FLEMING - A standing-room only crowd of more than 70 witnessed a spirited debate on problems with summer rental properties along the west side of Owasco Lake at a public hearing Monday at the Fleming Town Hall.
Town Councilor John Sroka has proposed a new ordinance that would place greater restrictions on homeowners and business people who rent cottages and homes.
For instance, under what many called the most onerous restriction of the proposed law, all rentals would have to be at least for a minimum of one month. A review of Web sites touting rental options on both sides of Owasco Lake are often sold for just a week's time. Also, rental properties would have to be inspected every two years.
The ordinance, modeled after a similar law in the village of Moravia, was tabled after the hour-long public hearing. A committee will soon be set up to review the ordinance and recommend changes. Names and addresses of those interested in participating were taken down at the hearing.
There was general agreement on a few topics - most notably, that the overall nature of Owasco Lake has changed dramatically over the past 20 years as year-round properties replace the former summer cottages.
If an ordinance is passed that is overly restrictive, those most affected will likely challenge it in court.
Tom and Christine Izzo, both Auburn High School teachers, have six rental properties on Owasco Lake, three in Fleming. They would also like to develop a 15-acre parcel that has 48 feet of lake frontage into a single-family home area called Lakewood Landing, and tear down the aging West Lake Road Mobile Home Park to build townhouses.
While there are more residents living year-round on Owasco Lake, the size of the lots have not gotten much bigger. There are numerous areas on both the east and west sides of Owasco Lake where homes are packed close together. Privacy is a concern when a new group of tenants comes in every week for the three months of summer.
The Izzos' attorney, Paul Curtin, Jr., said the proposed ordinance is like “hitting a mosquito with a shotgun.”
He questioned the constitutionality of some of its provisions, and wondered how a part-time code inspector could do the required enforcement and additional inspections.
Cayuga County director for Real Property Services, Al Kozlowski, is also the long-time head of the Owasco Lake Watershed Association. Kozlowski is concerned that ever-increasing development will continue to deteriorate the lake's water quality.
According to biologist John Halfman of the Finger Lakes Institute in Geneva, Owasco Lake has the poorest water quality of any of the major Finger Lakes.
Tom Driscoll lives on West Lake Road and said some distinction must be made between property owners like the Izzos who run their six units like a rental business and the homeowner that occasionally uses his abode to earn some cash by renting to family and friends.
“A single-family residence is a single-family residence. It's not a hotel, it's not a motel,” Driscoll said. “You have to have some sort of control over these people that are coming in.”
Several other lake residents also complained about noise and disruptions on summer nights. They said there are many instances when 10 to 12 people are living together in a small cottage of less than 700 square feet.
Driscoll knows such problems firsthand, and he doesn't see calling the police as a viable option in the long-term.
“If I called the cops every time there was a problem they'd lock me up,” he said.
While the Izzos were not singled out for being neglectful of problems involving tenants, the couple was adamant after the meeting that they take excellent care of their properties and work hard to be good neighbors.
The Izzos said they have had less than a handful of complaints from neighbors angry with one of their tenants over the past several years. Almost all of their tenants are extended families, they said, and while there is sometimes a large number of people in one house, they tend to be respectful of those around them.
They said a situation over Memorial Day where a neighbor called them to complain of excessive noise after midnight was handled promptly and satisfactorily the next day.
Bill Elkovitch has lake property in Niles and stressed that the vast majority of those renters are fairly affluent and are good customers for area restaurants, shops, and attractions.
After the public had been heard, Sroka noted the impressive turnout and said this was yet another indication that stricter controls must be established to keep Owasco Lake an enjoyable summer destination for tourists and local residents alike.
For instance, under what many called the most onerous restriction of the proposed law, all rentals would have to be at least for a minimum of one month. A review of Web sites touting rental options on both sides of Owasco Lake are often sold for just a week's time. Also, rental properties would have to be inspected every two years.
The ordinance, modeled after a similar law in the village of Moravia, was tabled after the hour-long public hearing. A committee will soon be set up to review the ordinance and recommend changes. Names and addresses of those interested in participating were taken down at the hearing.
There was general agreement on a few topics - most notably, that the overall nature of Owasco Lake has changed dramatically over the past 20 years as year-round properties replace the former summer cottages.
If an ordinance is passed that is overly restrictive, those most affected will likely challenge it in court.
Tom and Christine Izzo, both Auburn High School teachers, have six rental properties on Owasco Lake, three in Fleming. They would also like to develop a 15-acre parcel that has 48 feet of lake frontage into a single-family home area called Lakewood Landing, and tear down the aging West Lake Road Mobile Home Park to build townhouses.
While there are more residents living year-round on Owasco Lake, the size of the lots have not gotten much bigger. There are numerous areas on both the east and west sides of Owasco Lake where homes are packed close together. Privacy is a concern when a new group of tenants comes in every week for the three months of summer.
The Izzos' attorney, Paul Curtin, Jr., said the proposed ordinance is like “hitting a mosquito with a shotgun.”
He questioned the constitutionality of some of its provisions, and wondered how a part-time code inspector could do the required enforcement and additional inspections.
Cayuga County director for Real Property Services, Al Kozlowski, is also the long-time head of the Owasco Lake Watershed Association. Kozlowski is concerned that ever-increasing development will continue to deteriorate the lake's water quality.
According to biologist John Halfman of the Finger Lakes Institute in Geneva, Owasco Lake has the poorest water quality of any of the major Finger Lakes.
Tom Driscoll lives on West Lake Road and said some distinction must be made between property owners like the Izzos who run their six units like a rental business and the homeowner that occasionally uses his abode to earn some cash by renting to family and friends.
“A single-family residence is a single-family residence. It's not a hotel, it's not a motel,” Driscoll said. “You have to have some sort of control over these people that are coming in.”
Several other lake residents also complained about noise and disruptions on summer nights. They said there are many instances when 10 to 12 people are living together in a small cottage of less than 700 square feet.
Driscoll knows such problems firsthand, and he doesn't see calling the police as a viable option in the long-term.
“If I called the cops every time there was a problem they'd lock me up,” he said.
While the Izzos were not singled out for being neglectful of problems involving tenants, the couple was adamant after the meeting that they take excellent care of their properties and work hard to be good neighbors.
The Izzos said they have had less than a handful of complaints from neighbors angry with one of their tenants over the past several years. Almost all of their tenants are extended families, they said, and while there is sometimes a large number of people in one house, they tend to be respectful of those around them.
They said a situation over Memorial Day where a neighbor called them to complain of excessive noise after midnight was handled promptly and satisfactorily the next day.
Bill Elkovitch has lake property in Niles and stressed that the vast majority of those renters are fairly affluent and are good customers for area restaurants, shops, and attractions.
After the public had been heard, Sroka noted the impressive turnout and said this was yet another indication that stricter controls must be established to keep Owasco Lake an enjoyable summer destination for tourists and local residents alike.
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are 1 comment(s)
tome8689 wrote on Jun 12, 2007 6:35 PM: