SUNY JCC President Daniel DeMarte, Student Ambassador Tiago Aguilar of Brazil, Chancellor King, Student Ambassador Cassidy Vincent of South Dayton, N.Y., and Student Ambassador Anita Kolombintseva of Saint Petersburg, Russia.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King visited Jamestown Community College Monday.

The chancellor was appointed by the SUNY Board of Trustees earlier this year. His visit was part of an effort to tour each of the 64 institutions within the SUNY System.

Chancellor King spent the morning visiting the Jamestown Campus while chatting with student ambassadors and JCC President Dr. Daniel DeMarte.

They toured the Manufacturing Technology Institute and residence halls, then observed an Industrial Maintenance Technician class, and dropped by the Nursing department. The chancellor then met with faculty and staff to discuss how SUNY can support the college, and closed out the morning with members of JCC’s President’s Cabinet.

Deborah Stanley

The State University of New York Board of Trustees has appointed SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley as interim chancellor.

Stanley will replace current Chancellor Jim Malatras who has submitted his resignation. Her term begins January 15, 2022.

Calls for Malatras’ resignation began following the release of transcripts from the investigation into sexual harassment allegations against former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The documents show text messages from Malatras mocking one of Cuomo’s accusers, Lindsey Boylan, in 2019.

Stanley brings nearly 45 years of campus leadership to SUNY, having spent 25 of those as President of the State University of New York at Oswego. She earned her baccalaureate degree with honors and juris doctor degree from Syracuse University.

The SUNY Board of Trustees will begin a search for a permanent Chancellor in January 2022.

Jim Malatras

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras is resigning effective January 14th.

Malatras sent his resignation letter to SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Merryl Tisch Thursday.

WNYT reports this comes after several members of the New York State Assembly, including the Higher Education Committee Chair, called for his resignation after reports of disturbing text messages and emails sent by Malatras were made public last week.

The messages were a part of the New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into sexual harassment allegations against former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

On Thursday, the SUNY Board of Trustees held a special meeting virtually. They showed appreciation for Malatras’s efforts, while the SUNY Student Assembly believes this was the best way to move forward.

Sheldon House (photo by SUNY JCC)

MAYVILLE – A group of residents have challenged the Jamestown Zoning Board of Appeals’ decision to grant a variance for the Sheldon House.

The Post-Journal is reporting that city residents Paul Leone, Ann Servoss and Timothy Mills filed a petition on May 31 to challenge the ruling in the state Supreme Court in Mayville.

At issue is whether or not the zoning board properly granted a variance for the Sheldon House, located at the corner of Lakeview Ave. and Falconer St., to be used as a business office. The property sits in an area zoned for residential use only, and the variance was needed to help pave the way for the Lynn Development Group to purchase the property from Jamestown Community College. On May 4 the zoning board granted the variance, despite Leone and others appearing before the board and speaking against the variance, saying the case didn’t meet the hardship requirements necessary to allow a variance to be issued.

According to the Post-Journal, the group of residents challenging the variance would like the appeal to be heard on June 28 or as soon as possible.

Meanwhile the SUNY board of trustees were scheduled to take up the $250,000 sale of the property during its June meeting and finalize the agreement between the Lynn Group and JCC. It’s unknown if the appeal will delay the board from acting on the sale.

Lawmakers took action on the resolution Wednesday night during their May voting session. As one of the three hosting municipalities for JCC, the legislature was required to sign off on the sale before it can be reviewed and approved by the SUNY Board of Trustees next month. Both the city of Jamestown and Cattaraugus County – the two other hosting municipalities – have also given approval.

The sale has been met opposition by some residents on Lakeview Ave. where the property is located. They would rather see the home used for residential purposes only rather than for office use, as intended by the Lynn Group.

Earlier this month the Jamestown zoning board granted a zoning variance for the property, which is located in an area zoned for residential use only. The residents opposed to the variance have until June 4 to challenge it in Supreme Court.

Meanwhile the legislature also unanimously approved a local law permitting the sale and use of sparklers between June 1 and July 5 and Dec. 26 to Jan. 2. County executive Vince Horrigan is required to hold a public hearing on the law prior to signing it.

The Jamestown City Council during its May 2016 voting session.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council has given its approval to Jamestown Community College selling the historic Sheldon House to the Lynn Development Group.

On Monday night the council voted 8-0 in favor of JCC selling the Lakeview Ave. property for $250,000. Jamestown City Council President Greg Rabb, who works for JCC but also lives on Lakeview Ave, was absent from the meeting, although he had also gone on record as being in favor of the sale.

