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ROTTERDAM
Small businesses get better offer
Development Agency boosts facade improvement grant program
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.

    Incentives offered through the Rotterdam Industrial Development Agency’s small business facade improvement program just got a lot bigger.
    The agency will offer 10 matching grants totaling $50,000 for small businesses wanting to tidy up their appearance. The new round of grants are double the amount offered by the agency last year, when a total of nine businesses were given funding though the program.
    Chairman Angelo Santabarbara said the agency expects to hammer out the requirements for the second round of grants by next month’s meeting. He said the new grants are targeted at small business owners who did not seek out the funding last year.
    “Maybe they were going to wait on a project, but with this assistance they’ll do it now,” he said.
    Last year, the program offered $2,500 grants to businesses that applied for entrance, handicap accessibility and exterior improvements. The majority of grants approved by the agency were awarded to small businesses along Hamburg Street, an area of the town that has been the focus of recent revitalization efforts.
    In a related move, the IDA approved a $4,850 study on redeveloping the area around the former Grand Union property between Williams Street and East Campbell Road. Santabarbara said the new survey will expand upon the findings presented by a recently completed land-use and transportation study of the Hamburg Street and Curry Road area near Thruway Exit 25.
    The study suggested the town create a new zoning designation to create a “main street neighborhood center” for the Hamburg Street corridor. In particular, the study suggested the Grand Union property as an ideal area to create a commercial corridor with street-front stores, sidewalks and landscaping.
    “It’s going to help us tie everything together,” Santabarbara said of the IDA study.
    Santabarbara was also reappointed chairman of the IDA this week. Town Board members voted 3-1 to extend Santabarbara’s term, with John Silva casting the only dissenting vote.
    Santabarbara was unanimously selected by the board last year to finish out the term of Arthur Brassard, who resigned to become the county Republican elections commissioner. Several months after his appointment, the Republican Santabarbara was elected to the county Legislature.
    In opposing the appointment, Silva mentioned the Metroplex home rule bill unveiled last week by Schenectady’s three Republican state legislators. If passed, the law would both raised the authority’s bond cap and extend its life, but would bar political party chairpersons, county elected officials and managers from serving on its board.
    Silva, a Democrat, insisted his vote against the appointment was not partisan, but asked the board to consider Santabarbara’s status as a county legislator. He suggested the town consider someone outside of government service.
    “We have a lot of qualified members in the community that could do the job,” he said.
    Supervisor Steve Tommasone defended Santabarbara’s reappointment, citing his achievements in less than a year of service. He also noted Santabarbara’s practice of forgoing the position’s $5,000 salary.
    This year, Santabarbara announced he would accept the salary, but donate it to establishing a scholarship fund for graduates from the Schalmont, Mohonasen and Duanesburg school districts. He said each school will be given $1,500 to divide between two students who excelled in math or science.
    “I wanted to give the money back to the community,” he said.

There are a few place that I wish would take this opportunity to spruce up their buildings.

just a few !!!!

Ya think we should start a list????