Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents raise concerns about Airport Road Corporate Park and Vestal Parkway housing pilot
Summary
During public comment, residents asked for updates on the Airport Road Corporate Park and flagged concerns about a $70 million Vestal Parkway housing pilot with proposed tax incentives; Supervisor Robert Mack said 515 acres were under contract and that, he was told, no homes would be displaced, and noted the Vestal Town Board opposed the Vestal IA project but the IDA could still approve it.
Public commenters used the Town of Union’s hearing-of-visitors periods on March 19, 2025 to ask about large nearby development projects and to question local procurement dynamics.
A resident identified only as John (Rhodes Road, Johnson City) asked for an update on the proposed Airport Road Corporate Park. Supervisor Robert Mack said the project had 515 acres under contract and that, "not one house or person will be displaced," according to the minutes.
Another speaker, John Solak of Binghamton, said he remembered "at least four bidders" on past projects and observed that only two bidders appeared for the items considered that night, with a wide price difference between them. Supervisor Mack replied in the meeting that the higher bidder effectively ensured they did not receive the job.
Later in the meeting a resident (identified again as John) referenced an Industrial Development Agency pilot for a Vestal Parkway housing project described in public reports as a roughly $70 million project with 200 apartments and estimated rents of $1,800 per month; the commenter noted contractor origin concerns and that the proposal reportedly included two years of tax abatement and a 20-year tax reduction structure. Supervisor Mack told the board the Vestal Town Board opposed the project but observed that the IDA can approve projects independently of municipal votes.
The minutes record the public comments and the Supervisor’s summary responses; the meeting record does not include further staff analysis or any board action in response to the concerns raised.