Earlier in the meeting Lakeview Ave. resident Paul Leone spoke to the council for the third consecutive week, again voicing his opposition to the sale because Lynn Development plans to use the property for its central offices, which required a zoning variance. Leone and others on the street would prefer to see the house used for residential use only, rather than for business use.

Leone argued that the zoning variance approved earlier this month by the city zoning board shouldn’t have been granted because there had been other offers to purchase the home, including one from an individual who offered more than what Lynn Development had offered to pay.

Sheldon House (photo by SUNY JCC)

“He had increased his bid for the Sheldon House to more than what the Lynn Development had offered,” Leone said. “He told me he had place his bid with Turner Broker in April. Now why it was not executed until after the [May 4] zoning board hearing is up to anyone’s imagination. But that totally destroys the claim that there is a hardship on that property, in that there is nobody willing to buy the property for a single family residence.”

JCC President Cory Duckworth also addressed the council, and responded to Leone’s comments, explaining that the offer that came in higher than the Lynn Group’s offer was actually an 11th hour  offer that came in after the process of working out a sale with the Lynn Group were well under way.

“Indeed the offer that was referred to by Mr. Leone came into our office today (Monday). The value is $100 more than what Lynn Development had offered,” Duckworth said. “In any case, we have not been considering those offers but they’re being held in abeyance. If for any reason we’re not successful in moving forward to selling to Lynn, we would at that point begin looking at the offers that have been essentially put on hold.”

In addition to Leone and Duckworth, Lakeview Ave. resident and area attorney Charles Hall also addressed the council, explaining that while there are some in the neighborhood who oppose the sale, the majority of the residents who live in the immediate vicinity of the Sheldon House, including himself, are in favor of seeing it sold to the Lynn Group.

As a hosting municipality to the college, the city is required to sign off on any property transactions involving JCC. Both Cattaraugus County and Chautauqua County are also required to approve the sale, with the Chautauqua County legislature taking up the issue on Wednesday night. The Cattaraugus County legislature has already given its approval.

Once all hosting municipalities have signed off on the sale it will go to the SUNY Board of Trustees next month for its review and approval.

Lakeview Ave. resident Paul Leone (center) addresses members of the Jamestown City Council during the May 17, 2016 council work session. Leone is requesting the council deny giving approval for JCC to sell the Sheldon House to the Lynn Group so it can be used as corporate offices.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council does not have the authority to overturn a recent decision by the city zoning board to provide a variance to the Sheldon House.

City attorney Marilyn Lehman and city council member Tony Dolce offered the explanation during Monday night’s city council work session after a city resident spoke to the council to request they consider overturning the variance.

City Resident Paul Leone, who lives on Lakeview Ave. across the street from the Sheldon House, appeared before the council for the second week in a row to again request that city officials consider preventing the Sheldon House sale from Jamestown Community College to the Lynn Group not be allowed.

Leone said he doesn’t feel the zoning variance granted earlier this month by Zoning Board to the Sheldon House didn’t meet the hardship requirements required under law and as a result the council should overturn the zoning board’s ruling.

But both Lehman and Dolce explained that the zoning board is a separate governing board that works independently of the city council and as a result the council does not have the authority to overturn the ruling. They did say, however, that any resident who wishes to challenge the ruling with judicial review, so long as its filed within 30 days of the ruling.

As a hosting municipality for JCC, the city council is required to act on approving any property transaction involving JCC, with the Sheldon House sale to be considered later this month during the council’s voting session.  Leone did ask that the council vote down the sale, based his and other residents’ feelings that the zoning variance shouldn’t have been approved.

The Lynn Group wants to purchase the historic Sheldon House from JCC for $240,000 and use a portion of the property for office space. Because the property is in a residential zoned area, a zoning variance had to be granted before the sale could take place.

The council will act on giving its approval of the sale during its May 23 voting session. The Chautauqua County Legislature is also required to sign-off on the sale and will do so during its May 25 voting session. The Cattaraugus County Legislature has already given its approval.

If all three hosting municipalities give approval, the sale will then go to the SUNY Board of Trustees in Albany for its final review and approval.

The Jamestown Zoning Board of Appeals during its May 5, 2016 meeting.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Zoning Board of Appeals has approved a variance for the Sheldon House to be designated as a C1 commercial space. The move clears the way for Jamestown Community College to sell the property, located on the corner of Lakeview Ave. and Falconer Street in an area zoned for residential use only, to the Lynn Development Group for $240,000. The final vote was 5 to 1.

