Council approves $10,000 occupancy-tax aid for pavilion move, splits payment tied to approvals
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Summary
The Common Council approved $10,000 in occupancy-tax funding to help move and rebuild the South Street Farmers Market pavilion for T‑Shirt Factory LLC, amending the award to pay $5,000 on removal and $5,000 upon reconstruction approval and erection.
The Glens Falls Common Council voted on March 25 to provide $10,000 in unrestricted occupancy-tax funds to T‑Shirt Factory LLC to help remove and relocate the South Street Farmers Market pavilion to the company's property on Lawrence Street, with an amendment splitting the payment into $5,000 on removal and $5,000 after planning and zoning approval and reconstruction starts.
Why it matters: Council members debated whether occupancy-tax money, which is intended to promote tourism, should be disbursed before the structure is rebuilt and used as a tourism asset. The amendment was intended to provide both upfront help to defray moving costs and accountability that the structure will be reconstructed.
Applicant Eric Unkoff told the council the pavilion is set to be taken down beginning April 7 and stored until fall because approvals from the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board will take time. "Probably in September is when we'd be shooting to put stuff back up," Unkoff said, adding that the pavilion will be reassembled in pieces and that at least one of the sections should be straightforward to get approved.
Council members raised two main concerns: whether the occupancy-tax money would produce tourism benefits if the pavilion were not re-erected, and what safeguards should be in place if reconstruction does not occur. One councilmember proposed splitting the payment so the city would provide $5,000 at removal and the remaining $5,000 when reconstruction is approved and underway. The council adopted that amendment and approved the amended resolution by roll call.
The resolution language adopted ties the second payment to planning and zoning approval for at least one of the reconstructed sections. City staff said the $10,000 is intended to "defray the costs" of removal and relocation rather than to pay for long-term storage; the applicant said he would contribute additional private funds and intends to reconstruct the pavilion.
The council agreed to amend the resolution and either approve it at the meeting or return an amended version at the next meeting; the council ultimately amended and approved the split-payment arrangement.
The council did not specify a strict contingency for returning funds if reconstruction fails beyond the requirement that the second $5,000 be released upon approval and erection, so the timing of the second payment will depend on whether and when the applicant secures the required approvals.
