Letter from RICHARD BLABEY

The Grove Would Improve Site

To the Editor:

At the Cooperstown Village Board meeting Monday, June 24, many residents voiced concern regarding a proposed project to build a 12-unit apartment building at 10 Chestnut St.

A core complaint was that this high-density residential project was too massive and not compatible with their neighborhood.

The proposed planned development contains two properties. Construction is only being proposed for the larger of the two. It is 50 feet wide and 280 feet deep.

Currently, two structures having a combined footprint of 8,730 square feet are located on this parcel of 14,000 square feet. So, over 62 percent of its area is built upon.

These buildings are to be  demolished and in their place an apartment building having a footprint of 6,084 square feet is being proposed. This will cover 43 percent of the lot.

Therefore, the area covered by buildings will be reduced by almost 20 percent.

Viewed from Chestnut Street, the structure to be removed is 48 feet wide. The proposed apartment will be 26 feet wide. That is more than a 50-percent reduction. The proposed apartment will be two stories high, but so are the adjacent homes.

RICHARD BLABEY
Cooperstown