Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor
The City of Glens Falls’s aim to turn the green wedge of property between Glen and Bay Streets into a pocket park has encountered another snafu.
It turns out the lot never was actually subdivided from the 333 Glen Street Associates property where the Travelers building, parking garage and surface parking lot stand.
The Glens Falls Planning Board approved the subdivision months ago, but Warren County’s Real Property Tax Services Agency rejected it because 333 Associates owes back taxes on the property, says Jane Reid, Glens Falls At-Large Council member who’s heading up efforts. She tells The Chronicle she doesn’t know how much is owed.
“I believe this is an honest confusion,” Ms. Reid said, going back to when a PILOT agreement was arranged years ago in order to build the parking garage.
Last year, Chris Patten sought the buy the Bay-Glen wedge for a multi-story apartment building, Mayor Dan Hall counter-proposed a City-owned park.
“The City made an offer on the property,” he tells the Chronicle — for $225,000, the price Mr. Patten had proposed to pay.
The mayor initially hoped to shift funds from the planned pocket park on School and South Streets that was part of the original $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from then-Governor Cuomo.
But Mayor Hall tells The Chronicle that the Bay-Glen wedge falls outside the targeted DRI downtown boundaries.
Now, “We’re hoping we can take some of that from ARPA [America Rescue Plan Act] funds,” he said — the City’s $12 million-plus federal Covid recovery grant.
The City’s plans for a pocket park — by definition a small thing — keep permutating in more complicated directions.
The City is now looking to incorporate a pocket park into the newly scaled-back plans for a Farmers Market Center on the former OTB site on South Street.
But Mr. Hall asserts the City still plans to purchase the green wedge, separately.
He said “a foundation” he declined to identify has offered to potentially help with the purchase and park development.
“We want to gain control of that property, no question,” Mayor Hall said.
Tuesday, Nov. 9, at its regular meeting, the Common Council was expected to authorize the Mayor to complete the purchase, provided any existing mortgage or outstanding taxes are satisfied.
Patten’s apartment plan OK’d
Meanwhile, Mr. Patten, with help from Mayor Hall, purchased property between Union and Goodwin Avenues, behind the former Heritage Apartments. He plans a three-story 20-unit apartment building. Last Tuesday, the City Planning Board approved his project design plan.
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