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The Syracuse Police Department will not enforce social distancing at off-campus gatherings near Syracuse University, Mayor Ben Walsh said at a press conference Friday.

The city of Syracuse will play a “supportive” role in managing the spread of coronavirus at SU, Walsh said, adding that SPD’s patrol of the University Hill area will remain unchanged from recent years. The department typically responds to noise complaints, open containers and reports of possession of illegal substances.

The mayor said he is nonetheless concerned about the potential of the virus spreading from the university area to the larger Syracuse community.

“We wouldn’t be spending as much time engaging with the universities and the stakeholders if we weren’t concerned,” Walsh said of students returning to campus. “We are relying on the university to communicate and engage with the students and we are simply there, playing the supportive role.”

SU submitted its reopening plans to the New York State Department of Health earlier this month for review. 

The university has also released its “Stay Safe Pledge,” a list of health behaviors SU will require students to follow during the fall semester. Disciplinary measures for students who don’t follow the pledge range from probation or warnings for minor infractions to suspensions or expulsions for severe violations, like throwing parties or violating quarantine restrictions.  

SU’s Department of Public Safety and Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will enforce those sanctions.

Walsh’s administration has also met with university-area landlords and SU representatives to improve communication regarding compliance with New York state’s quarantine requirement for returning students.

Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s travel order, individuals entering New York from COVID-19 hotspots —including 34 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico — must self-quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. SU has said that returning students must secure quarantine housing off-campus at their own expense to fulfill the two-week requirement before the start of classes. 

If there is an outbreak of COVID-19 on SU’s campus, the city’s role in managing the situation would be “nothing special or unique,” Walsh said.

“That’s really between New York state and the university, and at least on my review, it looks like a good plan,” Walsh said, holding up a packet detailing the university’s COVID-19 response guidelines. “And as we’ve done from the beginning between Onondaga County and the city, we’ll certainly be supportive.”

DEIS moves to federal review

Walsh also announced that the Federal Highway Administration is reviewing the city’s draft environmental impact statement, just over 15 months since the New York State Department of Transportation approved a “community grid” option for replacing an aging 1.4-mile viaduct on Interstate-81.

The almost-$2 billion project, which would funnel traffic through city streets, is “nearly shovel-ready,” Walsh said. The city will host a meeting with local lawmakers and stakeholders to discuss how city residents can benefit from the employment opportunities that come with the project. 

SU publicly endorsed the community grid option in April 2019, three days before NYSDOT announced its approval for the project. Part of the 1.4-mile viaduct runs past SU’s campus.

Published on July 31, 2020 at 10:57 pm

Contact Gabe: gkstern@syr.edu | @gabestern326