tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post4853684165317527233..comments2023-11-06T05:41:18.292-05:00Comments on Lockport NY: HV Zoning Appeal ListMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897623569897105078noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-48351211262037749182010-01-06T19:53:45.121-05:002010-01-06T19:53:45.121-05:00Jack - I know you just answered respectfully so I ...Jack - I know you just answered respectfully so I am just joking here - but yes I do see I have some facts skewed I just noticed now it's being reported as a $9,000,000 project for 33 apartments! And you are right, my info is ust from papers so it might not be 100% accurate.<br /><br />Does Tucker realize for this $9M he could have hs flight of fve completed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-25475918054628373462010-01-05T17:24:50.489-05:002010-01-05T17:24:50.489-05:00Anon-I understand your concerns, I really do, they...Anon-I understand your concerns, I really do, they were my concerns also when we first started to investigate Housing Visions. Some of your facts are a little skewed, which can sometimes happen when relying totally on the news media for your facts. You are only getting bits and pieces of the total scope of the project. I encourage you and everyone else with concerns to attend a community presentation that Housing Visions will be putting on this Friday (Jan 8,2010) at First Baptist Church, corner of Genesee and Pine, starting at 6pm. BTW-often people don't agree with me, doesn't mean I'm wrong. I hope you can attend.Jack Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-2022612847114985592010-01-05T15:21:28.788-05:002010-01-05T15:21:28.788-05:00I see it passed. My comment in response to the th...I see it passed. My comment in response to the the mayor for better ideas is to give me $8,000,000 to spend and (1) I would have Genessee St totally remodeled and all the unfixable houses torn down, plus (2)I would have money left to give grants to encourage more businesses and jobs in Lockport so people would have money to take care of their own places. Could even help out his flight of five folly!<br />Sorry, spending over $1,000,000 per house for 7 places on Genessee St appears to me is a huge waste of tax dollars. And now I see they will get long term tax breaks on the million dollar houses too. I also suppose they won't pay any sales tax on the supply purchases. They probably will be exempt from paying mandated wages and will bring in their own workforce. The corporation planning it is non-profit, but am I correct the company owning it will be a for profit? And I do not see how this company could even physically spend over $1,000,0000 per house on these 3-6 unit apartment buildings unless we are talking granite counters, etc. Where is all this money really going? <br />I guess I am one of the few that are concerned that though this project will spruce up Genessee (but I firmly believe it won't correct the problem), something just doesn't make sense that we wil be committing $8,000,000 tax dollars plus 20 years of property tax breaks to this project. Would any reasonable person reading this spend $8,000,000 of their own money on these buildings? If not, why would you agree to spend your tax dollars on it? I did a rough calculation, an $8M 30 year mortgage would require $62,000 monthly payments. So an average rent for these 33 units would have to be $1900 per month to cover this cost, but yet rents will be $3-500, so will they get even more government subsidies? Oh those monthly costs don't include property taxes, but of course it doesn't matter they won't be paying much. If this project had a realistic cost estimate I would not have any problems with it even though I disagree with the premise that they can get respectable tenants without proper parking. <br />I almost forgot, did I also see they wanted some of our community development money for these SEVEN houses? So forget any other projects, probably forget our first time home buyer grants for in the city.<br />So I will now shut up and just watch my tax dollars go to these Syracuse companies, but am I the only one that thinks $8,000,000 of my tax dollars could be spent in better ways????<br />I won't comment again, no one else has jumped up to agree with me so maybe I am wrong - but sorry - this is a total waste of my taxes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-41947101806015372622009-12-29T21:14:23.910-05:002009-12-29T21:14:23.910-05:00Yes, thank you to everyone for a spirited thread. ...Yes, thank you to everyone for a spirited thread. We all know where we stand and it will be exciting to see how things progess over the next few years. Not just in this project alone but also anything thing else the city will do to further along a turn around for the area.<br /><br />The planning board session for the Community Center/6 unit structure on Locust will be next Monday the 4th at 5:00 pm.