BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — A proposed moratorium on multiple residential development in Ogdensburg could affect projects currently in the pipeline, including a multimillion-dollar, state-supported assisted living project at 100 Ford St. and a nearly complete project on Knox Street.

The projects are supported by more  than $20 million of state funding. 

A public hearing will be held tonight April 27 at 6 p.m. at City Hall to give the public an opportunity to discuss the moratorium.

The proposed law would bar the review and approval of community residences, multi-family dwellings, nursing homes, and inns. It would also mean no land-use approvals for any multiple residential dwellings would be issued without City Council approval.

Additionally, the planning board would not accept any applications or grant approval to proposals, and the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals would not accept applications or grant approvals for variances or other permits.

Finally, the city would not issue any building permits or certificates of occupancy for the previously mentioned structures without Council approval. 

The city says the moratorium is designed to give officials time to develop a comprehensive development plan.

According to the proposed resolution, the law is intended to temporarily prohibit the construction of such units for 12 months while the city updates or amends its Comprehensive Development Plan and adopts or revises local laws to better regulate such development.

Officials say time is needed to study the factors that should guide future legislation governing those projects. During the moratorium period, the city would work to draft and adopt updated land-use regulations.

The resolution also notes that current ordinances “may not adequately regulate such land use” and that the City Council will consider how to allow future multiple residential development to be more effectively integrated into the community.

A resolution to hold a hearing on the moratorium passed in a 6–1 vote April 13 and included no discussion. Councilor Jennifer Stevenson voted against the measure over concerns a moratorium on housing projects could create a cooling effect for developers interested in taking on projects in the city, especially considering the fact the city was recently awarded the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding. 

To receive such funding the city has to be certified under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s”Pro-Housing Communities Program”

Moratorium impact

While it’s unclear how many existing projects would be impacted, it’s clear a project by Step By Step Inc. stands to face a major delay near the finish line of the planning process.

The project has been stalled by the planning process for the past two months and at the same time, the city has been working to move forward with a moratorium first discussed at a February council meeting as part of a discussion that included Step By Step.

Now the moratorium is set to go into effect prior to final project approval if it has support from council.

The project in question has been in the works for years, but has struggled to find a suitable location despite seeking direction from city administrators. 

In 2022, Step By Step  completed a $5.2 million apartment project which brought 20 units of supportive housing on Knox Street for adults with mental illness who have experienced homelessness. It’s now being bolstered by a $10 million grant to add 42 permanent housing units, which would be in jeopardy if the city moratorium passes.

 The project  still needs a certificate of occupancy which would also be subject to council’s approval according to the proposed law.

The project at 100 Ford Street would build on these projects and include temporary assisted living and longer-term assisted living.

Funding for the development is again backed through the state Office of Mental Health and the State Dormitory Authority, which is poised to provide another investment of more than $10 million to push forward Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to invest in mental health support in rural communities.

Step By Step has received recognition for addressing the city struggles with a growing homeless problem and a need for mental health and addiction recovery services.

In fact, Assemblyman Scott Gray said the “people first” model established by Step By Step could help Jefferson County officials make headway in helping house displaced residents in their communities. He even set up a meeting in the fall of 2024 with Jefferson county officials that began with a tour of Step By Step's Knox Street facility which provides housing.

Project pushback

Although the City Council  passed the resolution without discussion. Talks in February provide some background on the moratorium and show that Step By Step’s planned housing project was a catalyst for the proposed law.

In February, St. Mary’s Church withdrew a request to rezone the long-closed St. Marguerite D’Youville Academy.

The rezoning request was supported by the Planning Board in early January, but members of the public responded to the city council with harsh criticism about the rezoning.  Specifically, the complaints stemmed from rumors that the property was being considered as an option for a housing project proposed by Step By Step Inc. 

It’s believed to be the same project being discussed for the 100 Ford St. property.

Those speaking at the public meeting were critical of Step By Step and the people who use its services.  Some residents went as far as making threats about what they would do if such a project were established in their neighborhoods.

During the meeting, some individuals spoke out of turn and yelled at members of Council.

The church’s decision to pull the zoning request came from the public's reaction as noted in a letter submitted to the city.

If the zoning request was denied for the Step by Step project, St. Mary’s would have a hard time getting a zoning change in the future,  making  the property a harder sell for a potential buyer..

Rev. Joseph Morgan, rector of St. Mary’s, clarified the church’s position in a letter to the city.

“It appears that misinformation and discriminatory attitudes have swayed the reception of this request,” Morgan wrote.

That’s not the first time public opinion stalled plans for Step by Step.

In 2015, the city denied a zoning request made by Step By Step following public backlash to the Knox Street Drop In Center. Step By Step won a costly lawsuit against the city on the matter as a judge ruled the decision was discriminatory rather than based on merit.

Stalling Step  by Step?

In February, Councilor Dan Skamperle spoke directly about his concerns where he mentioned Step By Step specifically. 

He also spoke directly about the 100 Ford St. zoning change request, which had already been approved. He expressed concern that United Helpers, which made the zoning request, did disclose why the request was being made.  However, the organization said the zoning change was intended to make the property more marketable for a developer.

Skamperle raised concerns about how such projects impacted neighborhoods and said he’d like to see developments of this type housed at the shuddered Ogdensburg Correctional Facility, which fellow Councilor Michael Powers said would require a lot of moving parts.

“I personally think it's worth the investment by the state if they're serious about trying to help upstate New York at all and the homeless problem. It's got to be, somebody in the audience mentioned, that Step by Step as a housing first… that's their drive. That's their motivation. A housing first, rather than a treatment first. And so you give them a place to live, but then you don't…  treat them. And so that's causing many of the problems that we're seeing that are being mentioned tonight and at the last meeting,” Skamperle said.

At the time, Councilor Storm Ciley shared similar views to Skamperle. He asked if there was a way to limit projects.

“I often wonder if we have a legal leg to stand on by adopting a moratorium on further establishment of some of the types of treatment centers and things that seem to be going on,” he said.

Ciley noted that other communities have put moratoriums on projects like data centers.

“I don't know if it's something we can explore or look at or whether it's even possible, but it's something that maybe we could consider,” he said. “We quite frankly are being overwhelmed with what our ability to provide resources in this community is.”

At the meeting, councilors cited the large volume of police resources used by Step By Step’s Knox Street location. Based on information shared, it appeared the highest volume of calls were actually related to the county’s warming center services, which are provided by Step By Step on the county’s behalf and not to residences or drop-in-center located there, though an exact breakdown was not provided.

It’s possible other projects could be impacted by the moratorium, but North Country This Week  isn’t aware of any others directly impacted.

North Country This Week sought comment from Mayor Michael Tooley on the matter, who directed questions to City Manager Fonda Chronis. When asked if the moratorium would impact the 100 Ford St. project he said, “I believe so.”