FLEMING - A proposed law that would create a registry of all rental properties in the town of Fleming was tabled Monday night after a public hearing that once again saw some heated discussion over the contentious issue.
Two other public hearings were also held - one regarding restaurant owner Sean Lattimore's ambitious plans to convert the historic Sand Beach Church into a wedding chapel and reception hall, and the other for James Langler's proposal to add rental storage units behind the mobile home park he owns, Moraine Manor.
Under the proposed law, all homes that are rented out, and not resided in by the owner, would be affected.
It would not cover homeowners who rent their homes for a few weeks each summer season.
After deciding that more information was needed to craft a law that would stand up to both legal and future public scrutiny, the matter was tabled and a special committee will continue to discuss the options and merits.
The proposal would require all rental properties to be inspected every two years and that they would have to require all of the strict regulations currently enforced on all new housing.
Attorney Paul Curtin Jr. said more details needed to be in the law and the board agreed to the specifics of New York state's fire and building code.
Fleming code enforcement officer Fred Delaney said such routine inspections would be extremely difficult under the part-time hours he now works.
Town supervisor James Young said the law would be ineffectual unless there were some penalties for non-compliance.
Resident Joe Leonardi believes the proposed law “needs more teeth in it,” and said problems with loud and unruly renters during the summer has never been a problem with homeowners who rent their places only occasionally because they “want to keep good care of their homes” and won't rent to anyone they don't trust.
The board did take decisive action on the Lattimore proposal. Lattimore closed on the sale of the historic church, built in the mid-1800s, last week.
Having restored one of Cayuga County's most famous landmarks over the past several years, the Springside Inn, Lattimore said the first receptions will be held at the church before the first of November.
Although the space is remarkably well suited to compliment his nearby inn, a kitchen will be installed before next summer.
The board unanimously approved the proposal. After the vote, many in the crowd applauded the popular innkeeper.
Langler wants to build 19 storage units at his park.
Langler said he would prefer to have the storage units rather than add additional mobile homes, and he noted that he pays $13,000 a year in property taxes.
He also wanted to rent most of the units to current tenants, but added that he couldn't guarantee those from outside the park might also rent them.
A homeowner with three children whose property is adjacent to Moraine Manor, Matt Brew, was concerned about additional traffic and noise.
“I'm not in favor of this by any means,” said Brew, adding later as he gestured to a site plan map, “It's going to bring people we don't want down these roads.”
The request for a Planned Development Proposal - a change to how a property can be used - was denied to Langler by a 5-0 vote.
In other business:
* David Carr of the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology (IAGT), a not-for-profit company based at Cayuga Community College, gave a presentation on how IAGT's highly-innovative systems could help in lake watershed management and planning for future town development.
* The board agreed to improvements at neglected Oakwood Cemetary on Gelpin Hill, which is in a wooded area about a half-mile from the traffic circle near Emerson Park. Efforts will also begin to coordinate cleanup efforts involving work crews from minimum-security Butler Correctional Facility in Wayne County, and from the Cayuga County Jail.
* A proposal to extend a home-building moratorium to include the entire Owasco Lake Watershed area in the town was discussed at length, with both board members and the public noting that the presentation from IAGT means that important tools are now available to help in future planning. A public hearing on the issue is set for October 8.
Under the proposed law, all homes that are rented out, and not resided in by the owner, would be affected.
It would not cover homeowners who rent their homes for a few weeks each summer season.
After deciding that more information was needed to craft a law that would stand up to both legal and future public scrutiny, the matter was tabled and a special committee will continue to discuss the options and merits.
The proposal would require all rental properties to be inspected every two years and that they would have to require all of the strict regulations currently enforced on all new housing.
Attorney Paul Curtin Jr. said more details needed to be in the law and the board agreed to the specifics of New York state's fire and building code.
Fleming code enforcement officer Fred Delaney said such routine inspections would be extremely difficult under the part-time hours he now works.
Town supervisor James Young said the law would be ineffectual unless there were some penalties for non-compliance.
Resident Joe Leonardi believes the proposed law “needs more teeth in it,” and said problems with loud and unruly renters during the summer has never been a problem with homeowners who rent their places only occasionally because they “want to keep good care of their homes” and won't rent to anyone they don't trust.
The board did take decisive action on the Lattimore proposal. Lattimore closed on the sale of the historic church, built in the mid-1800s, last week.
Having restored one of Cayuga County's most famous landmarks over the past several years, the Springside Inn, Lattimore said the first receptions will be held at the church before the first of November.
Although the space is remarkably well suited to compliment his nearby inn, a kitchen will be installed before next summer.
The board unanimously approved the proposal. After the vote, many in the crowd applauded the popular innkeeper.
Langler wants to build 19 storage units at his park.
Langler said he would prefer to have the storage units rather than add additional mobile homes, and he noted that he pays $13,000 a year in property taxes.
He also wanted to rent most of the units to current tenants, but added that he couldn't guarantee those from outside the park might also rent them.
A homeowner with three children whose property is adjacent to Moraine Manor, Matt Brew, was concerned about additional traffic and noise.
“I'm not in favor of this by any means,” said Brew, adding later as he gestured to a site plan map, “It's going to bring people we don't want down these roads.”
The request for a Planned Development Proposal - a change to how a property can be used - was denied to Langler by a 5-0 vote.
In other business:
* David Carr of the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology (IAGT), a not-for-profit company based at Cayuga Community College, gave a presentation on how IAGT's highly-innovative systems could help in lake watershed management and planning for future town development.
* The board agreed to improvements at neglected Oakwood Cemetary on Gelpin Hill, which is in a wooded area about a half-mile from the traffic circle near Emerson Park. Efforts will also begin to coordinate cleanup efforts involving work crews from minimum-security Butler Correctional Facility in Wayne County, and from the Cayuga County Jail.
* A proposal to extend a home-building moratorium to include the entire Owasco Lake Watershed area in the town was discussed at length, with both board members and the public noting that the presentation from IAGT means that important tools are now available to help in future planning. A public hearing on the issue is set for October 8.
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