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.

On Tuesday Governor Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders announced a final agreement on new legislation to combat heroin and prescription opioid abuse in New York State.

The package of three bills includes wide-ranging initiatives to address the state’s current heroin and opioid crisis, including provisions to limit the over-prescription of opioids and remove barriers to access for inpatient treatment and medication. The legislation aims to address issues and concerns raised by individuals in recovery, families, and treatment providers across the state.

More details can be found online at the governor’s website.

Meanwhile New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help by calling the state’s HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).

Earlier this year the task force was charged with developing a comprehensive plan to combat the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic.

The Task Force’s key recommendations include:

• mandating prescriber education on pain management and addiction,
• reducing the number of days for first-time opioid prescriptions for acute pain from 30 to seven,
• requiring consumer education on prescription opioids, increasing public outreach and awareness,
• eliminating prior authorization for needed inpatient treatments and medications to treat addiction,
• expanding access to overdose-reversal medication, increasing treatment beds and opioid treatment program slots,
• expanding access to spaces and supports for individuals in recovery,
• and updating the controlled substances schedule.

Complete details of all recommendations can be found at the Governor’s website.

The governor’s also reminds New Yorkers who struggling with an addiction, or who have loved ones who are struggling, that they can find help by calling the State’s HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).

The New York State Assembly Chambers

ALBANY – There’s just eight days remaining in the current legislative session in Albany and a group of lawmakers are pushing for the passage of legislation to help fight heroin and opioid abuse and addiction.

Members of the State Assembly’s Minority Conference – including representative Joe Giglio (R-Gowanda) who represents Cattaraugus County – joined with parents and representatives from advocacy organizations on Wednesday to call on the Legislature and governor to take immediate action and pass legislation before the end of the legislative session on June 16.

in January the Assembly Minority Task Force on Heroin Addiction & Community Response issued a report that included, in part, the HELP (Heroin Elimination & Prevention) Plan and several recommendations.

Through those recommendations, Republicans in the Assembly have developed legislation that includes:

• Creating the class E felony of criminal possession of fentanyl, a highly-addictive painkiller that has been linked to heroin overdoses (A.9098, Graf);
• Requiring the Department of Health to establish limitations on the amount of certain Schedule II controlled substances, most notably opioids, that can be prescribed during a course of treatment (A.9585, Giglio);
• Requiring insurance companies to cover at least seven days of detoxification treatment and 30 days of rehabilitation services for substance abuse disorders (A.9604, Giglio);
• Enabling family members to help their loved ones who are suffering from addiction by creating involuntary admission procedures (Marchman Act) through the courts (A.9619, Graf);
• Providing that possession of 40 or more individual packages of heroin or a heroin mixture is presumptive evidence of a person’s intent to sell, thereby increasing the severity of the crime (A.9749, Graf); and
• Improving the operations of sober homes by requiring their certification and requiring inspections to ensure adequate conditions for individuals residing in them (A.9794, Graf).
• Establishing the “Officer Randolph Holder’s Law” – which aims to honor the memory of fallen NYPD Officer Randolph Holder by making necessary reforms to keep drug dealers with multiple felony convictions behind bars.

In May the New York State Senate Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction released its own report summarizing findings and recommendations resulting from forums held across the state. That report also included comprehensive legislative recommendations to address shortcomings in the state’s heroin and opioid prevention and treatment-delivery strategies, as well as a four-tiered approach to combating the heroin epidemic- prevention, treatment, recovery and enforcement.

It’s not yet known if any of the proposed legislation from either the Republicans in the state Assembly or the in the Senate will be taken up before the June 16 legislative session deadline.

On Friday, County Executive Vince Horrigan and County Community Mental Hygiene Services Director Patricia Brinkman announced a Community Forum focused on the continuing prevention efforts to combat drug use will be held on March 16, 2014 at 9 a.m. at Chautauqua Suites Hotel and Expo Center, 215 W. Lake Rd. in Mayville.

The Community Drug Forum will feature experts who will discuss current treatment practices, impacts of drug abuse, and community involvement in organizing efforts to combat addiction. Anticipated speakers include Michael Fox, Allison Sharer and Dr. Robert Meyers.

• Michael Fox, Research Associate from the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, will share perspectives and approaches specific to adolescent co-occurring disorders and moving toward risk reduction approaches.
• Allison Sharer, Director of Prevention Programs with Drug Free Action Alliance, will be speaking on community coalition building focused on prevention.
• Dr. Robert Meyers is an emeritus research associate professor of psychology who worked in the clinical research branch at the University of New Mexico’s Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addiction for over 22 years. He will be presenting a treatment model that motivates and encourages substance abusers to seek help called the Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), which is featured on the HBO documentary, Addiction.

“The Forum will include presentations to guide the community’s role in continuing prevention and treatment efforts including new training models, prevention and community engagement,” said Brinkman. “This is a multifaceted problem facing each of us either within our families, or through our profession and will require innovative strategies that involve law enforcement, treatment programs, crisis services, prevention efforts and funding sources.”

