Another local business is attempting to purchase the Bethlehem Central School District’s property at 90 Adams Place, and this potential tenant appears likely to meet the approval of neighborhood residents.
The Stram Center of Integrative Medicine, currently at 388 Kenwood Avenue, is hoping to move to the larger location. A use variance is still needed from the town in order for the sale to be finalized because the only allowed uses in the neighborhood are for a private home or telecommunications office. The town’s Zoning Board of Appeals set a Nov. 20 public hearing for the project at its most recent meeting.
“The sale is proceeding as planned, and the district is hopeful the Zoning Board review will move swiftly so we can finalize the sale of the building,” said BCSD Superintendent Tom Douglas. “Whether or not the building is sold rests in the hands of the town.”
The school district had filed a lawsuit against the town in July after the Zoning Board denied a use variance to sell the property to School’s Out, Inc. The local daycare provider had been looking to purchase the district’s property at 90 Adams to relocate its headquarters, but the variance decision halted the sale.
However, the lawsuit has since been dropped because another potential buyer has been found.
If the sale goes forward, the district would be selling the property for $50,000 less than what was asked for from School’s Out. The district previously said it had trouble selling the property because of its location and because renovation costs and soft costs were deemed to be “economically infeasible” by other potential buyers.
To obtain a use variance, the district had to prove a lack of return on investment, that the hardship to the property was unique, that the use variance would not alter the character of the neighborhood and the alleged hardship was not self created.
In the case of School’s Out, most board members had agreed the hardship was unique and the school district did not create the problem, but said the sale would change the neighborhood’s character, mostly due to traffic. Neighbors argued buses and parents dropping off students at School’s Out would lead to an unsafe environment. They also said quality of life would diminish for residents, and the move would destroy the unique character of the old Delmar neighborhood.
The district’s lawsuit challenged the Zoning Board’s determination that the building’s purchase by School’s Out would change the character of the neighborhood. The district also claimed the Zoning Board failed to consider the property’s size and how the district first received the building from the library in 1931, before existing zoning regulations were adopted.
In the application submitted to the town at the Nov. 6 Zoning Board meeting, The Stram Center indicated about 4,500 square feet of the building would be used to treat patients, while 2,303 square feet would be turned into offices. They also said the available 20 parking spaces would be adequate because the medical office currently shares a parking lot of 24 with popular businesses like Perfect Blend, I Love Books and I Love NY Pizza.
The Stram Center is also only open from 8:30 to 5:30 p.m., with two days open until 7 p.m. for acupuncture, as opposed to the early mornings and later afternoon of School’s Out. In addition, most sessions last 30 to 45 minutes with typically just a patient and family member in attendance at appointments.
Stephen Malinowski, who has acted as a spokesperson for the group of Delmar neighbors living near the property, previously had stated residents felt a medical office would be suitable in the location. His wife, Lyn Malinowski, said in a phone interview that she believed most living in the area approved the sale of 90 Adams to The Stram Center.
The public hearing has been set for Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7:10 p.m.