HomeMy WebLinkAboutAWHC 2024-09-04Dryden Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee
Minutes for Sept. 4, 2024 Meeting Via Zoom
Making Dryden hospitable & affordable for working families
Attendance: Martha Robertson, Craig Anderson, Mike Murphy, Gina Cassidy, Chuck Geisler,
and Christina Davis; Miles McCarty and Ray Burger could not attend.
Agenda:
1. Update on Lenny Skrill
2. MH Weatherization update
3. Zoning update
4. Town Lands RFP
5. Resolution in support of INHS Freese Rd. variance
6. County Grant options
7. Other
Update on Lenny Skrill:
Martha sent follow-up emails to Lenny and Omar Sanders of Empire State Development,
with information from Mike about the village’s infrastructure proposal. Lenny’s visit was
quick but useful and covered many topics. Lenny offered lots of information and offered to
help further. She also connected him to Rocco by email after the meeting to discuss
financing options.
MH Weatherization update:
• EmPower+ weatherization packets went out to 43 mobile homes in Pleasant View
last week. Chuck also had conversations with a dozen or so owners, two of whom
already had HALCO installations and were pleased.
• One home has serious roof leakage and interior damage. Probably includes mold.
The couple owns the home and is income-eligible; husband works for Cornell
dining. Chuck has been researching MH roof repair costs and Craig offered to visit
the home and assess the situation. Single wide roof repairs might cost $4000.
Chuck called every available nonprofit or government source of possible funding
from lists provided by CCE and INHS. Only Catholic Charities ventured help. CCE’s
EmPower+ does weatherization and some repairs, but not roof work.
• Full replacement through NYS HOME may be another option. Gina and Leonardo
looked into it a bit and Martha offered to call Lenny for some follow-up help. (That
produced an invitation by HOME director Stephanie Galvin-Riley to zoom with her on
October 1 and get answers to questions we may have about the HOME application
for mobile home replacement.) The owners approached John Kaufmann to see if he
had interest in purchasing their MH. He did not.
• Craig mentioned a similar mobile home situation in Beacon MHP where he has done
some repairs. Discussion followed as to a NYS HOME pilot project in Dryden with
one or both of these stressed MHs.
• NYS HOME: a nonprofit organization or municipality has to apply, not the owner. The
maximum grant is $170,000 per unit. Find out if removal and demolition is part of
the application. The question is whether a contractor needs to document that an
applicant’s home isn’t worth retrofitting. If the grant doesn’t cover all costs (Chuck
thinks it would), are there other funding resources at hand, such as Dryden’s
housing fund ($50,000) or Cornell itself (both MHs are home to CU employees).
Could Cornell be persuaded to develop a home repair program for lowest paid
workers? It may be a time to reach out to Cornell unions for housing support.
• Action items:
Chuck will investigate what $170,000 can be used for.
Craig will look at the roof condition in the Pleasant View home to assess
extensive damage
Craig will send link to webinar sponsored by NYS HOME to everyone
Chuck will meet with family and review key questions relevant to a HOME
application (do they currently have a mortgage?)
Martha will follow up with HCR for additional information
Martha will reach out to Cornell real estate Director, Jeremy Thomas, to see if he
will meet with our committee in October.
Zoning update
Ray will have an update for us by the end of September.
Town Lands RFP:
Today there are four applications which have been narrowed to two. One candidate has
been interviewed and a second will be interviewed next week. Gina and Craig are both
involved in these interviews.
Resolution in support of INHS Freese Rd. variance
Craig explains that a special use permit is needed due to the size of the INHS three-story
building proposal. The planning board has approved the site plan. The SUP is the last thing
that needs approval. It should be voted on by the town board this month.
County Grant options
Our past ideas (TC3 and NYSEG nodal development building conversion) lack traction.
Craig has several new suggestions:
1. Push the town sewer line to Pinckney Rd. If the TG Miller report on the Leonardo
property is done, could it inform us about this extension and effect of the industrial
park as a potential barrier?
2. Do an engineering study to look at sewer extension along Hanshaw Road to
Hanshaw Village. What is the status of the pause in the Hanshaw Village septic
problem with Cook properties?
Action items:
>Gina will ask Ray where the TG Miller study stands and how much it would cost to
get sewer to Pinckney Rd.
> Gina Will ask Ray about the Hanshaw village septic situation at present.
TC3 presentation
Martha attended a recent presentation on student family housing in the vacant TC3 dorms
and offered a brief update of a survey done by TC3. There are complications in housing
students with families there; survey results were less favorable than Martha had expected.
Rooms would need alteration to accommodate multi-person families, and student families
living off campus prefer not to move to the campus environment for multiple reasons.
Next meeting Oct. 2
Minutes by Martha Robertson and transcribed by Chuck Geisler