WRFA’s Jason Sample talks with Katie Catro, board chair of Community Helping Hands in Jamestown, NY, to talk more about the organization and the services it provides to the community. For more information, also visit http://www.chhny.org/.

Artist’s rendering of the Gateway Lofts project upon completion.

JAMESTOWN – The effort to convert a former factory and current community center into a 110-unit housing project has cleared a major hurdle.

During Monday’s Jamestown City Council meeting, councilman Tom Nelson announced that the city Planning Commission had approved the site plan for the $31 million Gateway Lofts project, which is being sponsored by Southern Tier Environments for Living (STEL), the YWCA of Jamestown and Community Helping Hands.

Nelson  who serves as council liaison to the commission – said the unanimous approval was given one week ago, on June 23, during a special meeting of the commission, which was conducted online via zoom due to COVID-19.

No public notice regarding the special meeting was going to be held was sent to local media or the general public, which is why the approval of the housing project wasn’t reported on, until now.

The latest action by the planning commission comes after it had denied approving the project site plan on two past occasions – once in October 2018 and again in February of this year. Both times the planning commission had called for a complete Environmental Impact Statement to be completed, in order to address environmental concerns with the project, including that it would go against the city’s 2010 Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, which calls for a stabilization in housing within the city, due to a declining population that has led to a glut in the housing stock.

Following the February meeting, the law firm representing the project – Bond, Schoeneck & King – requested the commission rescind its positive declaration for a full environmental impact statement, saying it would require too much time to complete and jeopardize the project from moving forward. In response, the planning commission rescinded the positive declaration and also created a task force to work through all concerns.

“Chairman [Greg] Rabb asked for volunteers from the Planning Commission to participate in a small task force charged with developing a mutually agreeable mitigation plan that would address the concerns that the Planning Commission had regarding the introduction of additional housing units into an over-saturated housing market,” explained City Development Director Crystal Surdyk.

Surdyk said an agreement was soon made that STEL and other organizations would acquire, abate and demolish 96 bedrooms in units elsewhere in the city to help offset the addition of the new units provided by the Gateway Lofts.

“An important distinction between the new and existing housing is that there is an overwhelming number of substandard and/or deplorable condition that is uninhabitable, that would be offset by the new housing options created by the Gateway Lofts project,” Surdyk explained to WRFA via email. “The mitigation plan lays out a strategy for the city to coordinate with the Gateway, STEL and Chautauqua County Land Bank to undertake a program to acquire, abate and demolish 96 bedrooms in vacant and uninhabitable housing units elsewhere in the city that also supports STEL’s prioritization of a future project to include a scattered site infill development in Jamestown, with the assistance of the land bank and similar to STEL’s Dunkirk Renovation and Ownership program.”

Surdyk also said the Planning Commission approval is contingent on two area variances that will be reviewed by the city zoning board on Wednesday, July 1. One variance is regarding the number of proposed parking spaces and the other is regarding proposed automotive use setbacks.  The zoning board meeting will take place at 5 p.m. Wednesday and will be streamed live at the city website.

Anyone will be given an opportunity to be heard for or against the granting of the variances by submitting their comments in writing via U.S. mail to the City Clerk’s Office, 200 East Third Street, Jamestown, NY 14701 or via email at clerk @ cityofjamestownny.com.

The Gateway Lofts project calls for creating 110 total units, although 56 of them would be intended for homeless individuals who currently don’t have any other long-term housing options available. That means a total of 54 new units would be intended for renters, most of which would be on low or fixed income. Project sponsors say the project will be beneficial to residents because of the various human service agencies that also operate in the building. However, some concerns have been raised regarding the concentration of so many residents in a relatively small area, as well as the lack of fresh, healthy food sources being available – with the nearest supermarket nearly a mile away at the Foote Ave. plaza.

The $31 million price tag to renovate the former Chautauqua Hardware factory would be covered through a combination of state and federal tax credits that can be sold to investors, along with community investment funds and grants.

Members and staff of the city planning commission meet in city hall on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018 to discuss the Gateway Lofts project. At the time the commission determined the project could not move forward until after the project better was aligned with the city’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

JAMESTOWN The Jamestown Planning Commission will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 17 and among the items on the agenda is a review of new plans for the proposed Gateway Lofts project.

In 2018 officials with Southern Tier Environments for Living (STEL), Community Helping Hands, and the Jamestown YWCA proposed renovating much of the Gateway Center building on Waters Street in order to develop 75 apartment units on the second, third, and fourth floor of the building known as the Gateway Lofts Project.

