Cooperstown ZBA To Review

Downtown Hotel Plan Today

COOPERSTOWN – The men proposing a luxury hotel in downtown Cooperstown will take a first step into regulatory waters today, appearing before the village Zoning Board of Appeal at 5 p.m. in Village Hall, 22 Main St.

Susan Snell, ZBA chair, said today her board will be asked to consider variances on the questions of height and stories.

The height limit, she said, is 42 feet; the proposed 48-foot tall hotel would require a variance.  The village code limits buildings to 3 ½ stories, she said; the proposed project would be four stories tall.  “I don’t have the application in front of me,” she said, “but it’s something in that range.”

Mayor Jeff Katz, referring to a timeline he’s been following, said he thought the first review wasn’t due until the Planning Board meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21.  The Planning Board would ensure the application is complete, do a preliminary site plan review, then refer matters back to the Village Board.

Snell said the ZBA is not required to wait until the Planning Board acts.  “We routinely act simultaneously,” she said.  “the review isn’t complete until everyone’s made their decision.”

The hotel, on the former TJ’s property, is being proposed by Tom Langan, Perry Ferrara, who owns the Heroes of Baseball Wax Museum, and Bob Hurley, who operates Subway franchise in the area.