The Town of Otsego will hold a public hearing this Wednesday, June 10 on the 2026 Draft Comprehensive Plan, a document that will guide land use, housing and development decisions for years to come when adopted.…
Online home of The Freeman's Journal and Hometown Oneonta
Advertisement
short-term rentals
...a bloated tourist community turns into something like a theme park. Cooperstown hasn’t reached that point, obviously, but it’s getting closer. Tourist overdevelopment of the type we sadly see elsewhere has been increasingly evident in our area for some years. The time to take action is now, before it gets too bad and we lose control.…
Edmond Rodriguez, my brother-in-law’s nephew, was in several Glimmerglass Festival performances this season. Like many young artists, he was housed 45 minutes away—at a college dorm in Herkimer. The lack of nearby housing has become chronic for artists and arts patrons alike, as chronicled in a recent “New York Times” article...…
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.…
Letter from Celia Oxley ZBA Correct in 40 Lake Decision There was much public opposition to the granting of a Special Use Permit for short-term rentals at 40 Lake Street. The Zoning Board of Appeals was correct to deny the permit at a hearing on March 7. From the board’s discussion after the hearing was closed to the public, it seemed that the issue of incidental use was paramount to their decision to deny. The village zoning laws require short-term…
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…
Letter from Chip Northrup Short-term Rentals Should Be Limited There are short-term rental permits at 25 single-family houses in the Village of Cooperstown. Some were grandfathered when the village began issuing such permits in 2018. Some are exemplary applications of the ordinance—the owners are renting a garage apartment or other auxiliary dwelling unit that might otherwise go unused. Where the short-term rental is incidental to the family’s use and occupancy of the property. Where the building is not turned into…
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…
