It was 20 years ago this month when it was time to play ball at Cooperstown All Star Village, found in the town of Oneonta.
It’s hard to miss if you travel along state Routes 205 and 23, with the crowded parking lots and the slow-moving traffic from June through the end of August in Oneonta’s West End.
The Cooperstown All Star Village came about with a lot of planning and some opposition from neighbors in that area.
As The Daily Star of April 23, 2002 reported, “The owner of a group of local inns and restaurants on Monday confirmed plans to open a baseball camp on his Cathedral Farms property in the town of Oneonta.
“Martin Patton plans to build an eight-field baseball camp on the 66-acre property where Cathedral Farms Restaurant and Country Inn is located … according to plans submitted to the town planning board.
“Baseball teams will stay and play baseball at the seasonal camp for about a week, Patton said. ‘They’ll stay on our property and they’ll be provided three meals a day,’ he said.
“The inn and restaurant will remain the same, Patton said Monday, but additions will be made and new buildings added to accommodate the camp, which so far has been partially approved by the board.
“‘Everything that you currently see will remain the way it is,’ Patton said, adding that the project will cost ‘in the millions.’ He did not have an exact figure for project costs. Several renovations have already been approved, Patton said.
“Patton is now asking the board to approve eight junior-size baseball fields, bunk houses to accommodate up to 30 teams with coaches, additional housing to non-participating groups, bath houses, an infirmary and other accessory buildings.
“The eight fields are planned for the area southwest of the current buildings, with new barracks in the woods behind the buildings. Additional parking and emergency access roads are also in the plans, which have been on the drawing board for a couple of years, Patton said.
“The site plan is being reviewed by the planning board, said town Code Enforcement Officer Stan Rusin. Rusin said Patton has been working with the board members for several months to plan the camp.
“Because Patton’s property is in a planning and development zone, the board cannot stop the camp, but it can offer contingencies, Rusin said.
“Members of the public will be able to express concerns at a hearing that will be scheduled after the board completes its review, Rusin said.
“‘There’s probably going to be a concern about traffic,’ he said, adding that neighbors might also worry about noise and lighting.
“James Bazan, president of the Oneonta Country Club, which is located on property adjacent to Patton’s land, said club officials plan to investigate noise levels, lighting issues and concerns about potential trespassers from the camp.
“‘The character of the property will change,’ he said. ‘As far as the club goes, I am not sure if the addition (of the camp) could be positive.’”
The hearing drew more than 50, and as Star readers of June 26 learned, all these issues were brought up.
“Town officials will hire a professional to find out how loud is too loud regarding the proposed youth baseball camp.
“The planning board has yet to complete a state required environmental review of the project, which addresses a litany of questions concerning possible impacts on the environment. The potential noise level associated with the camp is one of the questions.”
The Star of July 18 reported that residents opposed to the camp hired a law firm to try to stop the project from moving forward. Despite the bitter opposition, the Town Planning Board approved the plans on July 31.
Construction of the fields began in the early spring of 2004, and the camp opened to its first teams on July 3.
The Pattons owned and operated the camp until 2022, when a company which owns the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center sports arena bought it. It is part of Ripken Baseball, which operates camps in Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Oneonta’s camp hosts more than 10,000 players ages 10 to 12 each summer.
This weekend, senior citizens in the news locally in July 1924.