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Owera closes tasting room, cancels 2024 events By kate Hill Staff Writer
Owera Vineyards on East Lake Road in Cazenovia has closed its tasting room and canceled all hosted events for 2024. On Dec. 4, Peter Muserlian Jr, son of Owera owners Nancy and Peter Muserlian, confirmed the closing and said the farming, wine production, and distribution operations will continue at the Cazenovia location. “We are committed to finding suitable replacement venues for those affected by the cancellations,” he said in an email. Muserlian Jr., who has been handling all media inquiries for the winery, added that Owera is not taking any questions at this time. As of Dec. 8, the Owera website is “under construction” and there are no posts about the closing on the business’s Facebook page.
Background
The Muserlians purchased their 57-acre property on East Lake Road in 2007. They opened a tasting room a few years later and erected a seasonal, non-permanent 40 ft. x 100 ft. tent on the property to host events. The winery became a venue for weddings, banquets, and other occasions in 2013. Since then, neighbors have been very vocal about their opposition to the noise, lights, and traffic coming from the on-site events. In Sept. 2013, Owera was issued a notice of violation by the town codes enforcement officer for “complaints relating to the conducting of activities (not ‘indoors’) after the hour of 10 p.m. on certain specified Fridays and Saturdays and after 5 p.m. on certain weekdays and Sundays, all outside of the parameters of the permits that [Owera has] been issued and the Town’s Zoning and Site Plan Laws.”
According to the violation, the complaints related to excessive noise that was identified as coming from the banquet area of Owera’s premises. That same year, Owera applied to the town to replace their tent with a permanent structure. In the face of strong opposition from neighbors, the winery ultimately withdrew its application in January 2014. Owera applied again in August 2014 to construct a building to replace the tent, and in February 2015, the town issued a comprehensive resolution approving the construction of a permanent 48 ft. x 142 ft. farm production and marketing facility structure. The resolution contained various conditions, including noise limitations, limits on the hours of operation, limits on the size and number of events held, required proof of compliance with certain Submitted photo New York State Department of AgCazenovia scout Micah Hamm recently led an effort as part of his work to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, to riculture and Markets (DAM) polirepair a footbridge on the North Country Scenic Trail in Cazenovia. cies on an annual basis, and required immediate expansion of Owera’s acreage under cultivation. Owera sued the planning board in New York State Supreme Court to annul several of the conditions that Hamm worked under the guidance of former scoutA dozen young Scouts and friends spent a cold, rainy it found to be “arbitrary and capricious” and in excess of the board’s October afternoon constructing a footbridge over a small master George Schmit of Cazenovia. Scouts and friends on the construction crew, and on an earlier used-lumber jurisdiction. All but two of the re- stream on the North Country Scenic Trail in Cazenovia. salvage operation, included Esther Hamm, Samantha As his Eagle Scout project, Micah Hamm of Cazenovia quirements were ultimately upheld. Arnold, Matthew Awald, Moriah Hamm, Micah Hamm, Troop 18 drew the plans and led the construction operaThe building was not constructed. According to Town Supervisor tion. The bridge will keep hikers’ feet dry, and minimize Will Shamblen, Zack Arnold, Tyler Arnold, Don Arnold, Bill Zupan, Owera submitted an ap- erosion, about a half-mile in from the Chenango Street Joshua Hamm, Esther Armstrong, Theresa White, Kathplication to the planning board in trailhead, on the footpath up to Stone Quarry Hill Art erine McCoy, Godfred Asante, and Eli Revelle. The CNY Chapter of the NCTA sponsors recreational May 2022 to seek approval for the Park. The North Country Scenic Trail is a 4,600-mile hiking and educational hikes year-round on the NCST, as well as construction of a permanent building to replace the tent and accom- trail running from North Dakota to Vermont. The trail work parties for the upkeep and development of the trail enters Madison County at DeRuyter Reservoir, then runs as a quality footpath for hikers. modate year-round events. Twenty-five volunteer trail stewards perform routine During the board’s Oct. 5, 2023, through the Tioughnioga Wildlife Management Area, meeting, Jo Anne Gagliano, presi- north through the Nelson Swamp Unique Area, the Stone maintenance on their segments of the trail. For the past dent of Environmental Design & Quarry Hill Art Park, Cazenovia, and Perryville, then to two seasons Chapter volunteers have been working hard Research, explained that Owera the Mount Pleasant Cemetery and through Canastota to to build a new section of woodland trail in Clark Hill State had come to the board because the connect with the Erie Canalway Trail (the towpath). The Forest and Pixley Falls State Park, northeast of Rome, on existing tent was at the end of its trail in Madison County is maintained by volunteers of the way to the Adirondacks. The Chapter, always ready to welcome new members lifespan, and Owera’s preference was the CNY Chapter of the North Country Trail Association to replace it with a building to miti- in coordination with state agencies and the Cazenovia and volunteers, can be contacted at mdaly@MichaelDalyManlius.com. Owera l Page 3 Preservation Foundation.