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-35885989451697466332009-12-28T19:26:52.209-05:002009-12-28T19:26:52.209-05:00Thank you everyone for your participation in this ...Thank you everyone for your participation in this discussion. There were several valid concerns and opinions tossed about, I will take all into consideration as the proposed project moves along. I will admit to you that I do enjoy playing devil's advocate myself, and I always try to defend my positions as intelligently as I can. I really enjoyed the back and forth bantering and thank you for spicing up what may have otherwise been an intellectually boring weekend. MJ, thank you for providing this forum for sharing thoughts and opinions! Anyone out there interested in taking a step forward and forming a think tank of sorts to pursue "out of the box" ideas to help better the City of Lockport? Let me know.Jack Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-24184676985793285362009-12-28T01:42:35.139-05:002009-12-28T01:42:35.139-05:00I guess the proof will be in the pudding. If the p...I guess the proof will be in the pudding. If the project goes through and the neighborhood is all the better for it, then we can all be thrilled and thank HV and Jack and company for a job well done! I personally think garbage-filled empty lots, houses that have stayed vacant for years that are all boarded up, and homes that continue to look like a dump have not improved the neighborhood whatsoever. Lets face it, no one has been willing to fix that. Sometimes you have to take a chance...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-50768684185602871952009-12-27T20:10:51.819-05:002009-12-27T20:10:51.819-05:00Yes that would be nice. I am not trying to just c...Yes that would be nice. I am not trying to just cause trouble, I am just trying to say - "hey, here's my educated opinion of this project, has anyone really done a reality check on it?". <br />Honestly, I don't have any agenda's - like I said I even moved from the city a few years ago but really want it to succeed.<br />I just really feel that this is the wrong way to go, but I also thought it was great that MJ stated why he voted yes and I am happy he at least thought about it. Though imho it is the wrong way to go, I am happy that someone is throwing $8.5 million in to the city. As someone with experience renting, and priding myself as being a good, fair but tough landlord, I always had a choice of an empty apartment or letting questionable people in - I don't see how HV won't be in the same bind. I wasn't even on Genessee (I was smarter than that at least) but on a neighboring street that always got associated with genessee. And since I was within two blocks of genessee, no 'super' tenants wanted to rent...<br />I just wish we wouldn't accept the status quo and actually figure out a way to turn the neighborhood around, not continue to pack people in to it like this project will, and as you know I think spending over $1,000,000 per house on Genessee is really nuts!<br />But I am glad someone is trying to do something!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-86551402378921568292009-12-27T17:06:42.543-05:002009-12-27T17:06:42.543-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Black Philliphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10077195928770835814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-50549456975271907362009-12-27T16:20:50.281-05:002009-12-27T16:20:50.281-05:00all right, all right, you win! I have decided to g...all right, all right, you win! I have decided to go with your ideas! Please let me know how I can be of help. My contact information is listed above.Jack Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-55100132392558750282009-12-27T14:41:45.611-05:002009-12-27T14:41:45.611-05:00Jack - when I did my figures of 4.3 units per hous...Jack - when I did my figures of 4.3 units per house I did it using only the new builds. As I said before I don't have any problems with them rehabbing the old houses without making changes.<br /><br />The tax issue is tricky, but yes I do think the city might have to spend something to clean up the area. I do think the $8.5 Million is ridiculous for that area. I also think it is a ridiculous estimate of costs to rehab that number of buildings even if you wanted to spend it there. I am positive any builder could build some awful nice palaces there for over $1 MILLION PER HOUSE! And one last thing about the $8.5 million, how many jobs could be created with that money in the business world.<br /><br />Will HV be paying taxes on $8.5 million dollars worth of real estate? Then I whole heartily support this, even though I don't think they will be able to rent them out using tough standards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-58401108742968926032009-12-27T14:20:21.548-05:002009-12-27T14:20:21.548-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Black Philliphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10077195928770835814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-32493039231707657722009-12-27T12:09:05.692-05:002009-12-27T12:09:05.692-05:00Anon, Here is the question then. Is it okay if we ...Anon, Here is the question then. Is it okay if we increase taxes on the whole community to benefit a few? The density is necessary to make the project financially viable, otherwise the City would have to contribute a great deal more than just a pilot and perhaps some infrastructure improvements, bottom line is your taxes would have to be raised. I did not want to burden the taxpayer any more than they already are. There are actually 14 properties involved, 33 units on 14 properties is actually under 2.4 units per lot. Otherwise it is 10 buildings and 33 units, which my calculator says is 3.3 units per building. Yes, a private investor could do so much more with that money, and that private investor wouldn't be held to the high standards that Housing Visions will.Jack Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-85142080318817714782009-12-27T12:05:43.002-05:002009-12-27T12:05:43.002-05:00I sincerely hope you are right. I did thank you f...I sincerely hope you are right. I did thank you for studying it so hard in your other posting as to why you voted as you did.