Whether or not housing is developed along County Route 202 is yet to be scene, but the location is attractive, as it is near just about everything people look for.
For the crowd always clamoring for "vision" and "leadership", I don't mind saying the solving of sewage flow issues on the west side of Watertown is and will be crucial to development for housing and commericial activity.
I was not anxious to be the one seen as blocking the construction of the Olive Garden, a popular chain restaurant wanted by many. That is what we at City Hall did as a means of compelling the Town of Watertown to build a needed diversion line from Arsenal Street to Coffeen Street. This will alleviate flows on Arsenal and allow for development in the area of Stateway Plaza. It also allows more to be done on outer Arsenal.
Concurrent initiatives in the Gaffney Drive area with a new pump station and other improvements will help as well.
This week a new sewer agreement was inked by the Town and City and if that facilitates more housing, that is a goal consistent with what I feel needs to happen.
The most frequent question I got over recent years is "when are we getting an Olive Garden ?" I was always circumspect about saying we at City Hall were the Grinch on the issue...But with the sewer situation solved and the restaurant under construction, I can now answer the question....It will be open by spring.
Watertown Daily Times Housing eyed along County Route 202
10 comments:
I think PJ has his property listed for nine million. Maybe that is a trick to use during eminent domain proceedings or some other strategy...who knows with him. The point is that the property is too valuable to use for housing.
If Puccia sells any of his property, it should be sold at a price too expensive to use for housing. Unless the road frontage is left for other uses and a road is installed deep into the property.
"The most frequent question I got over recent years is "When are we getting an Olive Garden?"
Unbelieveable. The political, money powers with their stranglehold on the area have one hell of a vision of the future: Chain resturants, chain box stores, collect as much welfare by way of Ft Drum and the evil Prison Industry racket as possible, and dole-out a few dozen minimum-wage, part-time jobs to the local slobs.
How is this a viable future? Where is the creation of Wealth?
You folks have this discussion all wrong. This post is about Jeff latching onto this issue to take the credit for what happens.
Read the post, I don't mind saying the solving of sewage flow issues...with what I feel needs to happen, etc
Typical politician, now the mayor is accepting credit for what happens in the Town of Watertown.
The mayor probably deserves some credit. He did not take credit for OG he took credit for forcing the infrastructure improvement.
I have never agreed with Jeff's leverage theory when it comes to water and sewer. He feels that those services should be withheld from places outside the city. Meanwhile DANC paid for most of the city's water plant. And the city continues to discharge yucky stuff into the river whenever there is s storm.
If the Town played this brinkmanship to the natural end, then they would threaten and perhaps go through with building their own water and sewer plants further down the river. That would force the city to invest heavily in their sewer processing. And it would end the cash-cow profit center for the city that Jeff wrongly feels is the city cutting its own throat.
The fact is that the interstate exits serving so much traffic were going to get commercial development on them one way or another. Lets not forget that septic systems can be built on premise too and wells can be drilled.
Well, holding up the Olive Garden permit was something the Council and I did and it was to leverage the Town into building a diversion line to Coffeen Street.
This will free up capacity all along Arsenal Street both in and out of the city.
The move is mutually beneficial as it eliminates sewage capacity as an issue...
So yes, I do take credit for advocating a position by the City which in the end benefits both entities.
202 should be zoned for business.
Chains,chains,chains...Olive Garden blah blah blah. support local businesses! Cavallarios, Pete's, Fairgrounds and Colemans, Art's and Sborro's, Karen and Jaspers.
When the locals start having friendly service I will start patronizing them.
Not to mention nice parking
nice bathrooms
comfy seats
and someone at the door that pretends they are glad to have us come through the door.
food is food
Everyone has an opinion and mine is to disagree with you. I go to each of there restaurants and tend to have great service. Food is food? To some maybe. Myself, I tend to like dishes made from scratch so this deters me from the frozen pre-made crap that is served by chains.
I go out to eat a lot. I go to the chains more than I should. But I'll say this. If we lose our locals we will regret it.
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