OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg’s Adaptive Reuse District has once again been tabled after an amendment was proposed to limit properties within the district to no more than two acres.

The ARD would allow the city to rezone former churches, businesses and schools within residentially zoned neighborhoods to allow new uses.

The proposed amendment will require another public hearing before its adoption.

Ogdensburg Mayor William Nelson says something must be done to allow development of the unused properties to ensure they don’t fall into disrepair and become a blight on the city. However, residents of neighborhoods that contain the proposed ARD properties have largely opposed passage of the plan, which many have claimed would lead to reduced property values and change the feel of the residentially zoned area.

Officials have been reviewing, gathering input and modifying the plan since September of 2014. The plan was approved by St. Lawrence County’s planning board with some minor recommended changes, but city council tabled the plan yet again after the amendment was proposed by City Councilor William Hosmer.

Hosmer suggested the ARD should only include properties that are two acres are less, wording that was once included in the ARD but was later removed. Several residents at the meeting praised the modification.

This change would remove the controversial Lincoln Elementary School, which was purchased by Step by Step Inc., from the ARD. Step By Step provides outpatient mental health services and has been working to rezone the school building to allow the non-profit to move its operations there.

Because of long delays by the city in establishing the ARD, Step By Step Director David Bayne sought to rezone the property, at just over two acres, through the Planned Development District, which allows properties over two acres to apply for use changes despite being located in residential zoned areas.

City Council did not vote on Step By Step’s application to rezone at the meeting Tuesday, but St. Lawrence County planners recommended the city deny the request, despite its own staff’s recommendation that the use change was valid. County planners said the ARD would be a better tool for the rezoning of former school building. However, if the proposed amendment to the ARD is passed, that option will no longer exist for the Step By Step.

City council is expected to act on the PDD at a special meeting Thursday. If it is voted down by city council, it could potentially leave the project in limbo.

Planning Director Andrea Smith was unsure how long Step By Step would need to wait before it could reapply for PDD if the request is denied.