We, the undersigned residents and supporters of Cazenovia, call on the Village Board to uphold the existing education zoning on all former Cazenovia College properties, initiate a community-driven planning process to develop new zoning, and ask the AG to pause the sale of Reisman and Sigety Halls to Madison County until this full public planning process is completed.

Why We Are Concerned

Since the closing of Cazenovia College in 2023, there have been multiple calls for community feedback and ideas, as well as public meetings led by community groups such as the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA) and the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF). This is in stark contrast to the pending sale of Reisman and Sigety Hall: Cazenovia village leadership has failed to disclose or initiate any public conversation about the pending sale, even as it has regularly updated the community on 9Fresh’s acquisition and future development plans.

This failure to disclose has prevented any meaningful discussion of community questions, concerns, or feedback. It has evaded any professional planning processes that would allow residents to engage in community discussion about the sale and to ensure the development of a legal foundation for future zoning uses of the campus.

No impact study has occurred of the potential effects of a county law enforcement agency in the heart of our historic village:

• Sheriff Department operations would fundamentally alter our village center’s historic character, local economy, and safety — bringing emergency vehicles, expanded parking, and heavy infrastructure into a residential and pedestrian area.
• Such a proposal is not aligned with our existing planning documents or zoning and was devised without any public input. Allowing exemptions or fast-tracked zone changes now would silence residents at the very moment we should be building a shared vision.

This is not just about buildings. It is about whether Cazenovia’s future will be decided with us, or for us.

We urge the Village Board to:

• Stand up for residents and commit to maintaining existing C1 and C2 zoning for all proposed uses of the campus.
• Launch an immediate, professional, community-driven planning process to determine the best long-term uses and corresponding land use regulations for the college properties—grounded in research, best practices, and broad resident input.
• Ask the Attorney General’s office to pause the review to give a chance for transparency, public hearings, and genuine community input.

Cazenovia’s future should be guided by transparency, accountability, and community values—not government overreach and closed-door deals. Our community deserves better. Central New York deserves better.