The Gateway Center on Water St. in Jamestown

The proposal went into a holding pattern after the Planning Commission determined in October 2018 the project does not comply with the spirit or intent of the city’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, adding that as proposed, “the Gateway Lofts will create a significant impact on the environment that will perpetuate the cycle of devaluating, disinvestment, neglect and abandonment identified in the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.”

As a result of the positive declaration made by the commission, the project was put on hold and since then, the project developers have reportedly been working with the city planning department to address the issues and the new plan will be presented Tuesday afternoon.

A discussion of the city’s zoning code is also on this month’s agenda.

The meeting begins at 3:30 p.m. in the mayor’s conference room, 4th floor of city hall and is open to the public.

The Gateway Center on Water St. in Jamestown

JAMESTOWN – A manufacturing landmark that is now the location of several human service agencies has been nominated to be added to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday that a dozen historic locations around the state were nominated for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, which can provide owners with grants and tax credits to support rehabilitation projects.

The only location in Chautauqua County to be nominated this year is the Gateway Center building on Water St., which was originally built to house the Empire Worsted Mills in Jamestown. Hundreds of people worked at the Worsted Mills during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The mills closed in 1955 and then became the Chautauqua Hardware Corporation Factory, which remained in operation until the mid 2000s.

• READ THE DRAFT APPLICATION

Once recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places. Properties are then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered into the National Register.

The Gateway Center is currently home to several agencies, including the Mental Health Association, the St. Susan Center and Community Helping Hands.

Artist’s rendering of the Gateway Lofts project upon completion.

In 2018 officials with Community Helping Hands, the Jamestown YWCA and other organizations proposed renovating much of the building in order to develop 75 apartment units on the second, third, and fourth floor of the building known as the Gateway Lofts Project.

• RELATED: HEARING ON GATEWAY LOFTS PROJECT RECEIVES MOSTLY POSITIVE COMMENTS [OCT 2018]

However, that proposal is currently in a holding pattern after the Jamestown Planning Commission determined in October 2018 that the proposed project does not comply with the spirit or intent of the city’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, adding that as proposed, the Gateway Lofts will create a significant impact on the environment that will perpetuate the cycle of devaluating, disinvestment, neglect and abandonment identified in the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. As a result a positive declaration was made by the Commission, halting the forward movement of the project.

Since October 2018, the developers of the Gateway Lofts project have reportedly been working with the city planning department to address the issues outlined in the positive declaration and will likely resubmit their proposal at some point in the future.

In addition to the dozen locations being nominated to the State and National Register of Historic Places, another ten projects received 2019 State Historic Preservation Awards – though none are located within Chautauqua County.

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The Jamestown City Council’s Housing Committee on heard details about the proposed Gateway Lofts housing project during it’s Jan. 14 meeting at city hall.

Representatives from the organizations involved with the Project – including Southern Tier Environments for Living, Community Helping Hands, and the YWCA – each spoke to the committee to explain how each organization would play a role in working with residents, as well as funding sources for the project.

The Gateway Lofts project involves converting the Gateway Center on Water Street into an estimated 40 housing units for low income individuals and families members, along with about 40 other units for single parents seeking housing assistance from the YWCA, as well as non-violent individuals with addiction or mental health issues and overseen by STEL. The total cost of the renovation project is estimated to cost $31 million.

Committee Chair Vicki James raised concern about the proximity of different types of residents living in the building, which would include those recovering from drug addiction and single parent families that had young children. Officials noted that the building would be staffed 24 hours a day and that security systems would also be in place to ensure safety for all residents.

Committee Member Maria Jones also expressed concern about how the facility would operate once open and how it would ensure all residents could communicate concerns are problems so that could properly be addressed.

In October 2018, the Jamestown Planning Commission informed project developers they would have to address environmental concerns before the project could move forward. So far the group has yet to address the concerns.

Members of the Jamestown Public Safety Committee listen to representatives from the Gateway Lofts proposal give details about where the project is at.

A conceptual drawing of Gateway Lofts project at the Gateway Center in Jamestown

JAMESTOWN _ The Jamestown City Council will hold its second work session of the month Monday night in city hall.

The work session for the full council will be held in the mayor’s conference room (4th floor, City Hall) and begins at 7:30 p.m.

Prior to the full council meeting, various committees will meet as well. For the city housing committee,  Tami Berg from Community Helping Hands will appear to discuss the proposed Gateway Lofts housing proposal.

