Saying that is too dense and would create even more traffic problems in the area, Oswego Planning and Zoning commissioners unanimously rejected a concept plan to raze the former Traughber Junior High School to make way for a 239-unit residential development.

Village trustees will now review the concept plan. Commissioners discussed the plan at their Sept. 4 meeting, where several neighboring residents also spoke against the plan.

Planning and Zoning Commission member Justin Sather was concerned about the height of the two five-story buildings, which are proposed to be about 60 feet tall. The former Traughber Junior High School is 45 feet tall.

“I don’t think any of these buildings should be any taller than the existing building so it fits in with the community,” he said. “This is the transition to our downtown. ... To me, it’s way too much in too small of an area surrounded by all these nice tiny houses.”

Commission Chair Charlie Pajor also voiced concerns about the size of the development. He said the height of the current building is “kind of out of scale to the residential nature of what’s around it.”

“And that was my concern as I was walking around the site earlier this week and just looking at it,” he said. “I don’t see this as a pedestrian friendly or pedestrian encouraging development, because of its size and its density.”

Other commissioners voiced concerns about the development not containing enough green space and that it would cause more traffic congestion in the area.

The Oswego School District 308 board voted at its July 28 meeting to authorize a developer to submit initial development plans to the village of Oswego for the old Traughber property at 61 Franklin St. in Oswego.

The real estate development team of JTE Real Estate and architecture firm Cordogan Clark submitted the proposal for the property.

As proposed, two five-story apartment buildings containing 128 residential units would be built on the south side of the site. To the east and west of the five-story buildings, four three-story apartment buildings containing 88 units are planned.

In addition, 23 two-story townhouse units in six buildings are proposed on the property’s north side.

Mark Benstine, who lives on Franklin Street and whose children attended the school, voiced concerns about the prospect of five-story buildings being built near his house.

In addition, he said the development would just add to traffic problems in his neighborhood.

Resident James Altergott moved to Oswego in 2019 from Chicago.

“There’s just too much coming into this town in the few years I’ve been here,” he said. “This is just not the right fit for this area. I live not far from this and I can tell you, it wouldn’t be a problem for me to see the fifth floor of these buildings. And I am dead set against that. It reminds me of why I left Chicago.”

Yvette Weaver, who lives on Monroe Street, voiced concerns the proposed development would lower the property value of her house.

The building served as the original Traughber Junior High School until the current Traughber Junior High School was built in 2008. The property is 12 acres in size, with the building sitting on four acres.

It hasn’t been fully operational since 2007, District 308 Superintendent Andalib Khelghati said.

“There were 100 staff members in and out of that building every single day,” he said.

Khelghati said the property has become an albatross around the district’s neck. He said the district has to spend $250,000 a year for its upkeep.

A plan in 2018 to turn the building into a senior housing complex fell through.