City Council Approves Stage, Discusses Zoning of Markets

By TONY SAVIO
ONEONTA

In addition to motioning to move forward with the Al Gallodoro Memorial Stage in Muller Plaza, one of the main topics of discussion at the Oneonta Common Council meeting on Tuesday, September 17 was a proposal to change the zoning code for what is designated as a “neighborhood market.”

After raising more than $10,000.00 for architectural drawings and other services through a GoFundMe campaign created by Kevin Wood, the grandson of legendary saxophonist and former Oneonta resident Al Gallodoro, the Common Council voted to move forward with the next step of making the stage a reality.

The city will accept the gift of architectural drawings and associated rights to begin the formal RFP (request for proposals) process to receive bids to build and install the stage.

According to a September 21 post on the Al Gallodoro Facebook page managed by Wood, the group “will continue to raise money via [its] GoFundMe campaign to ensure that we provide amazing world-class entertainment the day the stage is unveiled sometime in 2025.”

The topic that inspired the most discussion at the meeting, however, was the definition of neighborhood markets.

City officials have been talking about the zoning of neighborhood markets for several months, since a late 2023 proposal to open an Oneonta location on Walnut Street of the popular Cooperstown business Stagecoach Coffee provoked strong responses from neighborhood residents, resulting in the withdrawal of that proposal.

The concern about regulating neighborhood markets stems from precedents of two or more similar shops opening on the same street.

“Tightening up the definition allows us to move forward in a way that we create parcel uses that are beneficial to the neighborhood,” said Fourth Ward Council Member Kaytee Lipari Shue during the discussion.

Under current regulations, neighborhood markets cannot exceed 1,000 square feet and cannot be within 500 feet of each other. Common Council members discussed size regulations and the number of seats each neighborhood market can offer its customers.

Current business owners can use 25 percent of their space, or 250 square feet, for customer seating. The regulation specifies permission to offer 15 indoor seats and five more outside.

Fifth Ward Council Member Len Carson expressed concerns about the logistics of the seat regulation, questioning the ability of neighborhood markets to fit the allowed number of chairs in their shops. Based on the need to allow approximately 32-35 square feet per person for indoor seating, Carson said he kept “doing the math” and concluded that “there’s no way to get 15 ever into 250 square feet, so you’re going to struggle to get eight into that space.”

After deliberation, the Common Council did not come to a decision and the topic was tabled for a later date.

“It’s not clear to me what the broader purpose of these changes may bring about, particularly when the city is focused on economic development of Center City,” said Second Ward Council Member Cecelia Walsh-Russo. “We want to make sure these changes aren’t so restrictive that they do not invite small businesses to open in Oneonta.”