<br />I guess we have to agree to disagree, I understand that you want to maintain the 'urban' look and feel (i.e. (and I am not criticizing)tight houses and parking), where I feel the only way out of the current mess that street/area is is to go for major changes in character. I feel this is just continuing the status quo, but with better managers. I would have loved to see nice 'urban looking' 2 family homes there with parking and yards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-75799479460991282222009-12-27T11:06:35.541-05:002009-12-27T11:06:35.541-05:00The $8.5 million may seem like a lot but when you ...The $8.5 million may seem like a lot but when you are building structures that meet state preservation rules they are going to cost some money. Last I knew it was tax credits and maybe a PILOT with no grants mentioned.<br /><br />Yes we could build some cheap single owner vinyl homes in empty lots. But, take a drive through Buffalo to see the failure of that system. They stick out like a sore thumb and a majority end up in foreclosure since the low income people that move into them default while the properties around them continue to decline and become vacant.<br /><br />This is only a foundation: superior quality structures with top notch management. Will surrounding owners be more likely to invest with higher quantity cheaper housing around them or lower quantity higher quality housing with strict tenant rules? <br /><br />The street is on the periphery of DT. Some density is not a bad thing. It's time for the city to create a pilot residential invested plan for this area to attempt to build on this project. It should have been in place even if this project never came to be.<br /><br />As a grass root effort, this should be commended. Even if poorly thought out zoning rules required a variance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-13050057227828984822009-12-27T09:49:11.124-05:002009-12-27T09:49:11.124-05:00Jack - I have offered constructive criticism, it s...Jack - I have offered constructive criticism, it sounds like a great company, it's great to rebuild things, but it's to high of density of housing and the city should find a way to make it viable with less units. I believe me saying that the city should not ignore their own building codes to get this is also constructive criticism.<br />At this point it's up to our city leaders (including you) if they agree it's to many units to see if they can come up with a fiscal plan to lower the number of units but keep the project, I can't do that for them.<br />I also took a closer look at HV's numbers from their web site. If you take away the bottom two projects from their list which were large projects (1 building 14 units, 13 bldgs 50 units) their projects average 2.8 units per building. Why in Lockport are they shooting for 6 new building with 26 units, for an average of 4.3 units per building? Why are they tearing down a 3 family and making it a 4?<br /><br />I do think it's great if they want to do something here. It's just too many units for that area. And, $8.5 Million dollars does sound like way too much money for Genesee St, you truly could buy and rehab the whole street for that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-69230276163224535452009-12-27T09:11:08.701-05:002009-12-27T09:11:08.701-05:00Dear Anon,
I'm sorry if I've touched upon ...Dear Anon,<br />I'm sorry if I've touched upon a nerve. I just wanted to make the point that constructive criticism is always welcomed by me, in fact I look forward to it. I don't know everything, not even close, I do know I want what is best for this community. The current state of Genesee is not best, this project may not be best either. But, sometimes, on the way to best we have to stop off at better. I do believe this project is better than what currently exists. Again I say, come to the meetings listed in the previous posts, listen, learn, digest and then offer your criticisms and ideas. Please do not just suggest the 'what', but come prepared with the 'how' also. One is no good without the other! Again, I offer myself to anyone who would like to discuss this project in person! Contact me a aldermanjacksmith@yahoo.com or call me @ 434-8003.Jack Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-32263143069340271692009-12-26T23:31:58.227-05:002009-12-26T23:31:58.227-05:00I just thought of this one as I fumed over wasting...I just thought of this one as I fumed over wasting $8.5 Million there. Take that money, buy all the slum houses on the street, tear them down, give the lots to people along with a small downpayment for people who want to build one or two family houses.<br />Now that would improve the neighborhood!!<br />$8.5 Million for 7 houses????????Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-47367207610447643352009-12-26T23:05:23.187-05:002009-12-26T23:05:23.187-05:00I did state what I thought, but you are obviously ...I did state what I thought, but you are obviously so enamored with this one idea you didn't see it. I said in many previous posts that the city should come up with a way through tax breaks or community development to make it financially viable for HV to do this with less apartments. I have also said many times that I don't think the city should drop their standards and allow this project to not follow the existing codes. I don't think you as an alderman should be leading a charge to allow this either, but I have never even mentioned that. I did think you derisive comment about not doing this project to attract 'yuppies and dinks' was extremely stupid, as it appears you want to attract low income people.