Advertisement. Advertise with us

Letter from James L. Northrup

Permit Should Be Denied

40 Lake Street is one of the oldest houses in the Village of Cooperstown, in one of the most prominent single-family locations. It is probably the worst candidate in the historic heart of the village to be turned into a short term rental property. The house and location are simply not suited for short-term rental, which, in this instance, would amount to a form of house and neighborhood abuse. The village should meet its regional obligation for long term affordable rental properties, but not with this historic home, not in this prominent location, not as a boarding house.

Multiple reasons to reject this requested change of use of 40 Lake Street into a short term rent house:

  • 40 Lake is surrounded by single-family residences, none of which are short term rental houses.
  • There is inadequate parking for the proposed use as required by code.
  • The lawn fronts on the back yards of six (6) single-family residences, which creates a privacy issue.
  • The proposed use is redundant to the Lakefront Hotel, Cooperstown Inn, Otesaga Hotel, etc.
  • Rental turnover would be detrimental to the neighbors’ quiet enjoyment of their properties.
  • As a fragile historic building, it may be subjected to additional wear and tear and fire risk.
  • The owners may not live on the property, or, like other STRs, may pretend to live on the property.
  • The property was recently purchased, so the buyer cannot claim hardship as the reason for the permit.

The property is one of the most historically significant single-family houses situated in the historic core of the village. Turning it into a boarding house would damage its historical significance.

In general, short-term rentals should not be approved in the historic, single-family core of the village, and they should be scrupulously avoided in buildings of unique historic value and character that are located in wholly single-family neighborhoods.

James L. Northrup
Cooperstown

Posted

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

Northrup: STR Loophole a Real Concern

Letter from Chip Northrup STR Loophole a Real Concern We greatly appreciate the Zoning Board’s unanimous rejection of the absentee owner’s attempt to turn 40 Lake Street into a transient rooming house. Transient housing would have ruined the neighbors’ quiet enjoyment of their homes. Susan Snell has proven to be an excellent chairman of the zoning board.…

The Partial Observer: Village Residents Oppose Short-term Rental Plans for 40 Lake Street with Good Reason

The Partial Observer by William Waller Village Residents OpposeShort-term Rental Plans for40 Lake Street with Good Reason The Village of Cooperstown has changed and is still changing. Fifty years ago, there was one baseball souvenir store and house prices were reasonable. Houses were homes to families; kids walked to school and played in the parks. Things change and that change brought more and more visitors, capitalizing on the nearby baseball camps, the rise of tourism in the entire region, and the focus on domestic family travel. Families came to Cooperstown to watch their sons, grandsons or nephews play in week-long…

Middlefield Adopts Solar Panel Zoning Law

Middlefield Adopts Solar Panel Zoning Law By CASPAR EWIGMIDDLEFIELD Installation of solar panels was not listed as a permitted use in residential zoning districts established by the Town of Middlefield Zoning Law as amended in 2016. But with the present emphasis on the development of renewable energy, the Town Board determined that an overall law should be enacted to deal with the various forms of solar panel installations. Accordingly, the board held a public hearing on February 14, at which it considered and ultimately passed Local Law 3 of 2023, titled “The Solar Energy Systems Law.”…

Putting the Community Back Into the Newspaper

Now through March 30, new annual subscribers to “The Freeman’s Journal” and AllOtsego.com (or subscribers who have lapsed for two or more years) have an opportunity to help their choice of one of four Otsego County charitable organizations.

$5.00 of your subscription will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice:

Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Cooperstown Food Pantry, Greater Oneonta Historical Society or Super Heroes Humane Society.