City Zoning Board will be Lead Agent in Sheldon House Review Process

Sheldon House (photo by SUNY JCC)

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council will be acting on a resolution later this month involving the future of the Sheldon House on Lakeview Ave.

The property, which is currently owned by Jamestown Community College – has been up for sale with the potential buyer being the Lynn Development Group, who wants to use the historic house as its new office headquarters. The reported price for the property would be $240,000.

Because the home is located in a residential area, a zoning variance would have to be granted by the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals before a sale could be finalized. And as part of that process, a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) needs to take place.

The city council will act on a resolution during its April 25 voting session, making the zoning board the lead agency in SEQR process. If approved, it will allow the zoning board to review the SEQR and possibly make a decision on a zoning variance during its May meeting.

During Monday night’s city council work session, Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi emphasized  that the vote later this month has nothing to do with giving approval for the sale to move forward.

“This is a procedural issue and I want to make it clear – so that council members are not being flooded by calls at their home – the council does not have a vote on the zoning variance request and it does not have a vote on the sales of the property or the use of the property,” Teresi said.

The sale of the home to the Lynn Group has been met with resistance by residents in the Lakeview neighborhood, who say they don’t want a business operating in their residential area. In January a group of residents attended a city council meeting to inform city officials of their opposition to the sale. The same group is expected to appear before the zoning board when it takes up the zoning variance request.

Even if the zoning variance were approved, the sale of the property from JCC to the Lynn group would also need final approval the State University of New York, which oversees JCC operations.