Troop 18 scouts build a bridge
Board says goodbye to longtime supervisor By Kate Hill Staff Writer
On Dec. 11, Bill Zupan led his final town board meeting as supervisor of the Town of Cazenovia. Zupan, who decided not to seek reelection this year, was presented with a framed proclamation recognizing and honoring his many years of dedicated service. Zupan joined the Town of Cazenovia Zoning Board of Appeals in
1990. He served on it for 17 years and spent seven years as board chairman. He was elected to the town board in 2008 and has been the supervisor for the past decade. The proclamation, which was read aloud by Councilor & Deputy Town Supervisor Patrick Race, states that Zupan’s wisdom, knowledge, and dedication to improving the town are evidenced by the numerous projects that were started and completed under his leadership. Such initiatives in-
clude the conveyance of the water pollution control facility to the Town of Cazenovia, the formation of the Route 20 Water District, the New York State Police New Woodstock Substation, Northeast Town Drainage District improvements, the cold storage building at the highway garage, McNitt State Park kayak launch improvements, sidewalks to Fenner Fields, the procurement of a new weed harvester, and several lake treatments. Zupan l Page 2
Kate Hill
Supervisor Bill Zupan was presented with a framed proclamation honoring his many years of service.
Village board introduces zoning code amendments, sets public hearing By kate Hill Staff Writer
During its Dec. 4 regular meeting, the Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees introduced proposed amendments to the village code regarding special uses in a B-1 zoning district and the definition of the term “sign.” The current village code states that in a B-1 zone, dwellings, owneroccupied transient occupancy lodging, non-owner-occupied transient occupancy lodging, and dormitories are specially permitted uses in upper stories of a building only in combination with permitted nonresidential use(s) on the first floor in the same building.
The village board is proposing an exception for corner lots that have frontage on both Albany Street and an intersecting street. Within a mixed commercial/residential use occupancy building at such a location, dwellings would be permitted on the ground floor within the portion of the building that fronts on the intersecting street. “Currently in the B-1, it requires that for any residential use on the upper floors, there be a commercial or office or some [other] type of nonresidential use on the first floor,” said Village Attorney Jim Stokes. “That was put in five or six years ago, [I think], in order to preserve the storefronts on Albany Street, so that you didn’t have residences of
one kind or another occupying those storefronts.” Stokes added that when considering the informally proposed redevelopment of 99 Albany St. — the former Napa store — and 103 Albany St. — a former gas station — into a new mixed-use retail/residential building, the village noticed that there was an issue with the zoning. The owners of the properties, Michael and Jacqueline Silberberg, of Berkley Properties, LLC, are proposing a first-floor commercial use on the Albany Street side of the building and a first-floor residential use on the Center Street side, which is adjacent to a residential district. “Technically, that doesn’t fit with the B-1 zoning,” said Stokes. “So,
to keep with the original intent of the zoning code, this is a proposed amendment, upon which we would have to have a public hearing next month, that would allow for properties such as this that are on a corner lot to have residential on the nonAlbany Street side of the building.” Mayor Kurt Wheeler pointed out that the developer made the proposed design with the intention of minimizing the impact of the building on the adjacent neighborhood. “Commercial uses would have higher traffic and higher impact on the neighborhood,” he said. “They actually were being very farsighted saying, ‘Hey, we’d like to do residential on the back side to have less impact on the neighborhood. So, they
are trying to do the right thing, trying to be considerate of neighbors. . . . After we did the comprehensive plan, [we] went through literally page by page, paragraph by paragraph, and redid all our zoning, and there are things that you just don’t anticipate.” Wheeler added that he thinks the proposed amendment preserves the intent of the B-1 special uses section of the code while allowing for a more compatible use with the residential neighborhoods that might be behind Albany Street. “It’s a win-win with this change,” he said. “It allows the developer to do something that is actually better for the surrounding neighborhoods.” Village l Page 3
Volume 214, Number 50 The Cazenovia Republican is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 35 Albany St., Second Floor, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Periodical Postage Paid at Cazenovia, NY 13035, USPS 095-260. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Cazenovia Republican, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
library news: Cazenovia Public LIbrary revives ‘Great Decisions’ discussion group.
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sports: Cazenovia hockey runs win streak to four.
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PennySaver ���������������� 6
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Sports ������������������ 10-12
Obituaries ������������������ 9