Historic Fly Creek Hotel might
see the wrecking ball soon

An application filed on behalf of the Leatherstocking Corporation to demolish the historic Fly Creek Hotel at the corner of Route 28 and Schoolhouse Road has triggered a 2017 local law allowing the public to comment on the plans, and Town of Otsego officials anticipate an “interesting” session on May 3.

“I’m sure there have been demolitions in the past in the Town of Otsego, but none of them have triggered this process that is happening now,” said Cindy Falk, chair of the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for the Town of Otsego. She and commission members Tom Heitz, Shirley Rathbone, Mitchell Owen, and David Olsen are preparing for the hearing, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Town building on Route 31 in Fly Creek.

“This ordinance was put into place in order to slow the process down and to make sure all the alternatives to demolition are presented to the applicant,” she said. “This makes it more deliberate and gives people time to weigh in.”

Ms. Falk said neither the law nor the hearing process oblige the applicant to abide by comments offered.

“It’s a very different process, and I think it’s important for people to understand that,” she said. “Take, for example, in Cooperstown, where you would appear before a commission and they would tell you ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ This public hearing is intended as a more collaborative process, where people on the committee, as well as the public, can make suggestions.”

“But in the end,” she said, “it’s up to the property owner to do what they want, regardless of how the public hearing goes.”

Town of Otsego Clerk Pam Deane said those interested in speaking at the public hearing do not need to register in advance.

“The public can just show up,” she said. “We’re treating this the same as any other public hearing. Depending on the number of people, time limits may have to be adhered to, but that will be at the discretion of Ms. Falk.”

The building is registered on the National Historic Places in the Fly Creek Historic District, but observers say it has seen better days.

“It’s not in pristine condition,” Ms. Falk said of the Hotel. “I was in it last week, and it needs a lot of work. Significant work. It appeared unoccupied, but I’m sure someone was in it last summer.”

Still, she said, she expects the public hearing to be “interesting.”

“People have a lot of memories of that building,” Ms. Falk said. “They remember going to it as a tavern, there were dances there, the fire department had a lot of events there. It’s been several hotels since the 1850s. It’s a landmark.”

“If you were to ask what are the most historically significant buildings are in Fly Creek are, I think this would be in the top five,” she said.