<br />And now you bring up two other extremely dumb things. Are you saying they are going to invest $8.5 Million in 7 houses??? And of this $8.5 Million, how much of it will be their own money and how much of it is tax credits, i.e. public money???<br />Wow, someone is going to invest an average of over $1 million dollars for houses on Gennesse Street?? How much is this going to cost me as a taxpayer?????<br />And by the way, if they want to spend that much money I have a bridge they can buy.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-23507733335292005632009-12-26T20:47:15.944-05:002009-12-26T20:47:15.944-05:00Anon-To be perfectly honest, and not politically c...Anon-To be perfectly honest, and not politically correct, I'm tiring of your rhetoric. You talk about thinking outside of the box, this is outside of the box, this is 8.5 million dollar investment in low income housing with zero tolerance, this is not a HUD project where anything goes, this not absentee landlord rental, this is full time management and maintenance staffing keeping an eye on the properties and the tenants. If you can't come up with any solid, realistic, financially viable, do-able ideas instead of complaints, then you are not adding any value to this discussion. I, for one, am always looking and listening for better ideas and suggestions, I'm still waiting to hear your's. I accept that this may not be the perfect solution to what ails my area, but it will at the very least improve the neighborhood. When we formed our block club, we decided to make an effort to stand out from the others, we decided to take a different approach, we decided to ask what we as a group could for our neighborhood, not complain to officials why they weren't taking care of us. Too often people only want to complain that nothing is being done for them, yet they are unwilling to get involved to help themselves. I guess what I'm saying is if you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem. Put up or shut up!Jack Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-56510842113200842452009-12-26T14:36:22.107-05:002009-12-26T14:36:22.107-05:00Good. But re-read yours, you must not realize wha...Good. But re-read yours, you must not realize what a personal attack is obviously.<br />My entire thought process was the city shouldn't bend their own laws just to get this project in IF it wasn't going to change the character of the neighborhood, which this won't. Someone should have thought out of the box and figured out a way to make this economically viable for HV with lower density housing. Everything I read about them is positive, they sound like a great company. I just feel, and I am sure many others also, that we will still end up with a neighborhood that most people will not want to move in to, except now it will have (only for a short time I still firmly believe) nicer looking places.<br />"I'm amazed that there are people who think any degree of the status quo around here is acceptable." - this is what this project will do, continue the status quo, which is why I am against it. What changes???<br />"...a site for one of their restoration projects and we have complaints about one parking space per unit and not two?????" read and think better, the complaint is the housing in it will be too crowded or there would be better parking.<br />"... the area in question is a dump.I can't believe some of you are so short-sighted as to resist this type of change. " What exactly is the change? You will still have an area overcrowded with low income housing. A change would have been to try and change the character of the housing. Four bedroom apartments with one parkng spot???? Thats really thinking out of the box.<br /><br />And again, has the city opened themselves up that if I find a house to rehab but it won't meet all the zoning codes are they going to have to approve me? I thought these codes were designed to improve the city - not to be this flexible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-90910980117220358282009-12-26T13:22:54.659-05:002009-12-26T13:22:54.659-05:00Anonymous..thanks for the kind words and the pers...Anonymous..thanks for the kind words and the personal attack.<br /> Were you at any of HV meetings either here, or in Syracuse? Have you looked at their portfolio of accomplishments? Have you met any of the principals? Do you have any first hand knowledge of what you are talking about? I prefer to have all single family housing in the city...period. I'd prefer not to add any low income housing to the already over loaded section 8 population..period. I would also choose HV's proposed project over what we have now even if there is only one parking space per unit...is that so hard to understand? Some people wonder why I don't blog anymore, or go to housing court, or continue my advocacy for a better cleaner city. It's because I refuse to spend my time and energy on any project that would benefit people like you. I don't know whom you are although I have a pretty good idea.I'm not looking for a fight but it looks like you are, and I'm not interested. So this will be my last post. Everyone can feel safe once again. Peace and Happy New Year to all!michael manningnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-32336479866200560462009-12-23T18:09:42.727-05:002009-12-23T18:09:42.727-05:00Just wanted to thank