The Gateway Lofts project involves converting the Gateway Center on Water Street into an estimated 40 housing units for low income individuals and families members, along with about 40 other units for single parents seeking housing assistance from the YWCA, as well as non-violent individuals with addiction or mental health issues and overseen by STEL.  The total cost of the renovation project is estimated to cost $31 million.

In October, the Jamestown Planning Commission informed project developers they would have to address environmental concerns before the project could move forward.

Monday’s Housing Committee Meeting will be held at 6:45 p.m. in the Police Training Room, 4th floor of city hall. It is also open to the public.

Artist’s rendering of the Gateway Lofts project upon completion

JAMESTOWN – The effort to create the Gateway Lofts multi-unit housing program at the Gateway Center in Jamestown is moving forward.

Steven Ald, director of real estate development at Southern Tier Environments for Living (STEL), tells WRFA that STEL is seeking clarification from the city regarding the planning commission’s recent decision on the Gateway Lofts proposal.

“[On Tuesday] STEL submitted a Freedom of Information request to City zoning officials requesting the City’s file materials in order to hopefully clarify the City Planning Commission’s recent SEQRA determination and related matters. STEL and its partners will be planning our next steps based on our review of all pertinent information,” Ald said via email.

The positive declaration from the planning commission’s Oct. 16 meeting means the commission felt the project could have a significant effect on the environment as it pertains to housing throughout the city and, as a result, STEL will need to address the concerns outlined by the commission and its staff in a forthcoming environmental impact statement.

“It’s our professional opinion that it has been determined that the proposed Gateway Lofts project does not comply with the spirit or intent of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan adopted [by the Jamestown City Council] on Dec. 27, 2010 by a vote of 9 to 0 and the plan, as proposed, will create a significant impact on the environment that will create the perpetual cycle devaluing, disinvestment, neglect, and abandonment identified in the neighborhood revitilization plan,” explained city planning associate Crystal Surdyk during the Oct.16 meeting.

STEL and its legal counsel had hoped to that the commission would instead consider the project a “Type II” action – meaning it didn’t require any further environmental review – based on the project already addressing several environmental issues via its Brownfield cleanup plan, along with no significant additions being added to the existing structure.

Ald says that STEL and its partners – Community Helping Hands and the YWCA of Jamestown– is also encouraging members of the community to continue voicing support for the project.

“In light of the critical need for this innovative project and the significant community support that has been expressed for it to date, STEL, Community Helping Hands, the YWCA and their other local partners encourage members of the community to contact their representatives to reinforce their support for the Gateway Lofts,” Ald said. “We continue to work on progressing the project with the City, the necessary funding sources and local stakeholders. ”

On Oct. 9 the planning commission held a public hearing with over 80 people in attendance and the majority of those who spoke were in favor of the project.

The partners want to convert the Gateway Center on Water Street into the Gateway Lofts, which would offer an estimated 40 housing units to low income individuals and families members, along with about 40 other units for single parents seeking housing assistance from the YWCA, as well as non-violent individuals with addiction or mental health issues and overseen by STEL.  The total cost of the renovation project is estimated to cost $31 million.

According to the developers, support for the project has been given by several local officials, including: Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Catherine Young, Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, County Executive George Borrello, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and IDA director Mark Geise, Sheriff Joseph Gerace, county Health and Human Services Director Christine Schuyler, and the Homeless Coalition.

Members and staff of the city planning commission meet in city hall on Tuesday, Oct. 16 to discuss the Gateway Lofts project.

JAMESTOWN – The City of Jamestown Planning Commission Tuesday unanimously issued a positive declaration for the proposed Gateway Lofts as part of its State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) assessment.

The positive declaration means the commission feels the project may have a significant effect on the environment as it pertains to housing throughout the city and, as a result, the developer for the project – Southern Tier Environments for Living (STEL) – will need to address the concerns outlined by the commission and its staff in a forthcoming environmental impact statement.

City planning associate Crystal Surdyk explained that the reason for the positive declaration was due to the proposed project not falling into compliance with the city’s 2010 Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. Specifically, it would create a large number of housing units within the city.

“It’s our professional opinion that it has been determined that the proposed Gateway Lofts project does not comply with the spirit or intent of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan adopted [by the Jamestown City Council] on Dec. 27, 2010 by a vote of 9 to 0 and the plan, as proposed, will create a significant impact on the environment that will create the perpetual cycle devaluing, disinvestment, neglect, and abandoment identified in the neighborhood revitilization plan,” Surdyk noted.

