Mayor Faces Opposition, Shares Vision for ‘New’ Market Street

By MONICA CALZOLARI
ONEONTA

The March 4 Common Council meeting was a reminder of the power citizens have over city government in action.

Mayor Mark Drnek opened the meeting specifically addressing a letter that 11 City of Oneonta residents and business owners sent to Rehabilitation Support Services Executive Director William DeVita asking him to withdraw the RSS proposal to develop 27 Market Street. That letter can be read in its entirety at https://www.allotsego.com/letter-to-rehabilitation-support-services-re-27-market-street/.

Drnek ended the meeting with a presentation of his vision to create a new neighborhood on Market Street. He asked council members and the public “to step outside the comfort zone of shared opinion and open your mind to alternate possibilities.”

The letter sent to RSS accuses the mayor and RSS of a lack of transparency. It states “Emails obtained through a FOIL [Freedom of Information Law] request between RSS and Mayor Drnek reveal that you, [Bill DeVita] and others, have been directly involved in behind-the-scenes discussions. Over the past two to three years, you have privately met with Mayor Drnek multiple times to lay the groundwork for the proposed RSS project at 27 Market Street.”

Mayor Drnek said in the open meeting, “This is particularly annoying to me….The insinuation is that our exploration of potential partners for Market Street, or any other development, is somehow inappropriate, and that I have been in some fashion duplicitous. This is just plain wrong. And ignorant.”

Bryan Shaughnessy, who owns and operates two apartment buildings at 20-22 Market Street, was in the audience again on March 4. He frequently attends council meetings. He and the other 10 letter signatories are completely opposed to RSS building apartments on 27 Market Street and have been for more than a year.

According to its website, Rehabilitation Support Services strives to enrich and empower the lives of individuals with psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. Mayor Drnek called the opposition to RSS housing some of its residents on a new development on Market Street as “pure NIMBYism.” NIMBY stands for “Not In My Back Yard.”

Shaughnessy, along with representatives from neighboring Clinton Plaza, Green Earth, and other downtown stakeholders, has been advocating for the city to retain 27 Market Street as a parking lot. Last year, Shaughnessy offered to purchase 27 Market Street and lease it back to the City for a specified period to ensure it remains a parking lot.

Mayor Drnek directly addressed Shaughnessy in his remarks several times on March 4.

“We know that a lie repeated and repeated and repeated will sew doubt and maybe even convince people of things that aren’t true,” Drnek said.

“It is riddled with falsehoods and innuendo, and it presumes to speak for a larger percentage of the community than its sign-on numbers would support,” Drnek added.

The City of Oneonta has approximately 14,000 residents including the students from SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College. The mayor invited a wider group of residents to “have watch parties. Have discussions. Talk to your council members about them.”

The letter to RSS states that, “Mayor Drnek has worked persistently to appoint new Council members who align with his unpopular agenda, despite significant public disapproval.”

Mayor Drnek denied this claim.

“Many residents feel that both RSS and the mayor have misrepresented key aspects of this initiative. Our goal is to hold RSS and Mayor Drnek accountable, ensuring transparency and honesty in your dealings with the community,” the letter states.

“It’s hard not to be angered by the accusations,” Drnek said.

RSS Executive Director William DeVita said in an e-mail on Tuesday, March 11, “We appreciate and support Mayor Drnek’s comments and join him in refuting a letter that is not only filled with innuendo and inaccuracies, but is also divisive and counterproductive.”

“For more than a year, Christine Nealon has earnestly and respectfully engaged with the Oneonta community, meeting with hundreds of residents, listening to and incorporating their thoughts in our planning process, presenting clear and factual information across numerous venues, and answering questions,” he continued.

“We stand behind her professionalism and outstanding work, particularly while navigating a campaign of falsehoods and fear-mongering that benefits no one. We remain encouraged by the strong leadership shown by Mayor Drnek, and the support of a majority of residents who see the benefits of the 27 Market Street development in addressing a significant need for increased density and workforce housing in downtown Oneonta.

“We will continue to work with the community to advance this important endeavor, and not be dissuaded by those who, unfortunately, have put their own agendas ahead of the best interests of Oneonta,” DeVita said.

All Common Council meetings and all committee meetings are recorded and available for the public to hear on the city’s website. In addition to this transparency, Mayor Drnek has asked Otsego Media to videotape special public information sessions, speeches, and proposals to allow more members of the public to listen, be informed, and weigh in on future developments in the City of Oneonta.

The meeting ended with a presentation about the economic impact of creating a new neighborhood on Market Street and a discussion by council members. The presentation included a recorded video from Jody Zakrevsky, executive director of the county’s Industrial Development Agency and Otsego Now.

Zakrevsky explained payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) agreements. These agreements are the main way in which Otsego Now generates revenue.

Otsego County is home to more than 1,200 businesses. Expanding and growing these businesses and attracting new businesses to our county is the mission of Otsego Now.

Mayor Drnek referred to “an even more transformative plan for the exact same location [Market Street]. We could have had a food and beverage hub with housing on its upper floors.”

Otsego Now was involved in this proposal. Some of the same residents and business owners who oppose the housing development by RSS also opposed this plan. It never materialized.

On Tuesday, April 1, there will be a detailed presentation of the proposal for the development of 27 Market Street. On Tuesday, April 15, time is reserved to hear alternate proposals.

A vote on the RSS proposal is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6.

This article was edited on March 13, 2025.