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 City Council during its meeting on Aug. 28, 2018

JAMESTOWN – Mayor Sam Teresi has yet to make an appointment to fill a long-vacant city constable position, but says one could be forthcoming next month.

For the past several months a group of landlords and representatives in the city have asked the mayor to fill a vacancy in it three constable positions to help serve eviction paperwork and other legal documents with tenants.

The city charter says there shall be three constables appointed by the mayor but currently only two individuals are on the list.

During the Jamestown city council meeting on Monday night, Real Estate Investors Association of Jamestown president Harold Whitford appeared before the council for the third consecutive month, voicing his frustration for there not being an appointment from the mayor.

Following the voting session, Teresi said that he is still vetting candidates, but has kept the city council updated on the process.

He added that an appointment could be made in September.

During last night’s voting session, the city council approved the sale of 37.5 acres of land Jamestown Community College owns at 2835 Curtis St. Extension in the town of Ellicott. JCC wants to sell the property for no less than $285,000 but must first receive approval from its community partners, which include the city and Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.

The council also approved an agreement with the Jamestown Public Schools to provide three school resource officers in the amount of $98,000 per officer for the school year.

The mayor and council members also spent several minutes thanking various members of the community and the city workforce for helping with several recent events, including the playground build at Chadakoin Park, the Babe Ruth World Series, and the Lucille ball Comedy Festival, as well as for helping to ready the city for the Labor Day Celebration at Bergman Park.

And the city announced that it would be holding its September voting session at a special location – inside the pavilion at Chadakoin Park, as a way to promote better outreach within the community. That meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, September 24.

Harold Whitford during the city council’s June voting session. Whitford returned to the council in July to get an update on the constable situation.

JAMESTOWN – The call for Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi to appoint a third constable for the city was once again made during Monday night’s city council voting session.

Frewsburg Resident and city landlord Harold Whitford appeared before the city council to call on the mayor to nominate a new constable for the open position, so that the city council could act on the appointment.

Whitford and other landlords have been pressing Teresi to appoint a new constable because of the need to serve eviction notices to tenants in the city.

“Having to rely solely on the Sheriff’s Department would be an absolute nightmare for Jamestown. I don’t know how they could possibly handle 21, 36, 14 more eviction notices tomorrow in the city when they have only one deputy for the north county and one deputy for the south county.  Ask the mayor to get this thing through, please,” Whitford said.

Whitford and several others, including long-time local attorney Charles Hall, informed the city council last month that a qualified resident – Dan Hill – had submitted an application to serve as constable months ago. Yet that application has not been acted on by mayor or put to the city council for a vote.

Following Monday’s meeting, Teresi explained that since the discussion about constables came forward, two other individuals have also submitted applications. He said his plan is to review and vet all applications and come forward with an update on the process during the council’s August 20 work session.

The city charter states that the mayor shall appoint three constables to serve within the city. Currently there are two people serving as constable with one vacancy.

Jamestown attorney Charles Hall addresses the city council during its June voting session.

JAMESTOWN – Landlords in Jamestown are calling on Mayor Sam Teresi to appoint someone to the city’s vacant constable position.

During Monday night’s Jamestown City Council voting session, more than 25 people showed up with many of them there to show their support for a call to fill a long-vacant constable position in the city.

Attorney Charles Hall said the city charter says there shall be 3 constables appointed by mayor but currently, only two individuals are on the list.

“I would call upon the mayor to fill that position in accordance with the code, because currently the city is in violation of its own code, which says ‘there SHALL be three constables.’ It does not say there may be  or should be three constables, but it says ‘shall.’  So I look to you to carry out that and provide us with a third constable so that we can continue to serve the city and keep properties up to par by getting rid of tenants who are creating problems,” Hall said.

Hall said the constables are needed because landlords in the city will often need to serve papers to tenants and the two current constables — Camille Krawczyk and Marie Hill — are unable to keep pace with the number of notices needed to be served.

Real Estate Investors Association of Jamestown president Harold Whitford was also on hand, and said that while the county sheriff’s office can also help with serving papers, it can take several days for a request to be handled.

The Jamestown City Council during it’s June 2018 voting session.

“The city needs this position,” Whitford said. “The residents of our city will suffer from evictions that are not carried out in a timely manner. If the sheriff’s office – it’s already over-burdened – if they start doing the city evictions, we’re going to be burdened with bad tenants over a longer period of time, causing more damage, less income, and it’s just not going to be good.”

Whitford said there is currently an application from Dan Hill to be a constable in the mayor’s office but so far he has not been appointed.

Following the meeting Teresi said he is currently in the process of vetting Hill’s application.

“[Hill] had expressed interest in the position back in 2014. Despite an indication that his personal residence was in the city on Forest Ave., it turned out that he was not a city resident. He has reapplied and his recent application has indicates again that he is a resident of Jamestown,” Teresi said. “The team that looks into and vets and reviews potential appointments for me is in the process of doing that. As soon as they get a report back to me, as with any appointment, that will be reviewed, discussed, and the determination will be made. The matter will then be brought forward to the city council for its consideration and approval.”

Teresi also said that while the city charter calls for three constables, it’s sometimes hard to keep all three positions filled due to lack of interest or qualifications from prospective residents.

The constable position comes at no cost to the city. The individuals are appointed and work out payment agreements with the landlords or attorneys that request for papers to be served. They are required to meet some qualifications, including taking classes prior to starting, having their own insurance, and being a city resident.

Andy Goodell

MAYVILLE – New York State Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R-Jamestown) will be heading back to Albany in January to represent the 150^th Assembly district. The incumbent easily defeated democratic challenger Dr. Rudy Mueller (D-Lakewood) by 10,000 votes. According to votechautauqua.com, Goodell unofficially received 28,810 votes – or 61 percent of the electorate. The total does not reflect absentee ballots.

Senator Cathy Young (R-Olean) will also be returning to Albany. She won a fourth consecutive full term in Albany, running unopposed. Young was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 2005 following the death of Pat McGee. She was elected to her first, full term in office in 2006.

In the Race for Chautauqua County Judge, incumbent Republican John Ward easily won reelection to a third consecutive term, defeating Democratic challenger William Coughlin. Ward received nearly 30,000 votes to Coughlin’s 17,000 – giving him a margin of victory of over 25 percent.

The only two other contested local races took place in to nearby towns. In the race for Carroll Town Council, Democrat Patty Ekstrom defeated republican Harold Whitford.  In the race for Busti Town Council, Todd Hanson ( R) defeated Bill Burk (D).