Warrensburg residents debate town's future

WARRENSBURG | During the first town board meeting open to the public in more than a year, local citizens debated aspects of the town's future prospects, addressing such topics as economic vitality, whether to allow cannabis stores in town, and the development of housing and solar arrays. Local resident and business proprietor Kathy Ferullo focused on the local economy in a 25-minute discussion with town board members during their June 9 meeting. She questioned the work and campaign statements of town board member Rich Larkin, a candidate for town supervisor. She queried both his ongoing efforts to revive Hickory Hill ski center and his idea of recruiting Cabela's sporting goods to build a new outlet near Northway Exit 23. She said efforts to accomplish a revitalization of Hickory hill had been going on for 50 years but had not made progress. "I'd like to know if you have a business plan," she said, noting that for the ski center to be viable, water needed to be drawn from a local river, at great expense, to feed snowmaking equipment. "Before things are promised about what can happen…..you have to do a lot of research," she said, questioning whether developing Hickory Hill into a town recreational venue would raise local taxes. Larkin, however, has been working with a group of local residents independently of the town to revitalize Hickory Hill, and although he has suggested town support, town supervisor Kevin Geraghty has declined to commit taxpayer dollars to the effort. Bringing Cabela's to Exit 23 wouldn't provide many benefits to Warrensburg, she said, because the tax revenue would go to Lake George, as it did with the Price Chopper Plaza development. The plaza was developed in the town of Lake George just across the Warrensburg town border. Ferullo said that the town government should do whatever they can to help small businesses prosper, in the face of competition from "big box" stores. She said that the board was trying to bring big businesses to town yet their efforts, if successful, were likely to "destroy" existing small businesses. She also noted that the Price Chopper plaza received a tax abatement for 10 years, while small local businesses got no such help from the town. She also observed that the plaza drew one business away from its former site in Warrensburg, noting the drain on local tax revenue. "The townspeople and the town board do not patronize the businesses that we have already," she said, noting that over 26 years, she had only seen one town board member in her store — and that these local enterprises need the town's full support. Larkin responded that Ferullo "had a lot of really good points." He said that he had invested a lot of work as a volunteer rebuilding facilities at Hickory Hill, and the ski center's revitalization was backed by a group of prominent Warrensburg business leaders. "I have the opinion that Warrensburg benefits by having that property open on a year-round basis for recreational use," he said, adding that much-needed housing could be developed on portions of the Hickory Hill property. He also said that affordable housing is likely to be developed on town property on King Street beside the former town garage. Earlier this year, community leaders have hailed the effort to revive Hickory Hill, saying that the venue would offer Warrensburg youth and adults an outstanding venue for skiing, mountain biking, sledding, and snowboarding. Decision pending on allowing cannabis stores in Wbg. Later in the June 8 meeting, town attorney Robert Hafner advised board members that they have to decide before Jan. 1 whether or not to prohibit cannabis retail stores in town. According to state legislation, a decision to ban marijuana dispensaries could be changed in the future, but a decision to allow them would prevail permanently, he said. Hafner also noted that cannabis sales would be subject to a nine-percent tax, and the town would receive one-third of the money. Town Code Enforcement Officer Jim Hull voiced support for allowing cannabis stores in town, citing that other nearby municipalities would likely sell it, and the town would lose substantial tax revenue if it banned local dispensaries. He said that if the town decides to ban such stores, it would lose out on many thousands of dollars in state community grants for education, job training, human services, and after-school programs. "Any town that opts out will get zero of the money that is to go to any of these things — and as a taxpayer, I think that's ridiculous," he said, noting that cannabis is predicted to become a multi-billion-dollar industry nationally. "It's a legal product. There are people in this town that smoke pot and bake cookies with it." Geraghty said that the discussion would resume at the July 14 town board meeting. In other business, former Warren County Sheriff Bud York, a candidate for Warrensburg town supervisor, questioned the board and Hafner repeatedly about the status of two solar farms now located in town, whether they were actually generating electricity or yielding revenue, as contracted, for the town. Both are situated on townland — one is located behind York's home, and the other is located adjacent to the town's wastewater treatment plant. Hafner estimated that the town was receiving a $22,000 credit on its annual electric bill, but he and Geraghty said they had attempted many times over recent years to contact the solar developers, but they weren't responding. "They are providing a benefit to the town," Hefner said. "Not if you are living 100 feet from them," York said, referring to the one behind his home. Geraghty said the town might attempt to take ownership of the solar arrays, if they provided reasonable benefits, or remove them if they weren't. "I'd appreciate that," York said.

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Warrensburg residents debate town's future

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