Oneonta hears debate over RSS plan for 47 affordable apartments at 27 Market Street

Christine (RSS presenter) outlined a proposal to redevelop 27 Market Street into a 47-unit, mixed-use building that would reserve apartments for households earning roughly 30–70% of area median income and include ground-floor commercial space and about 30 on-site parking spaces.

The proposal relies on a 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit award and a business-entity structure for the project; the presenter said the sale of the city-owned parcel would be conditional on a negotiated pilot property-tax agreement and that a pilot must be in place before the sale can close. The council was told a vote on the purchase-and-sale agreement is expected on May 6.

Why it matters: supporters said the project would add workforce housing critical to retaining teachers, health-care workers and other downtown employees, and could support downtown commerce by putting more residents within walking distance. Opponents warned the site currently functions as a key downtown parking lot after a garage was demolished and called for more study of the transit hub and parking impacts before selling the parcel.

Residents and RSS clients described how the housing and supportive services could affect daily life. Bonnie, a Oneonta resident and partner with RSS, said the project would provide a “safe place” for people who otherwise struggle to afford housing. Deneen, a certified nursing assistant and peer support specialist with RSS, said, “What they need most of what many of us take for granted is safe, affordable place to live.” Dave Warren of RSS added that the funding timeline for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits is tight: “our window is quickly closing to make a round, this coming year.”

Project specifics presented to the council and the public included: 47 energy-efficient apartments, roughly 30 on-site parking spaces (a combination of enclosed garage and surface spaces), and supportive services offered directly to 12 households with voluntary services available to other residents. The presenter explained income bands using the 2024 area median income as an example: a one-person household threshold was described as roughly $18,000 to $42,980 and a sample two-person household income and rent illustration was given (an example single parent earning about $34,152 could qualify for a two-bedroom with rent capped around $900–$1,000 in the presenter’s scenario).

Multiple residents urged caution or delay. Margiel Mera, a Oneonta resident, urged the council not to rush the sale and asked the council to wait until the adjacent transit hub and a 115-space parking lot are completed and their effects on downtown parking are clear. Several downtown property owners and business owners expressed concern that removing the parcel from public control could worsen parking shortages and harm downtown commerce.

RSS representatives said the project team has conducted a market analysis that shows local demand for housing in the 30–70% AMI range and that some proprietary elements of that study could be shared with the council. The presenter said site control is the trigger for moving into the next phase of design and financing and that the tax-credit application cycle is annual, with timing implications if site control is delayed.

Council next steps and procedural context: No formal sale vote or formal action was recorded in this hearing. The presenter and a public commenter both stated the council is expected to vote on the sale and related purchase-and-sale contract in May; the presenter said the purchase-and-sale agreement requires a pilot agreement before the sale can close. Council members asked for additional data about Housing Authority vacancies, comparable rents, pilot term options and potential public access to any on-site parking; RSS said it would provide more of the market study and work with the city on pilot negotiations.

Votes at a glance: no motions or votes on the sale were taken during this meeting; council action was described as scheduled for a future meeting. The purchase-and-sale agreement, the pilot and the tax-credit application were described repeatedly as interdependent steps in the project’s timeline.

Ending: Supporters framed the project as a way to preserve and grow Oneonta’s workforce and downtown activity; opponents asked the council to defer action until the transit hub and replacement parking are in service and more data are available. The council will have another opportunity for public input at upcoming hearings and, per statements in the meeting, is expected to consider a vote on the sale on May 6.