By DENISE A. RAYMO
Staff Writer
July 17, 2008 04:00 am
—
MALONE -- Property annexed by the village years ago along U.S. Route 11 on the eastern end of Malone is now rezoned for commercial use.
Developers hope to sell a certain 10 parcels of the tract for $150,000 to $200,000 each and negotiate a sale to the Malone Central School District for 110 acres for a new elementary school, bus garage and community-sports fields.
About 20 people turned out for a public hearing this week where the Village Board considered the zoning change at the request of real-estate developer Chris LaBarge, who represents land owner Gary Guzy.
LaBarge is also a managing member of Branch Commercial Development Inc. which has shown interest in building a $6.5 million to $8 million Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Suites on 5.9 acres off Route 11 across from Bailey Motor Co.
Certain parcels along Route 11, Houndsville Road and Junction Road will be zoned for general-business enterprises and the rest as commercial under the changes adopted by a vote of 3 to 1.
Trustee Dailon Patnode voted against the rezoning plan.
Mark Gonyea of Malone questioned the tax-free status of the land if and when the school district purchases it.
He reminded the board members that more than 50 percent of village property is already tax exempt.
"Doesn't it hurt village taxpayers" by adding another 110 acres to the tax-exempt rolls, he asked.
Supporters of the zoning change said the land only has a few thousand dollars of taxes on it and that selling the nearby parcels and seeing commercial enterprises spring up around the elementary school -- such as a convenience store -- will make up for any potential tax losses.
A used-car lot is also envisioned near the newly zoned area.
"Malone has seen a surge of growth at this time that's unprecedented in the last 20 years, and we have to take advantage of it," said Deputy Mayor Susan Hafter.
"It's going to bring development to the east end."
Trustee Lenora Richards voted in favor of the zoning change, but said she "is very disappointed."
When LaBarge first approached the board about the zoning change, he spoke of commercial development and building a stronger tax base, she said.
"I was thinking, yes. We're going to have development to help the tax base here. We're scrounging for a tax base.'
"I was hoping to help the tax base, but we're not," Richards said. "I'm disappointed because I thought he had something else in mind" besides selling land to the school and making it tax exempt.
draymo@pressrepublican.com
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