The Plattsburgh Common Council spent the bulk of its meeting Thursday discussing whether a property on the former Air Force Base should be removed from the tax rolls and foreclosed on.
The Common Council began its meeting with a public hearing on the mayor’s proposed budget. No one commented. The regular meeting then began and following some routine items councilors agreed to consider two items they had tabled at their last meeting. One would authorize withdrawal of foreclosure and the other cancel the property tax lien for a property in disrepair located on the U.S. Oval on the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base.
Ward 6 Democrat Jeff Moore felt the city should explore how it can keep the property on the tax rolls.
“That is a very important building in the history of the city," asserted Moore. "I have seen in other communities, it’s not easy to do, where people have gotten together and figured out ways to remediate buildings like that. The Battle of 1812. There were two important forts there. There were battles fought here. This is our history. This is what made us what we are. I think we need to preserve everything we can. In the end we may fail, but we need to try.”
Ward 5 Democrat Caitlin Bopp said more options should be explored and a plan for the building’s future is needed.
“I don’t believe we should foreclose on it until we have explored those options and have more of a clear idea of what that path forward would be," said Bopp. "So right now removing it from the foreclosure list just takes it off that list for now. Dean and the mayor did confirm for me earlier that we can put it back on those lists and that we would also still have that standing option to buy the property for a dollar. So we do still have multiple avenues to take possession of this property if we cannot find appropriate paths. But I just don’t think that it needs to be something that we foreclose on now, taking on that liability and that risk and responsibility until we do have more of a clear idea of the path forward.”
Ward 1 Democrat Julie Baughn and Moore discussed the implications of again tabling the measures.
“So if we don’t table it and we try to find other avenues, what does that mean?" asked Baughn.
“This is to me something for community engagement," replied Moore. "We need to reach out to the people who live in that area and people who have a vested interest in that area and see if they could help us identify things.”
Councilors voted unanimously to again table the items.
During public comment several downtown business owners asked the council to reconsider its previous rejection of a hotel development project. Irises is a café and wine bar on City Hall Place. Owner Carol McLean was among the businesspeople who chastised councilors over comments made during their debates.
“I have to say that I did somewhat take offense to the comments that were made by councilors that voted against it," McLean said. "They didn’t feel that there was enough to do in downtown and you just don’t turn away a $35 million project. I would hope that you would reconsider.”
Steve Brodi, who owns several downtown businesses, agrees with McLean.
“I kind of resented the fact that they thought there wasn’t much in downtown Plattsburgh to do," said Brodi. "And in reality, I have property on Cornelia Street and I have property on Margaret Street. My downtown Plattsburgh market is exceeding the sales on Cornelia Street by 25 percent. There’s a lot of traffic in downtown Plattsburgh. People underestimate it. People are still stuck in the old there’s nothing happening in downtown. Plattsburgh downtown is alive, vibrant and exciting. The motel, the hotel, will bring in people and there’s plenty to do.”
