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Clay Town Residents Oppose Tax Breaks for Development Project Clay Town Residents Oppose Tax Breaks for Development Project

Question Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency in Hearing

By Zachary Levine

Public hearing for Clay distribution center tax breaks
© 2019 Zachary Levine

Andrew: NCC News Reporter Zachary Levine spent some time at today’s public hearing at the Clay Town Hall to find out how residents feel about tax breaks for the $280 million dollar distribution center being built in the area, Zachary?

Zachary: The rumors have been spreading. Could Amazon jobs be coming to Central New York? That’s what some think might be the occupant of that massive new distribution center in Clay. Let’s take a closer look at the project and what members of the public think about it.

It’s here, on the west side of Morgan Boulevard, that the Liverpool Public Golf and Country Club stands, as it has for decades. But that landscape might be about to change.

The golf course is closing, bought out by a developer, and on this site — a proposed $280 million distribution center, which that developer says will create 1,000 jobs.

The landscape in Clay is already dotted with other large buildings. Furniture retail company Raymour and Flaingan’s distribution center sits just across the street the golf course.

The public opposition to the project has been well documented in previous hearings, and today, it was the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency, or OCIDA, that held a public comment section at the Clay Town hall.

The subject matter, tax exemptions for the project, including 20 million in sales tax, as well as nearly 50 million in property tax.

When the public comment period opened up, there was no shortage of opposed residents.

Elizabeth: “What will it bring to our community, to our city, to our county, that will benefit us in the long run?”

Zachary: Barry Gordon, who thinks that if Amazon is the occupant of the center, the county would be giving a nice gift to Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person.

Barry: “This is another case of very wealthy and powerful interests imposing their will on a local community with no concern whatsoever about what the effect is going to be on that community”

Zachary: Many of the opposed residents brought up their environmental concerns, as well as their worries about the noise and traffic levels.

Sent: “When the kids go outside to have recess, it’s going to be a lead-filled, poor air quality nightmare. So I’m just here to talk for the next generation. Kids don’t come back here. Not because of jobs, but because of other life quality issues that we have not in the Town of Clay been focusing on.”

Zachary: Many of the speakers also expressed displeasure with the fact that this hearing took place at 10am, rather than after normal work and school hours. The Clay Planning Board is holding their own hearing on the project tomorrow night at 7:30. Now, while OCIDA was not able to address any concerns, they say that today’s comments will be integrated in with those who sent in comments online, and weighed, before a decision is made about the tax breaks. If all stays on schedule, that decision is expected on October 31st.

By Zachary Levine CLAY, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency, OCIDA, held a public hearing today at the Clay Town Hall to listen to residents’ concerns regarding the $280 million distribution center project set to be built off Morgan Rd in Clay, on the site of the Liverpool Public Golf Course and County Club.

The golf course, which has been around for decades, was bought out by the development company Trammell Crow to make way for the project. The development company says that 1,000 jobs will be created by the center, who’s occupant has not been disclosed. It is widely believed that Amazon could be on the way to the nearly 3.8 million square foot site. The building would be one of the largest distribution centers in the world.

Public opposition for the project has been well-documented in previous hearings, and today, it was OCIDA’s turn to listen to residents. The tax exemptions on the table include nearly $20 million in sales tax, as well as nearly $50 million in property tax.

“This is another case of very, apparently, very wealth and very powerful interests imposing their will on a local community,” Onondaga County Resident Barry Gordon said.

Many of the opposed residents brought up their environmental concerns, as well as their worries about the noise and traffic levels. The OCM BOCES Crown Road campus is located on the diagonal side of Liverpool Bypass from the site.

“When the kids go outside to have recess, it’s going to be a lead-filled, poor air quality nightmare. So I’m just here to talk for the next generation. Kids don’t come back here. Not because of jobs, but because of other life quality issues that we have not in the Town of Clay been focusing on,” resident Sent Off said.

A number of the speakers expressed displeasure with the fact that this hearing took place at 10am, as opposed to in the evening, after normal work and school hours. The Clay Planning Board is holding their own hearing on the project tomorrow night at 7:30pm. While OCIDA did not address any of the concerns or questions asked of them at today’s hearing, which was largely just a fact-gathering measure, they say today’s comments will be integrated in with those sent in online. A decision will be made about the tax breaks in an OCIDA special hearing on October 31st.

Site of the Golf Course, the Land the Distribution Center Will Be Built on

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