Sheldon House (photo by SUNY JCC)

Lynn Development, which owns and operates various properties throughout the Jamestown area, plans to use the home for their corporate offices, while also using it as a community meeting space on a limited basis. A member of the Lynn staff, who will help with the upkeep of the property, would also live in the home.

Prior to voting on the matter, the zoning board spent nearly an hour and a half hearing from legal representatives from both JCC and the Lynn Group along with a dozen members of the public who spoke both for and against the variance.

JCC Attorney Steve Abdella explained to the board that the request meets the hardship criteria required for a variance to be granted, which includes no other option that provides a reasonable rate of return, the uniqueness of the property, that the purchase to Lynn wouldn’t alter the character of the neighborhood, and that the financial hardship JCC’s has endured while owning the property has not been self-created.

However, local attorney Neil Robinson – who represents the Lakeview Area Community Action Project (LACAP) – argued against Abdella’s reasoning.

Attorney Neil Robinson, who represents the Lakeview Area Community Action Project (LACAP), addresses the Jamestown Zoning Board of Appeals during its May 4, 2016 meeting.

“JCC may have some financial problems with the Sheldon House but that’s not the issue. That’s not the test,” said Robinson. “The courts in New York have upheld that if you can sell a property for permitted use, even if it is for less money than the property sale would be with a variance, it’s insufficient to show the land can’t yield a reasonable return.”

Robinson also pointed out that a second prospective buyer, area resident John Lampard, has said he would offer $200,000 to purchase the property for residential use, yet JCC has not attempted to negotiate that offer, with Abdella saying the offer by Lampard is not a cash or “as is” offer and is contingent on an inspection. As a result JCC considers it as a statement of interest and not an actual offer to purchase.

In addition to Robinson, several others spoke on the matter, including some residents in the neighborhood who were in favor of selling the Sheldon House to the Lynn Group. However –LACAP president Marijka Lampard presented a petition to the board that had the signature of 53 residents from the Lakeview area who were opposed to the sale.

Following the board’s decision to give the variance, Lynn Group president and CEO Jason Spain said his group is pleased with the decision, but also wanted to assure residents that they will do everything they can to be good neighbors.

Lynn Development Group founder and chairman Gary Lynn (foreground) listens while members of the public address Jamestown Zoning Board of Appeals during its May 4, 2016 meeting.

“We want to make sure that we’re a good neighbor. That we’re a good resource for the community,” Spain said. “We certainly understand the points that were raised by the opposing party but we’re going to work hard to hopefully bridge those gaps, become a good citizen in that neighborhood and hopefully they’ll see the value in having Lynn Development on their team.”

Despite the zoning board’s decision, the issue may not be over. Those who disagree with the vote do have the option to challenge the zoning board’s decision through judicial review, although they must request that review within 30 days. Marijka Lampard has said it’s something her group will be considering.

“The proposal for the Lynn Group was pre-decided several months ago. Today is just an exercise,” Lampard said. “All four criteria for a variance needed to be present. All four criteria were not present, therefore today’s decision was illegal.”

Even without an effort to challenge the zoning board’s decision, the move into the Sheldon Home won’t happen immediately. Spain says that Lynn Development still has to wait for the college to officially approve and finalize the sale – which requires review from the SUNY Board of Trustees, whose next meeting isn’t until June 21.

Adopted by the SUNY Board of Trustees, the plan includes a Chief Diversity Officer for every SUNY campus as well as strategic plans to increase diversity among students, faculty, and staff. In addition, there will be a new tool to provide students with an opportunity to voluntarily self-identify their sexual orientation and gender identity.

“New York has a long and proud history of embracing diversity, and our world-class SUNY system is no exception,” Governor Cuomo said. “With this new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy, we are once again sending a strong message that the Empire State is a national leader and a beacon of inclusion for all students.”

“As the public university system serving one of the nation’s most diverse states, it is essential that SUNY adapt to the evolving needs of all students,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Diversity is interwoven throughout our strategic plan, and now, as we implement a Completion Agenda with the goal of awarding 150,000 SUNY degrees per year by 2020, our commitment to diversity must be stronger than ever before. Thank you to the Board of Trustees and to all those who contributed through the Diversity Task Force for ensuring that SUNY will continue to be a national leader on important issues of equality.”

The new policy broadly defines diversity to include race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, age, socioeconomic status, status as a veteran, status as a student with a disability, first-generation students, and international students or those transferring between colleges. The policy aims to improve services and support for these students, ensure that SUNY’s student, faculty, and staff populations mirror that of New York State, as well as ensure that SUNY’s commitment to being welcoming and inclusive to all diverse populations is clear.