February 4, 2015
City OKs Route 281 infrastructure work
The state Department of Transportation’s plan to widen the Route 281 corridor through part of the city is a step closer to being put into action after the city Common Council Tuesday voted to have the agency relocate water and sewer lines.
The city approved plans for the DOT to relocate these utility lines along Route 281 between Summit Street and WheelerAvenue.
After the meeting, Mayor Brian Tobin explained the vote finalized the agreement and makes the DOT responsible for relocating sewer and water lines running beneath the road at no cost to the city.
“This is good news,” Tobin said. “We’re going to have our infrastructure along (Route) 281 ... upgraded and it will be at the cost of the state (taxes), not local taxes. We want to make sure that we are covering our bases and legally approving that they (the DOT) do this.”
The construction, which is slated to begin this spring, is phase two of a three-part project that will result in widening about 5 miles of road between Luker Road and Fisher Avenue to better accommodate more traffic.
Phase one, which involved nearly 2 miles of road between Lime Hollow and Luker roads, was completed in 2009. Phase three will include the 2 miles between Fisher Avenue and the Exit 12 ramp off Interstate 81, but no date has been set for that work.
In other business, the council approved suspending $3,000 in vacant property registry fees assessed on Vasilios and Irene Pothos, the owners of51-55 Main St., the structure on the corner of Main and Court streets that was damaged by arson in 2005.
During the meeting, city Director of Administration and Finance Mack Cook said the fees were imposed because there was no renovation progress made on the structure. However, the city is now looking to suspend the fees as a way to encourage development of the property.
Cook said the council will revisit whether to waive the fee provided building manager Emmanuel Pothos, the son of the owners, start phase one by Feb. 23. This consists offacade work and making the first floor ready for potential tenants. Cook said work must be completed by June 1.
“You’re not forgiving this fee, you’re simply suspending it at this point and time — that will allow him to hold a building permit,” Cook said. “I’ll come back to you (the council) on June 1 if, in fact, he has completed phase one by then. Then you can make the decision if you want to waive that (fee) or not.”
Corporation Counsel Ric Van Donsel said the city wouldreinstate the fine if work is not completed by June and the city could revoke the buildingpermit.
“If he doesn’t go back and have it done,” Cook added, “then the building is vacant (and) year 2016 fees ... would be double the annual tax on the property.”
In other business, the council picked a date for a public hearing to be held on changing the position of zoning officer from part time to full time.
Zoning Officer Bob Rhea has been working part-time for the city after former zoning officer Bruce Weber retired in June.
Since then, the council has been considering making the position full time to help the Code Enforcement Department become more efficient and to increase the job duties to allow Rhea to work with theFederal Emergency Management Agency on issues facing the city’s new Flooding Task Force.
The city wanted the changes to go into effect at the start of the year, but officials were reworking the language in the new job description. The city has also already allocated $42,000 to cover a salary increase for the position that currently pays $22,000 annually.
Residents will get the opportunity to weigh in on the proposal at 6:30 p.m. before the next Common Council meeting on Feb. 17.
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