STEL and its legal counsel had hoped to that the Planning Commission would instead consider the project a “Type II” action – meaning it didn’t require any further environmental review – based on the project already addressing several environmental issues via its Brownfield cleanup plan, along with no significant additions being added to the existing structure. The group also argued that the project would not have a negative impact on housing conditions because it focuses primarily on individuals who are unable to live in most of the housing currently available within the area.  The group also pointed out the project is being supported by Harold Whitford, president of the Jamestown Landlords Association.

Because of the positive declaration, the planning commission did not act on granting the required permits needed in order for the project to move forward.

Following the meeting, STEL representative Steven Ald said the agency will work to address environmental review requirements so the project can move forward.

“It’s a lot of work to go through the SEQR process but we’re willing to it. It will certainly not delay our applications for funding. It may make it less likely to be funded but we are certainly sticking to our timeline to be funded,” Ald said.

In addition to completing an environmental assessment for the state to review, STEL also has the option of challenging the action by the commission if it chooses.

STEL is working with Community Helping Hands and the YWCA of Jamestown to convert the Gateway Center on Water Street into the Gateway Lofts, which would offer an estimated 40 housing units to low income individuals and families members, along with about 40 other units for single parents seeking housing assistance from the YWCA, as well as non-violent individuals with addiction or mental health issues and overseen by STEL.  The total cost of the renovation project is estimated to cost $31 million.

The decision by the planning commission came a week after it held a public hearing on the matter in which over two dozen people spoke on the project, with most in favor of it moving forward.

According to the developers, support for the project has been given by several local officials, including: Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Catherine Young, Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, County Executive George Borrello, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and IDA director Mark Geise, Sheriff Joseph Gerace, county Health and Human Services Director Christine Schuyler, and the Homeless Coalition.

The Jamestown Planning Commission and staff during the Oct. 9 Gateway Lofts public hearing.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Planning Commission is meeting Tuesday in city hall and will continue its review of site plans for the proposed Gateway Lofts project.

The meeting comes just one week after a public hearing was held focusing on the project and with more than 80 people in attendance.

The Planning Commission meeting is required to review site plans for the $31 million project and act on any permits needed to allow the project to move forward.

The Gateway Lofts project is an effort by Southern Tier Environments for Living (STEL), Community Helping Hands and the YWCA of Jamestown to provide 80 single and multi-family housing units in the upper floors of the Gateway Center on Water St.

Of these units, 39 would offer affordable housing options for low income residents, 16 would go to single-parent families assisted by the YWCA, and 25 units would be administered by STEL and designated for non-violent individuals who are homeless and have a serious mental illness or a substance use disorder – with a history of criminal offending or are at risk of offending.

The Gateway Center is the former Chautauqua Hardware furniture manufacturing company and part of the project would also include environmental remediation. It currently houses several service agencies including the Mental Health Association, Community Helping Hands and the St. Susan Center – which developers and supporter say make it an ideal location for the development project.

During last week’s hearing several questions from the public were asked about the project, including safety and environmental concerns as well as the large price tag associated with renovating the building.

Representatives for the project offered their responses during the hearing and now it’s up to the planning commission to determine if the project should proceed or if other issues still need to be addressed.

According to the developers, support for the project has been given by several local officials, including: Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Catherine Young, Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, County Executive George Borrello, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and IDA director Mark Geise, Sheriff Joseph Gerace, county Health and Human Services Director Christine Schuyler, and the Homeless Coalition.

Tuesday’s planning commission meeting begins at 3:30 p.m. on the 4^th floor of city hall in the mayors conference room and is open to the public.

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JAMESTOWN – More than 80 people showed up Tuesday night for the Jamestown Planning Commission’s public hearing on the proposed Gateway Lofts housing development.

At the start of the two-hour hearing, representatives from Southern Tier Environments for Living (STEL) went over the updated details of the project proposed for the Gateway Center on Water Street in Jamestown, which is the site of the former Chautauqua Hardware building.

Attorney Steven Ricca of Bond, Schoeneck & King and representing Southern Tier Environments for Living shows updated site plans for the proposed Gateway Lofts project during the Oct. 9 public hearing in the Jamestown City Council Chambers.

The proposal project is now an estimated $31 million with a total of 80 housing units. Of these units, 39 unites on the 2nd floor would offer affordable housing options by Community Helping Hands, 16 units on the 3rd floor would go to single-parent families assisted by the YWCA of Jamestown, and 25 units on the 4th floor administered by STEL would be designated for non-violent individuals who are homeless and have a serious mental illness or a substance use disorder with a history of criminal offending or are at risk of offending.

