November 05, 2009 12:00 am
—
By JIM AUSTIN
Cooperstown Crier
The board of trustees
voted last week to deny a
special use permit to the
Lakefront Motel to change
its status from a motel to a
hotel.
A public hearing on the
special use permit application
was held a month earlier.
The motel’s owner Paula
Wikoff had applied for a
special use permit to operate
as a hotel — a permitted
use in the residential
district where the Lakefront
is located.
Currently the motel is
considered to be a pre-existing,
non-conforming entity
within a residential
district.
Originally the property
was zoned commercial, but
was changed years ago to a
residential district.
Wikoff has plans to
make changes to the motel,
but with its current status
it would require a use variance
which is almost impossible
to obtain, according
to Village Attorney
Martin Tillapaugh.
Tillapaugh explained
that the issue came up
when Wikoff applied to
make changes to her buildings.
``It is clear that as a preexisting,
non-conforming
entity it is extremely difficult,
if not impossible, to
expand,’’ he said.
A hotel is permitted in
the residential district by
special permit granted by
the trustees.
To expand that, Wikoff
would ``still have to jump
through a number of
hoops,’’ he said.
Granting the special use
permit would allow Wikoff
to take the next step. ``She
can’t do any of it if it stays
a motel,’’ he said.
Wikoff pointed out that
it was Tillapaugh who suggested
applying for the special
use permit.
``It was a commercial
property and why my father
and grandfather didn’t
fight it [a change to residential
zone] I don’t understand,’’
Wikoff said.
Charles Hyman, a
neighbor of the motel said
it is a case of the interests
of a commercial enterprise
versus residential interests.
How the trustees vote,
he said, ``sets the tone for
whose priorities are being
protected — commercial
enterprise or residential
property owners.’’
He said if the trustees
grant the special use permit
it will ``open the door to
a variety of changes whether
it happens now or in the
future.’’
Wikoff could not be
reached this week for comment
about the decision.
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