Council gives Sphere Development permission to submit plan involving city property

NORWICH – A private development company has been looking at property on the corner of Cortland and Broad streets to develop into a commercial business, and during Tuesday night’s meeting of the Common Council, the company was given permission to submit a site plan application, involving parcels of city-owned property in the area.

Sphere Development, out of Cazenovia, has been talking with business and home owners along the south side of Cortland Street, and has apparently expressed an interest in obtaining properties including Bilow’s Garage, Cooley Realty, and two residences on Cortland Street, along with Enlightened Dentistry and a city-owned parking lot and road located behind the garage. In order to submit a site plan, the development company must have a purchase order in hand from the property owners involved or permission from the property owner to go forward. The motion passed by the council will be sufficient for the city-owned property.

A Cortland Street property owner, Richard Stenman, had originally expressed concerns with many aspects of the proposed project, but on Tuesday night, he said he was feeling more comfortable with the company’s proposed plan. Stenman, who lives at 8 Cortland St., across the street from the proposed development location, said he felt more confident that the company would work with the neighborhood, after speaking with representatives from Sphere on Tuesday. ‘“There are many concerns that I still have, but I feel this could be an asset if it is done correctly,” Stenman said. The Norwich man had the chance to sit down with the developers and discuss the proposed plans. “My main goal was to establish that there would be cooperation with the neighborhood, and that we would be able to have input. At this time, that was demonstrated to me, and I hope that will continue. At this point, I feel as though the city, the neighborhood and the developer are capable of having a win-win-win situation.”