STEL attorney Steven Ricca with the law form Bond, Schoeneck and King also announced that after the Planning Commission expressed some concerns over the project during its September meeting, the developers are now committed to purchasing two additional adjacent properties to create more green space opportunity for residents, especially children, who would be living in the development. They also said that they would increase the number of parking spaces to bring the project closer in compliance with city code.

The group also re-emphasized why the location was selected, saying the Gateway Center project is in a centrally located area where several other social service organizations are based – including Community Helping Hands, Love Inc., BOCES, the Mental Health Association, and St. Susan’s Soup Kitchen.

“The whole point of leveraging all the community organizations and resources is to be efficient and make the best use of taxpayer dollars – which in this case would be limited to state and federal dollars – and to leverage centers of critical mass as is encouraged in the 1998 city comprehensive plan,” Ricca said.

As for the public comment, 27 different people offered comments related to support or concerns for the project, as well as asking questions focusing on issues related to the site plans and environmental review, as well as general questions about the need and cost for the project.

“My vision for this program is to have single parents and families come out of the third floor, have people on the second floor and the fourth floor become citizens of the city that raise their children to not be in the same place that they are in. My vision for this program is to make this a reality for all of us and I know that we all want that,” said YWCA Executive Director Jacqueline Chiarot Phelps.

Andrew O’Brien, who had served on the county’s Opioid Addiction Task Force, voiced his support for the Gateway Lofts project during the Oct. 9 public hearing.

Andrew O’Brien, who had worked at UPMC Chautauqua prior to retiring and also served on the county’s Opioid Addiction Task Force.

“A couple years ago the county’s task force on opioid addiction visited a model program in Canandaigua similar to this and shared details of the transitional housing program being developed at UPMC Chautauqua and the executive director of that program asked what are you going to do about permanent supportive housing, rather than just transitional housing. He was emphasizing that if you’re going to have a comprehensive approach, particular to mental health problems and substance abuse problems including the opioid epidemic, you need to have the right levels of care in place and not just bits of the system to help resolve the issues,” O’Brien said. “So I need to point out today that is still one of the more substantial needs that we have in Chautauqua County and in Jamestown.”

“Safe, quality, affordable housing and all the supports that are needed to empower those living in those housing are the most basic determinants of public health,” explained County Health and Human Services Director Christine Schuyler. “Gateway lofts project provides an incredible opportunity to improve the overall physical and mental health of our community. ”

City resident and at large councilman Andrew Liuzzo had some concerns for the proposed project related to both the cost as well as the health hazards that could come from housing people in a building previously used for manufacturing.

“Is this funding secured? Because if it’s not, then what are we talking about? If it is, is this the best place to put $34 million?”asked city resident and at large councilman Andrew Liuzzo. who was also concerned with the amount of toxic chemical residue that could still be in the building because it was once a manufacturing plant. “If this comes from a Brownfield grant, then why don’t you take something like the building on Harrison and Willard that’s already half fallen down? Knock that down and building something new. I’m not saying that this is not a good intended project but I think there’s other ways to do this, especially if the money’s not there.”

“We have to decide where are we going to go and what direction are we going to lead the people of Jamestown? Are we going to lead people back to work or is this going to be the beginning of more big government, more social services in the city of Jamestown that has been cultivated by the present administration for the past 17 years?” asked city resident Anthony Toda, adding, “Once the cost of this rehab goes through, what’s going to sustain the ongoing costs of this operation?”

In all a total of 14 different questions were asked and the developers did their best to address each one, explaining that if the project hadn’t been proposed for the current location, it’s unlikely the brownfield site would see any environmental remediation. Developers said the project would be covered primarily through state and federal funding and tax credits that it wouldn’t be able to receive if it were proposed elsewhere.

According to the developers, support for the project has been given by several local officials, including: Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Catherine Young, Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, County Executive George Borrello, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and IDA director Mark Geise, Sheriff Joseph Gerace, county Health and Human Services Director Christine Schuyler, and the Homeless Coalition.

The city planning commission and staff

Planning Commission Chair Greg Rabb told WRFA after the hearing was over that he was impressed with the turnout.

“I’m always heartened when I see this many people. Even if I don’t agree with people, I’m always happy to see this many people turn out, especially if they are residents from the city. I welcome our friends from outside of the city, but as soon as somebody tells me they live in this city I pay particular attention,” Rabb said “And it was a beautiful day. I think there were record-breaking temperatures today, so for folks to give up their evening to come and talk to us makes me feel good because that means a lot of people in Jamestown care about what our next steps are.”

Rabb said that the planning commission will likely consider the revised site plans for the loft project when it holds its monthly meeting next Tuesday at 4 p.m. in City Hall.