HomeMy WebLinkAboutAWHC 2025-09-02 AWHC 2025-09-02
Final
AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING COMMITTEE
September 02, 2025
Virtual (via Zoom)
Present: Christina Dravis (acting chair and Town Board), Charles Geisler, Martha
Robertson
Absent: Leonardo Vargas-Mendez (chair and Town Board), Miles McCarty (Village of
Freeville), Michael Murphy (Village of Dryden)
Staff: Ray Burger (Director of Planning), Gina Cassidy (Planning Department), Loren
Sparling (Deputy Town Clerk)
The meeting was called to order at 2:01 p.m.
HASIG Grant and Process to Hire Consultant for Comp Study
The Committee is considering hiring a consultant with the $10,000 from the County.
The question was raised whether to “go out sole source if we felt like we really had a … definite
best (for the project/Town) … solution for this” or if an RFP and competitive solicitation would
be more beneficial. The general consensus leaned towards a competitive RFP process,
acknowledging it would not have to take long. R Burger and G Cassidy will draft the initial RFP
for the Committee’s review.
The Leonardo parcel is 100 acres in total, only 50 acres of which is truly developable.
The northern half of the parcel is in a conservation district and largely in the floodplain of Fall
Creek. The southern half is the dry uplands adjacent to Rte 13, making it the primary
developable area.
There is ongoing legal dispute among Leonardo family members over ownership of the
parcel. One proposed solution involves dividing the parcel with a north-south line down the
middle, giving each owner 25 acres of uplands and 25 acres of floodplain. As of this meeting,
there was no progress to report on the court case.
The Committee debated the extent of conservation for the northern 50 acres. While
often assumed to be 50% conservation, it was noted that “we really don’t have a full grasp of
how much is actual floodplain. It could be that only 80% of that is floodplain and there is some
nice prime uplands there that are ripe for development.” However, in exploring the development
potential of the entire 100 acres, care should be taken about what kind of development goes
north of the rail trail, as a “major crossing of the rail trail … would diminish the quality of the
rail trail.”
The Town’s objective is not to own or manage the project, but to facilitate developers
coming in to do good things, such as create affordable housing.
INHS had previously indicated the whole parcel was too big a project for them and they
prioritize multi-family housing over extensive single-family or commercial developments.
However, a 25-acre proposition would be much closer to the comfort zone of INHS. M
Robertson advocated for considering the entire 50 developable acres to avoid foreclosing future
options.
The $10,000 contract is from the County. The award letter does not specify a time limit
for spending the funds but indicated that Shawna Stevenson will contact G Cassidy to finalize
a contract for the award. R Burger noted that County money usually remains engaged as long
as progress is being demonstrated.
AWHC 2025-09-02
Final
R Burger raised concerns about discussing details of land transactions and potential
purchases in an open meeting, suggesting the Committee might need to go into executive
session. However, due to a lack of quorum, an executive session could not be called. Ray will
contact both owners of the parcel to gauge their interest in development.
Sale of TC3 Dorms
The Committee discussed the potential reuse of former TC3 dorms. The dorms are
owned by the TC3 Foundation, which previously faced legal obligations related to bonds, which
have since gotten resolved. The buildings are now on the market, with a prospectus having
earlier been distributed to Committee members via email.
Lynn Truame, Director of Real Estate Development for INHS, has reached out to the
project manager at TC3. A key question is whether an entity could just purchase one or two of
the buildings or are the three being sold only as a package.
The Committee does not believe developers like Rocco Lucente would be interested, as
they have a very specific model and this would be out of their comfort zone.
ZAG Update and Role of Committee Liaisons
C Geisler provided an update on the progress of the Zoning Advisory Group (ZAG),
which is addressing zoning challenges identified in Nan Stolzenberg’s initial report. The zoning
update has been divided into three phases. N Stolzenberg is currently developing a second
draft of the first phase, based on feedback from initial discussions.
The next ZAG meeting will occur on Thursday, September 4 and will focus on data
centers. Discussions about the Phase II scope for next year will also begin. Definitions, a large
part of the Phase I scope, may be the deliverable this month, and so will probably be on the
ZAG meeting agenda for October.
The 18-month moratorium on data centers, which started last summer, ends December
31. The Town Board would need to act to extend this date if any changes have not been
finalized by then.
Land Banks
C Geisler provided a detailed update on the New York State Land Bank Program and its
potential relevance to Dryden. Land banks are not-for-profit corporations created to take
control of and redevelop vacant or abandoned properties to better serve the community
interest. They can acquire and dispose of property through various mechanisms, including
negotiated sales or conveyance for non-monetary consideration (e.g., charitable or conservation
purposes). Land banks can help address issues like tax-delinquent/tax-foreclosed vacant or
abandoned land, which can negatively impact the tax base and create a broken window effect.
They offer derived social benefits, both market and non-market; crime rates drop where you
rehabilitate dilapidated areas and vacant property.
The program started in 2011 and caps the number of land banks in the state at 35.
Currently, there are 32. C Geisler had inquired of the program director whether a Town like
Dryden could apply to become a land bank and if startup funds (from a $50 million state
allocation in 2018) were still available. He has not yet received an answer.
From a conversation with Jocelyn Gordon (President of the NY Land Bank Association),
he learned that no two land banks are the same, so if the Town is faintly interested in
implementing one, it should look at the variation. Nearby Seneca Co has the Finger Lakes
AWHC 2025-09-02
Final
Regional Land Bank. One in Tioga Co appears to focus on rehabbing single structures and has
received ARPA and Main St program funds for revitalization efforts.
R Burger questioned the practicality of setting up a land bank structure in Dryden,
stating that it seems like a lot of resources towards a small endeavor, given the potentially
limited number of eligible properties. He suggested exploring partnerships with existing land
banks (e.g., Tioga Co or Seneca Co) to feed property into. We would have some control over that
part of it that deals with Dryden parcels.
C Geisler is awaiting responses from Jay Franklin (Tompkins Co Director of
Assessment) and David West (Tompkins Co Planning Administrator – Housing and Community
Development Director) regarding the prevalence of tax-delinquent properties and their thoughts
on a land bank. The Committee would like to invite David West, and potentially Jocelyn Gordon
or the director of the Finger Lakes Regional Land Bank, to speak at a future meeting.
Other
Dryden Center for Community. C Dravis noted the recent initiative of the Dryden
Center for Community (DrydenCenter.org) to purchase the old Methodist Church in the Village
and convert it into a not-for-profit community center and inclusive gathering space.
Housing Committee membership. The Committee is actively seeking new members.
Work is being conducted to include Committee openings in the Town’s September newsletter
and potentially in The Shopper and at other community events (e.g., Repair Café [October 4]
and Community Connections [next week]). Individuals can be invited to attend meetings as
members of the public to gauge their interest before formally applying. The idea of creating a
one-page description of what happens on the Committee, with goals or a vision statement, was
suggested to aid recruitment.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Loren Sparling
Deputy Town Clerk