Oneonta community members asked questions and expressed desires for modifications to an expansion to Cooperstown All Star Village at a town Planning Board meeting Monday, Aug. 17.
About 40 attended the meeting, first listening to the details of CASV’s proposal before asking questions and sharing their feedback with company representatives. General manager Dan Hooper, facilities director Hunter Grace and project engineer Chris Bertram of Barton & Loguidice fielded the comments and questions.
CASV’s proposal entails a major rework of its existing parking lot on the west side of State Route 23 to build a stadium-style “championship” field with about 1,200 seats, as well as an additional field similar to its existing ones. Other proposed additions include a pedestrian overpass near the existing crosswalk across the highway, a new bunk house to make way for additional teams, a new restaurant, hundreds more parking spaces and other items. The business has estimated an investment of $20 million to $30 million to complete the comprehensive expansion.
The Planning Board is considering the project’s multiple application filings together before making a recommendation to the Town Board on how to proceed. The Town Board recently voted to conduct an independent professional review of the project by Highland Planning LLC, an expense covered by CASV as part of its proposal.
“I appreciate everyone coming this evening,” Hooper told attendees. “The input is equally as important to us, I think, as it is to the the Planning Board,” he said, adding that community feedback was the cause for some of the pieces of the proposal, particularly the pedestrian overpass.
After CASV presented details of the project, community members spoke. Consistent themes included calls for more noise and light mitigation. Some commenters questioned whether CASV would request even further expansion later, after receiving approvals for the project as it stands. Several residents asked about the height of retaining walls and the cutting down of some trees.
“I am asking that you consider not the least expensive, not the middle of the road, but the state of the art noise mitigation for that stadium,” said Susan Stetson. “I think that any company that has $20 million to $30 million to spend on an expansion, with the hope, probably, of profits, can afford to put in the state of the art sound mitigation.” She called for similar light mitigation.
“It’s been good,” Stetson said of the economic boost to the area provided by CASV, “and we would like you to be good neighbors to all of us here.”
She expressed concerns about the quality of life and property values.
“People here are working class mostly,” Stetson said. “We put our money into our homes.”
Hooper replied that “the sound piece is something that we will take away and look into it.” He added that CASV plans to use lighting from Musco Sports Lighting, “state of the art in terms of the lighting provider.”
Michelle Catan, a Republican who lost her reelection campaign for the Otsego County Board of Representatives last year and is running in a rematch against Eamonn Hinchey, D-District 4, this year, told CASV representatives that she appreciated the business’ engagement with community members about the proposal.
“I just want to thank you for taking our comments today. You put a lot of time and investment into this property, and there’s just not a lot of other economic development going on in our area besides this,” Catan said, adding that her children have worked at the facility for the last eight summers.
“It is a growing pain for the community and I understand that, but it’s also a benefit,” Catan said.
CASV recently acquired the Deer Haven Campground and Cabins. CASV’s proposal does not include development on the land, but some residents questioned whether it will be developed eventually.
Hooper said Tuesday that fields at the Deer Haven lot would not make sense due to the uneven surface of the land and distance from the rest of the fields. He said CASV’s intention is to keep the campgrounds as campgrounds, perhaps with some upgrades.
He said about 75% of the people staying there currently are baseball families, and that the company is honoring this summer’s bookings which were made prior to the property purchase.