By Melissa Scram

Staff Writer

ONEONTA —The boundaries of Otsego County's Empire Zone are being amended before the final plan is sent to the state, according to the county's new zone coordinator.

Amanda Friedl, zone coordinator, said the intent of the changes is to delete undevelopable land.

"We're basically just cleaning it up to make sure the lands are on developable acreage," she said.

Some of that land is being reallocated, she said, and the rest is being held in reserve for future boundary amendments.

Intended to spur economic growth, Empire Zones are state-designated areas where municipalities give tax breaks to new or expanding businesses.

Public hearings on proposed changes to the zone's boundaries will be held in:

• the city of Oneonta at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

• the town of Otego at 6:30 p.m. April 9.

• the village of Otego at 6:15 p.m. April 14.

• the town of Richfield at 6:30 p.m. April 21.

• the village of Richfield Springs at 6:30 p.m. April 24.

Among the changes, the city of Oneonta is losing 62 acres -mainly in the River Corp. Industrial Park, officials said, and gaining 26.67 acres. The town of Otego is gaining 19.67 acres of land near the Otego exit of Interstate 88 and losing the town gravel bank and an agricultural site, Friedl said.

Town of Otego Supervisor Joseph Hurlburt said the changes were beneficial and that he couldn't see the lost land being developed in the "foreseeable future."

The village of Otego is gaining 1.57 acres and losing 25.59. In the town of Richfield, 73.89 acres are being taken out, and Richfield Springs is losing 13.67 acres and gaining .25 acres.

Much of the deleted acreage contains wetlands or lacks infrastructure for development, officials said.

Friedl said the boundary changes have been occupying the majority of her time since she started Feb. 10.

"There are some challenges, bumps in the road, but for the most part it's gone pretty well," she said.

County Board Rep. Ronald Feldstein, D-Otego, said the addition of a full-time coordinator has been helpful and prevented the office from falling behind.

"There's a huge amount of detail that has to be attended to in getting our zone up and running," he said.

County Economic Development Director Lynn Bass said with Friedl handling all zone projects, "that relieves my time somewhat."

Some board members were concerned about the added expense, Feldstein said, but some funding has come from the state and the Industrial Development Agency.

"As time goes on and we begin certifying businesses and reaping all the benefits, the Empire Zone will realize that having a staff member is not only important but integral to its success," he said.

The board established a salary of $25,000 a year for the coordinator during its March 5 meeting.

Chairman of the Otsego County Board, Carl Higgins, R-Edmeston, originally opposed the position but said the additional funding eased his concerns, and he came around after learning more about the process of getting the zone running.

"Maybe the maintenance of it afterwards would require less hours, and then it would be looked at again," he said.

Rep. Eugene Wells, R-Springfield, also opposed a full-time coordinator at first but said he changed his mind when applications from firms started coming in.

"I saw where it would pay for itself," he said.

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Melissa Scram can be reached at mscram@thedailystar.com or (607) 441-7213.