everyone who showed up last n...Just wanted to thank everyone who showed up last night and expressed their concerns and did so with passion! Passion for one's City and neighborhood is a good thing, we need more of it! The Rosenbergs' should be commended for all they have done in their neighborhood and I can fully understand their concerns, as well as their neighbors'. I wish I had the means to buy all the property in this area and convert it all to single family homes or even doubles. I don't and so we had to find some way to get rid of the undesirables(#1 priority) and at the same time address the housing blight(#2 priority). Would I rather see working families with higher incomes and all the moral values I have move into this area?, absolutely! I am a realist, this project is a realistic goal and not a pipe dream, this is a project that CAN happen and if it weren't for the screening process and zero tolerance policy, I can assure you that I would not have invited Housing Visions to my neighborhood! <br /><br />As to the condition of the housing in this project 5-10 years from now, I can tell you from personal experience, the buildings that they did 15 years ago look just as good as the ones they completed this year! They are a proven corporation, and unless you've done any in depth research and personally visited any of their properties, do not male inaccurate statements as to the quality of the housing in this project.<br /><br />I encourage EVERYONE to attend the planning board meeting on January 4, 2010 @ 5pm at City Hall. There will also be a Project Presentation on January 8, 2010 @ 6pm at First Baptist Church located at Genesee and Pine, do not miss that one!Jack Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-89138263783201299052009-12-23T12:37:10.954-05:002009-12-23T12:37:10.954-05:00Thank you to every one who showed up last night an...Thank you to every one who showed up last night and voiced your opinions. I'll be posting a follow up shortly. <br /><br />People get passionate about their neighborhoods and that is always a wonderful thing. Good to hear from Manning as it was from other residents last night. Sometimes our emotions get the best of us. But as a reminder: please do keep it civil though MM's post isn't all that bad (no name calling etc.) And yes...we all our opinionated..that's why we are here. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-50033505923838138212009-12-23T10:13:42.016-05:002009-12-23T10:13:42.016-05:00Hello Michael! It is wonderful to hear from you an...Hello Michael! It is wonderful to hear from you and I want to thank you for the kind words of support. I know that you were a great deal of help to us in the past and you have even a bit more insight into Housing Visions than many of the people commenting here.<br /><br />I just want to say to anyone that is skeptical of this project, please do the research! Housing Visions is one of the very few that gets it right. I've taken many trips to Syracuse and have seen the impact that their homes and tenants have on the neighborhoods. They are extremely strict and will not put up with any misbehavior. They have such a fantastic reputation that there is a waiting list for their units. Tenants feel safe and secure, they take pride in their homes and treat them as though they owned them. If anyone in the neighborhood sees anything questionable, they will be encouraged to let us know and it will be handled quickly. <br /><br />Believe me,I know the frustrations, I live on Waterman Street and deal with it daily. We deal with the crime & the drug dealing. We've pleaded with landlords- most of the time to deaf ears and unlike the landlords, this will not be about the money, this will truly be about making a better neighborhood. Lockport desperately needs this.Luisa Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926052286620522481.post-11499052310491704292009-12-23T09:55:18.594-05:002009-12-23T09:55:18.594-05:00Rocketboy - I agree that not everyone is undesirab...Rocketboy - I agree that not everyone is undesirable that lives in the 'crime district', but unfortunately like you said many are. I was able to get a few decent tenants, but they never stayed long due to the neighbors and parking. But the parking was a major issue in trying to get decent tenants.<br />HV does sound like a great company, but I really don't think they understand how critical parking is in a small town like ours. We don't have jobs in walking distance or buses to get people to jobs like Syracuse.<br />I read about the meeting last night. Don't you think the people who have the most invested in Genessee St (the Rosenberg's) should have been listened to? The problems are these houses are packed full of people, two family houses would have been a great way to start re-habbing and changing the culture of the neighborhood!<br />My gripe here is this project maintains the status quo, it doesn't have any foresight in trying to 'see' a better future for the neighborhood. Give these nice new re-habbed homes 5-10 years and you won't be able to tell they are any different than the rest of the street.<br /><br />And why would you welcome someone back someone who doesn't know how to follow the rules? This thread has been a very good civil exchange of ideas.<br /><br />"Please be be respectful. Diverse opinions are welcome and encouraged. Trolling/baiting/personal attacks/spam will be deleted on sight, as will respnding to one that has yet to be deleted. Do not encourage the behavior."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com