Lowe’s Holds Balance

On Town Water Plans

Word Awaited From Toronto Firm

By JIM KEVLIN • for www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – The Town of Oneonta’s proposed water district to serve the Big Box stores in Southside Oneonta and homes along parallel Southside Drive is hinging on Toronto-based realty firm that owns the Lowe’s property.

“If Lowe’s does not sign, the project is dead,” Town Supervisor Bob Wood said yesterday.

According to Wood, the service area, which would be served from a new plant to be built in Fortin Park, is divided into two districts, one primarily residential, the other primarily commercial.

A majority of residential and a majority of commercial properties, measured by valuation, must agree to the concept of municipal water service before the district can be formed.

Wood said a majority of homeowners in the residential district have signed up, but neither of the two commercial  entities in the district – Lowe’s and Aldi’s – have signed on.

Since Lowe’s has the greater valuation, if it signed on, Aldi’s vote wouldn’t matter; conversely, if only Aldi’s signed, that would fall short of the 50 percent mark, the supervisor explained.

In the primarily commercial district, a majority of homeowners are aboard, but – with 48 percent of the commercial properties aboard – there are “several” commercial entities that can come sign on and create the majority, so Wood’s is more confident that will happen.

The Lowe’s property was owned by a Syracuse-based firm, but sold the property last summer to S&S Realty, Toronto.  Its representatives have expressed agreement with the water-district idea; it’s just that there’s been no follow through, he said.