Machine-extracted (OCR) from the official document — formatting is approximate; the official copy governs.
Clay Hospitality, LLC Public Hearing June 22, 2026 The Public Hearing of the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency, held on this day, Monday, June 22, 2026, at Clay Town Hall, 4401 NY-31, Clay, New York 13041 was called to order at 5:01 PM by Public Hearing Officer Alexis Rodriguez. Agency Attendees: Alexis Rodriguez, Public Hearing Officer Evan Carter, Assistant Secretary Nate Stevens, Treasurer Attendees: Courtney Gauthier, Town of Clay Councilor Lisa Sparks, Town Resident Janet Rathbum, Town Resident Dave Capria, Town of Clay Councilor Brian Bender, Town of Clay Commissioner of Planning The Public Hearing was conducted regarding the application and project described as follows: Project: Clay Hospitality, LLC Location: Clay, NY Tax Map # 021.-01-05.3; 021.-01-05.6; 021.-01-04.1
Clay Hospitality, LLC, a New York limited liability company on behalf of itself and/or entities formed or to be formed on its behalf (the “Company”), has submitted an application (the “Application”) to the Agency, a copy of which Application is on file at the office of the Agency, which Application requests that the Agency consider undertaking a project (the “Project”) for the benefit of the Company, said Project consisting of the following: (A)(1) the acquisition of a leasehold interest in all or a portion of approximately 2.5 acres of land located on Verplank Road and State Route 31 (now or formally tax map nos. 021.-01-04.1, 021.-01-05.3 and 021.-01-05.6) in the Town of Clay, Onondaga County, New York (collectively, the “Land”); (2) construction on the land of a four-story, approximately 64,000 square foot hospitality facility to be used as a branded hotel, consisting of approximately 103 guest rooms and/or suites with kitchens for extended stay, with related interior and exterior amenities, including structured parking (the “Facility”); and (3) the acquisition and installation in and around the Facility and/or for use in connection with the Project of various fixtures, machinery, equipment, furnishings and other items of tangible personal property (collectively, the “Equipment’) (the Land, the Facility and the Equipment being collectively referred to as the “Project Facility”); (B) the granting of certain “financial assistance” (within the meaning of Section 854(14) of the General Municipal Law) with respect to the foregoing, including potential exemptions from certain sales and use taxes, real property taxes, real estate transfer taxes and mortgage recording taxes (subject to certain statutory limitations) (the “Financial Assistance”); and (C) the lease (with an obligation to
purchase) or sale of the Project Facility to the Company or such other person as may be designated by the Company and agreed upon by the Agency. The Company will be the initial owner and/or operator of the Project Facility. The Agency has not made a decision with respect to the undertaking of the Project or the granting of the financial assistance. Alexis Rodriguez asked if there was anyone present who would like to speak in favor of the proposed project. No comments were made. Alexis Rodriguez asked if there was anyone who would like to speak in opposition of the proposed project. The following comments were made: Courtney Gauthier, Town of Clay Councilor
“I’m an elected Town Councilor in the Town of Clay and would like to provide my feedback regarding the request by Clay Hospitality, LLC to OCIDA for a $1.7 million tax exemption, which would include over $830,000 in property tax-specific relief. This request is for a non- industrial project and does not meet the standards for tax breaks from OCIDA. This is a giveaway request for private development to profit with no benefit to the local taxpayers in our area. Payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOT agreements, should be used specifically to bring projects to the area that create good-paying jobs for our neighbors or deliver a tangible benefit to the community. This hotel does neither of those. If this hotel project cannot survive in a very busy area of Clay, and less than four miles from the Micron Campus, then that should show OCIDA and others that there is clearly not enough demand for this project to be in Clay. I would request that OCIDA take into account that the local taxpayers of Clay have already taken on PILOT agreements and tax breaks given to Micron to drive fantastic development in our area, and because of that, all of these businesses, including this hotel or another one in its place, are coming to CNY regardless of tax breaks given because they want to be where the business is going to be growing at such an astronomical rate. I personally will not vote in favor of any project that comes before me on the Town Board that requests a PILOT agreement associated with it when there is not a benefit to my local neighbors via better employment opportunities or otherwise, and I urge OCIDA to remember that the residents of Clay do not want to subsidize the ancillary businesses that are coming to profit off of the area’s growth while families still have to find a way to pay their full property and school tax bill. Thank you.”
Dave Capria, Town of Clay Councilor “She stole a bunch of my points, that’s awesome, great job, so a bunch of notes, I’m not going to go over the $1.7 million, or anything like that, but what I did was, I was just looking after she was doing that, [ can see other towns where a PILOT agreement may work, like a town that there’s not really anything going on to stimulate growth and things like that. But, in a town like this, Clay, I mean we have so much growth right now that if you build a hotel, they are going to come. They do not need a $1.7 million PILOT agreement; I disagree with that completely. As Courtney said, I think it should be—I don’t even know if she said this, but no way anybody should get a PILOT agreement is if you’re bringing jobs into the area where it’s going to be growth and things like that, but a hotel, definitely not. It would also, I’m just looking here, it offers unfair advantages to other hotels that are already here and things like that. But it’s just,
you have so many banks and credit unions that are coming into town, financial institutions are coming into Clay, I mean, how many— if anybody knows it’s Courtney, I mean we’ve had so many, it’s crazy. So, if banks and credit unions are coming into Clay without PILOT agreements, then we do not need a hotel to get a PILOT agreement. I’m totally against that, | think almost everyone I know is against that, and so I hope that the new board make-up of OCIDA will take all of this into account, all the negatives that people are saying with the PILOT agreement, so I just hope you guys will take this into account and do not offer it. They’re an international company, this hotel company. They do not need a tax break to come here. Somebody else will come here without a PILOT, I’m sure, in Clay. If everybody else wants to come here, why give them a tax break, a PILOT? I mean there’s no sense in it, so it’s just going to hurt us and our constituents here in Clay. It’s just going to hurt them, and the big company’s going to be making good on it, but residents like us, we’re going to be paying for it, so I’m totally against it. Thank you.” Janet Rathbum, Town Resident “I’m opposed, but don’t really have a comment.” Alexis Rodriguez asked if there was anyone who would like to make general comments about the proposed project. No comments were made.
Alexis Rodriguez noted that written comments can be submitted electronically to economicdevelopment@onondaga.gov or mailed to the Agency’s office at 335 Montgomery Street, Floor 2M, Syracuse, New York 13202. A copy of the Application including a cost/benefit analysis is available at the Agency’s office and on the Agency’s website for review. A recording and transcript of the hearing will be available on the Agency’s website. Alexis Rodriguez closed the public hearing at 5:10 PM. Dated: June 23, 2026 ONONDAGA COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY By: Alexis Rodriguez, Publit Hearing Officer