Oswego village trustees still have concerns about the height and density of a residential development proposed for the former Traughber Junior High School property even after the developer scaled back the plan.

Saying that it was too dense and would create even more traffic problems in the area, Oswego Planning and Zoning commissioners on Sept. 4 unanimously rejected a concept plan to raze the former Traughber Junior High School to make way for a 239-unit residential development.

In response, developer JM Development reduced the number of units from 239 units to 202 units on the 12.34 acre property. That includes 172 apartments and 30 townhouses.

Previously, 216 apartments and 23 townhouses had been proposed. The original concept called for the construction of 246 units.

In addition, the number of five-story buildings have been reduced from two to one. The amount of open space has been increased from 1.55 acres to 3.53 acres and walking paths have been increased from 0.6 miles to 2.37 miles.

Other changes include the average building setback increasing from 20 feet to 43 feet and the overall number of trees increasing by 40%.

Village trustees reviewed the latest plans during their Oct. 21 Village Board meeting. Village trustee Karen Novy said she appreciated the changes in the plan.

“I love the increased green space,” Novy said. “I love the increase in trees. I still don’t like that five-story apartment building along Route 71. I don’t know if you would be willing to look at doing a couple of smaller apartment buildings along there to keep it more to scale of the rest of the complex. I feel like it sort of sticks out a little bit. And the design of it isn’t maybe cohesive with the rest of the area.”

Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman agreed.

“I don’t like the five-story building either and I would love to see more owner occupied townhomes,” he said.

Village trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange said the plan lacks originality.

“I feel like there’s no originality to this project,” she said. “I want to challenge you to bring something unique to Oswego, something that doesn’t look like every other apartment building that I’ve seen.”

Several residents who live in the neighborhood also said they would like to see less apartments and voiced concerns that the project would increase 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.

The building served as the original Traughber Junior High School until the current Traughber Junior High School was built in 2008. The property is 12.34 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.

“That does not include insurance costs,” he said.

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