The Community Drug Forum will focus on updating the community about accomplishments achieved since the previous forum in March of 2014. Committees were formed in the spring of 2014 to focus on steering the overall effort, prevention, policy and legislation, law enforcement and treatment. Each committee will be represented and will be reporting their progress since the last forum.

For more information concerning the Community Drug Forum, contact the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene at (716) 753-4104 or the County Executive’s Office at (716) 753-4211.

The program, entitled “Striking Back at the White Plague” is being presented by the Health Care Action Team (HCAT) of Jamestown’s Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission.

The program will be held in Jamestown Community College’s Scharmann Theater at 7 p.m. Sept. 11 and is FREE to the public.

The evening includes presentations by several experts in the field of addiction. They will describe the scope of the problem and its underlying causes, highlight the tragic consequences on both individuals and families, identify the damaging domino affects including crimes, and discuss treatment options.

The event is co-sponsored by United Way, Jamestown Community College, City of Jamestown, Chautauqua County Government, Jamestown Public Schools, Mental Health Association, Chautauqua Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council, The Resource Center, Burgett & Robbins LLP, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, WCA Hospital, Jamestown Area Medical Associates and the Post-Journal.

The evening will conclude with a question and answer period; refreshments will be served.

Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan and Chautauqua County Community Mental Hygiene Services Director Patricia Brinkman say the two forums will focus on the growing epidemic of Opiate use and abuse in Chautauqua County.

The first program will be held on August 4, 2014 from 9 a.m. to noon at Jamestown Community College’s Carnahan Building.

A second forum that same day will be from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Jamestown Community College North County Training Center on Bennett Road in Dunkirk. These forums are open to all community members and will focus on the same issues and topics featured in the initial Community Drug Forum that took place earlier this year. No pre-registration is required.

From the initial Community Drug Forum earlier this year came a Steering Committee made up of representatives from county government, law enforcement, mental health and chemical dependency agency leaders, media, and members of the business community. They developed smaller sub group Action Teams that will individually focus on Court/Law Enforcement/Probation, PR/Media, Treatment, Advocacy, and Education/Prevention. These Action Teams are open to the community and those interested are encouraged to join their efforts. For more information on how to join, contact Sue Hawley at (716) 753-4104.

For more information concerning the Community Forum, contact the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene by calling (716) 753-4104, or the County Executive’s Office by calling (716) 753-4211.

Recognizing the gravity of the epidemic and the reality of widespread heroin and opioid abuse, Seneca Nation President Barry E. Snyder Sr. and other Seneca tribal leaders Wednesday joined Senator Cathy Young (R-Olean) and several other state representatives in co-hosting an historic joint forum to address heroin and opioid addiction in local communities. The event took place on the Cattaraugus Reservation outside of Irving.

Among those in attendance was Senator Phil Boyle, who chairs the New York State Senate’s Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction.

Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan also took part in the forum, which marked the first time that state and tribal governments have joined forces and held an official joint effort.

Heroin has become a growing epidemic across the nation with families devastated by addiction. The drug has also been a growing problem in Western New York, and communities in Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus County, the Seneca territories have not been exempt from the negative impact.

According to reports, New York State accounts for about 20 percent of the heroin seized by the federal drug agents, with the rate of seizures in New York growing by 67 percent over the last five years alone. Opioid and heroin overdoses in New York also killed over 2,000 people in 2011 – that’s twice as many people as it did in 2004.

As reported by the Post-Journal, Chautauqua County also experienced an increase in felony and misdemeanor drug arrests last year. At 399, drug arrests were up from an average of 359 over the previous nine years. In Jamestown, the number of drug arrests relating specifically to heroin increased dramatically, from just nine in 2011 to 27 in 2013.

Senator Young said that because heroin abuse has grown to overwhelming levels, she and other officials recognized the need to work together on finding effective solutions. They will take the input gathered from Wednesday’s forum and use it to help craft legislation in the ongoing battle against the drug.

The Seneca Nation of Indians’ “Drug and Alcohol Abuse Task Force” and
 State Senator Cathy Young (R-Olean), as a member of the New York State Senate’s “Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction,” are co-hosting a roundtable to examine the rise in heroin abuse, addiction treatment and prevention, and the potential for drug-related crime and other negative community impacts as a result of the burgeoning heroin and opioid abuse problem in Western New York.

According to Senator Young’s office, it is an historic event because it is the first time state and tribal governments have held an official joint
effort.

The forum will include members of both task forces; law enforcement; treatment providers; local government officials; experts in the fields of education, mental health, and substance abuse; and other stakeholders and individuals from Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus County, the Seneca territories, and the surrounding area who have been directly affected by heroin and opioid abuse.

The State Senate’s Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse has  already has hosted 18 forums across the state. The task force has been formulating legislation and recommendations based on the input received at all of the forums.

The forum begins at 1 p.m. and is being held on the Cattaraugus Indian reservation in Irving.