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Volume 217, No. 20
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, May 15, 2025
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Controversy Over Sale of 27 Market Street Ends in Vote of ‘No’ By MONICA CALZOLARI
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ONEONTA ensions ran high, once again, during the three-hour debate on the potential sale of 27 Market Street at the City of Oneonta Common Council meeting on Tuesday, May 6 at Oneonta High School. The muchanticipated decision resulted in five Common Council members voting against the sale and three voting in favor. The sale of this parcel of land on Market Street to Rehabilitation Support Services would have required six Common Council members, a majority, to vote in its favor. In the first few minutes of the meeting, Len Carson, Sixth Ward councilmember, set the tone for the meeting. Carson objected to Mayor Mark Drnek putting his remarks at the beginning of the agenda and listing “Council consideration” at the end of the agenda. He seemed to insinuate that the mayor was trying to silence the Common Council. Carson quoted the guidelines from a book on parliamentary procedures. City Attorney Dave Merzig came to the mayor’s defense several times. He said that according to the charter, the mayor “sets the agenda” and the mayor has “freedom of speech” to share his remarks at any point during the meeting. Mayor Drnek calmly decided, on the spot, to invite the members of the Common Council to speak in advance of his prepared remarks. He explained that he chose the order of the agenda to allow the public to share their comments for one hour and to leave the meeting after the vote regarding RSS. Shannon McHugh, Third Ward INSIDE ► Youth Start-ups showcased at competition, page 2 ► CSC climbers: ‘Show Up and show interest, page 3 ► Bridge replacement over unadilla river, page 3 ► much to like about newly elected pope leo XIV, page 4 ► magnet honor matters to many, page 4 ► water traiL to open, page 6 Follow Breaking News On
Photo provided
Photo by Monica Calzolari
Mayor Mark Drnek (center) thanked students from Hartwick College’s Institute of Public Service for assisting with the public hearing on May 6. Hannah Gilliand, at his left, accepted the Spirit of Oneonta award from Mayor Drnek on behalf of the institute. From left are: Cooper Cohen, Adilyam Imyarova, Gilliand, Mayor Drnek, Sophia Telvi, Zack Corbett and Amelia Williams.
Christine Nealon, director of strategic partnerships for Rehabilitation Support Services, addresses Common Council members and the audience one last time regarding the proposed sale of 27 Market Street.
councilmember, said regarding the sale of 27 Market Street to RSS, “This is something Mark is pushing for. He wants to leave this as his legacy. I just wanted to put out there that many of my ward have vocalized the need for a housing plan, the need for all demographics, not just one demographic.” “I was disturbed by the tone of the meeting we set at the Foothills’ meeting,” Mike Forster Rothbart, Seventh Ward councilmember, said. “I hope we can discuss the issues. I am glad to see so many people here. I hope you will comment on the facts and not attack other people.” Carson softened his tone and agreed with Forster Rothbart. “Remember, we are all neighbors,” Carson said.
garage should have been addressed by past city officials and lamented that “kicking the can is something we do.” He urged councilmembers and the audience not to kick the sale of 27 Market Street down the road, too. He said, “It has to start somewhere and 27 Market Street is our first shovelready parcel. It’s the first domino.”
Mayor Drnek presented his remarks, saying that “the city parcel at 27 Market is the first step in a plan for development that is the realization of a neighborhood, featuring all types of housing…market rate, supported, and work-force-affordable.” He said housing is the central issue and “the parking argument” is “a distraction.” “You all remember the garage? The dark, damp first and second floors…The dim, flickering lights… The stairwells that stunk of urine. The unease approaching your vehicle in the shadows and the memory of a murder.…” Mayor Drnek said. Members of the audience and some council members gasped. The mayor said that repairing the
Public Hearing Results About 21 Oneonta residents and Oneonta business owners spoke during the public hearing. Two more submitted correspondence that was read during the meeting. Sixteen people who spoke publicly said they were not in favor of the sale for various reasons. Several people said the contract favored RSS. Continued on page 11
Tourism Awakens with the Return of a Local Favorite
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FLY CREEK pring has officially arrived in Central New York—not just in the blooming trees, but in the welcome return of visitors exploring the Cooperstown region. One of the surest signs of the season is the opening of the Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard, now welcoming guests for its 169th year. Located just minutes from downtown Cooperstown, the historic Fly Creek Cider Mill offers sweet and hard ciders, mill-aged New York cheddar, buttercream fudge, and the scenic charm of its millpond boardwalk. A favorite spring ritual for many is spotting
Photo provided
Sebastopol geese with goslings along the Fly Creek Cider Mill’s millpond.
the newly-hatched goslings waddling alongside the mill’s
resident Sebastopol geese. “Tourism in Otsego County
is tied to the rhythm of the seasons, and the opening of Fly Creek Cider Mill is one of those signs that things are blooming— literally and figuratively,” said Cassandra Harrington, president and chief executive officer of Destination Marketing Corporation, Otsego County’s tourism promotion agency. “Were it not for tourism-generated state and local taxes, the average household in Otsego County would have to pay an additional $1,835.00 to maintain the same level of government revenue.” This spring’s tourism season is already showing signs of strength. Main Street is again Continued on page 11
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