Address the Blight Problem
You've seen it, it's awful and you know the impression it gives to visitors and potential investors. It makes it that much harder to 'sell' Gloversville and it's especially unfair to all the people who work hard to maintain their properties.
The current process to address code violations is very labor and time intensive. It needs to be stream-lined so those who don't obey the law can be brought to compliance as quickly as possible. It will make a huge difference to Gloversville and be a welcome relief for the citizens that take care of their properties. This is our top priority. Click here to read more about it at the Leader Herald.
What can you do?
- Support our efforts to address blight and substandard housing. Contact your local officials and tell them you support Gloversville2020's proposals to change the code enforcement procedures.
- Report blight in your neighborhood at the Fire Department. All reports must be filled-out and signed by the person making them (no anonymous reporting). The members of the Fire Department will take it from there.
- Pay attention to your own property - Clean up debris, paint worn surfaces, keep the lawn neat. Show your pride in your homes and Gloversvile.
- Don't add to the problem by throwing trash in the street. And if you see trash, pick it up and put it in a garbage can if you can. You'd be surprised at how much better you'll feel about Gloversville
Support Gloversville & The O-Zone
Increasingly car-centered suburban sprawl is giving way to the small city as a sane place to live and do business. The model for the future is a small sustainable city; look around and you'll realize that many of the elements for sustainability are already here. For example - we have:
- locally grown and raised food supply
- an abundant water supply
- proximity to major population centers
- Fulton Montgomery Community College
- an active Chamber of Commerce
Developers are aware of this and are looking closely at Gloversville. We welcome their interest and want Gloversville to prosper – but we don't want a strip mall on Main Street. We don't want street-side parking lots that discourage pedestrian activities. We need a plan to protect Gloversville from unregulated growth - that plan is the O-Zone.
Overlay Zone (or the O-Zone) is a term used by city planners to describe a set of zoning regulations added to existing zoning laws to protect and enhance a specific resource within a designated area. In Gloversville, we want to protect (and enhance) the downtown area, and the corridor routes of Main and Fulton Streets leading to the downtown area.
What can you do?
- Come downtown to shop! There may not be as many stores or restaurants as you'd like (or as there will be) - but those there need our support. These are our neighbors - they need us to survive and thrive.
- Support Mohawk Harvest. Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market is being organized by volunteers as a member-owned and driven market. It's mission is to provide us with healthy food, to support local farmers and producers and enhance our sense of community. Visit their website and consider becoming a member.
- Support the Glove Theatre. The Glove is a Gloversville treasure - it may not look as good as it used (or as good as it will) but it's still here and it needs us all in order to continue being here!
- Be proud of Gloversville. Look around - we have friendly, caring people; our downtown has beautiful old buildings; we are in an incredibly beautiful part of the country; there is history here. This is a great place to live, play and raise a family. Let's act like we know that!
- Learn about the O-Zone. Become familiar with what the O-Zone is and what it will mean to Gloversville. Then let your local officials know that you support it.
| What is the O-Zone? | What isn't the O-Zone? |
|---|---|
| A plan to create an attractive, safe, pedestrian-friendly environment by having multi-story buildings with stores/restaurants/entertainment on the ground level, wide sidewalks, street trees, small inviting public spaces and parking lots off the main streets.. | It is NOT anti-business. Providing assurances to existing and prospective businesses that we are an area that wants to preserve a viable downtown and showing them exactly how we propose to do this, will attract and keep business here. |
| High-density housing in the downtown area with medium to low-density as you move away from downtown. More people living downtown will support the businesses located there and make the area more 'lively'.. | Not a change to existing zoning rules - including those governing the downtown historic district |
| Future development to be in harmony with the historic nature of the downtown both in scale and design. | Not a reevaluation, rezoning or reassessment of existing properties |