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Resident cites repeat fires, poor security at Asteri; urges county intervention
Summary
A resident who reported on a recent arson at the Asteri building urged Tompkins County to account for taxpayer costs of repeated emergency responses and to consider rescinding tax abatements or taking ownership if conditions do not improve.
Zach Wynne, a resident and local reporter, told the legislature on June 3 that the fire at the Asteri building was foreseeable and that repeated stairwell fires and unsecured doors have endangered residents. Wynne said he had documented multiple incidents and urged the county to quantify taxpayer costs for repeated emergency responses and to consider policy options, including modifying or rescinding tax abatements for the building’s owner.
"I saw people in the street with their crying children," Wynne said, describing visible displacement after the blaze. He recommended the county audit how much Department of Social Services payments and emergency responses are costing taxpayers because of repeated problems at the site and asked officials to consider withholding subsidies until conditions improved.
Legislators acknowledged long‑standing concerns about the property and said the county administrator and staff were coordinating with city and state partners to identify next steps; they planned follow‑up conversations after a meeting with state agencies later that week.
