Earth Hour at the University of Sydney
Before:

During Earth Hour:

Filling in the gaps on James St.

Lonnie — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:40:51 +0000

James Street is our main business district. It has a number of really super businesses on it. What happens there affects all of us, as residents, as business owners, as property owners. Those who allow their vacant buildings or lots on James St. to remain in their present ugly condition are affecting your property values. It’s time the Common Council acted more decisively to get owners to fix up these properties or sell them to someone who will develop them within the James Street Overlay District Zoning Standards.

Several major approaches (are) being used to address what is not only a building department issue but also one that impacts police, fire, historic preservation and social services of a city.

…(S)ome cities register all structures that are vacant on a website (St. Paul, MN) with information on owner and value of the property as a way to potentially attract investors or developers who may be interested in acquiring the property for redevelopment.

Chattanooga, TN for example, tries to shame owners into making corrections by putting up 4’ X 8’ signs noting who owns the derelict building and will put ads in newspapers where the owner lives noting that they hold abandoned run down properties.

Milwaukee is considering a Board and Vacant Resolution. After 6 months, the city has authority to issue a directive to the owner giving him 30 days to make corrections and to take the boards off the abandoned structure.

In that city the owner can either get a rehab permit for their building or, if the building has been designated a historic structure, can get a mothball permit to seal and hold the building as is until it can be rehabilitated under historic preservation guidelines. If owners do not make the minimum repairs mandated by the city, then the city can set the property at fair market value.

Mr. Collins said that his city (Milwaukee) has experimented with SkunkShot (also being used in Los Angeles) as a chemical that is activated inside abandoned buildings and is so nauseous that squatters and others will not try to enter and inhabit the boarded up buildings. The website for this product is http://www.connovation.co.nz/mainsite/Product.SkunkShot.html.

Milwaukee has an ordinance – 25 illegal acts or 3 at a premises within a 30 day period and the building can be declared a chronic nuisance and go after a tax lien. 81% of the owners comply after the first such letter from the city. Get 100% compliance with the city’s tax bill.

Ron Smith from St. Louis noted that abandoned and vacant buildings are a problem in his city as well. He said the city has a new tool – legislation that establishes a nuisance ordinance regarding vacant and abandoned buildings.

The first part of the ordinance involves “behavioral nuisances.” This applies to buildings that house (legally or illegally) people whose behavior generates numerous police calls. The Mayor is having the City Council look at ways of getting the building into the hands of a different owner, one who will fix the building up.

Secondly, the city can issue a fine and after 6 months or more violations the property can be put under notice for sale by the city.

St. Louis follows a program similar to Milwaukee for nuisance buildings. City issues a cease and desist letter and then takes penalties to next level with the city attorney stepping in to get the property to someone else.

St. Louis has 15 designated historic districts in the city. Consideration is being given to put demolitions under the control of a special preservation board.

Chicago has the legal authority to pursue owners who live out of state.

Florencio Pena from San Antonio noted that because of the way his authority is set up his department is not directly involved. A dangerous buildings board handles abandoned and vacant buildings. The city runs an incentive program to get new owners for buildings whose owners can’t or won’t fix them up to code.

Chicago has an exterior facade ordinance and covers porches as well. The city has 178 inspectors for over 1,000,000 buildings.

The city goes after out-of-state owners and works closely with the Department of Housing and Landmarks to encourage housing conversions in once vacant properties. Attached housing is not a problem in Chicago.

The city has day-to-day fines that can get upwards of $300,000 to $500,000 to shift over the property to those who are willing to develop. Chicago has 9 inspectors in its vacant buildings and demolition program. The city has a very tenacious department of revenues that garnishes revenues.

Milwaukee: On vacant buildings in an historic district, our code allows the city to make safety repairs and put those costs on the owner’s taxes.