Franklin discusses incentives for development
By Scott Baker
FRANKLIN — While Walgreens may have gotten approval for development, the Borough of Franklin still has many underdeveloped and undeveloped areas that, if built upon, would bring much needed ratables to the borough.
Franklin Mayor Paul Crowley said at the May 14 council meeting that the ratable base and population has declined over the past decade in Franklin, causing tax revenue to suffer. The only way to reverse this, he said, is to bring more development into the borough.
The first area of concern is the Group 5 Development-owned property off of Rt. 23 North, which was slated to be the home of a Walmart until plans recently fell through. The second is Miner’s Cove, a property on Main Street currently owned by Sussex Bank. Two others include the old hospital property - which has a plan that is “unfeasible in today’s economic climate" according to Crowley - and the large parcel on Rt. 517 before Ogdensburg, which is owned by a developer but was offered back to Franklin as a Green Acres site (an initiative to develop green spaces in the state).
Creating incentives
Crowley believes there is only one way to get developers interested in these properties. “If you want some of this development to come into town,” he told the council, “you’re going to have to allow us to negotiate some incentives.” Crowley said that the incentives wouldn’t come out of the borough's pocket, but would likely occur later on in the building process — such as a fee reduction for sewer hookups. If a developer was interested in a property in a redevelopment area, they might also be eligible for Franklin’s tax abatement program.
While the council was keen on bringing ratables back to the borough, some were hesitant to offer too many incentives.
Councilman Joe Limon raised a concern that Franklin does not have the money to offer incentives to developers. “It’s not our fault," said Limon, “it’s the way the world is.”
Councilman Nick Giordano agreed with the mayor, but also raised a concern. “We need to try to avoid some of the controversies we’ve had just recently,” he said, referring to the Walgreens project that caused over six months of heated debate between town officials and members of the public.
A compromise, he added, would be to offer the incentives, but first make sure the developer’s plan is of the proper scope for the plot. “We have to respect residents and be sensitive to how we impugn upon these people,” he said.
Councilman Gilbert Snyder was somewhat discouraged by the entire idea. Some developers have already been offered incentives and still walked away, he said, referencing the Walmart proposal. “I don’t know what we have to do to get them into town,” said Snyder.