Guilderland · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Guilderland public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Village of Altamont water service refusals
The village told a Brandel Road landowner it won't provide water to anyone outside the village, forcing new development onto private wells and septic. Well issues, including manganese, are already known on Brandel Road.
Guilderland Residences PUD Affordable Housing Proposal
A 72-unit affordable and workforce housing development got its final local approval. The town will send a support letter to the state housing agency since funding is competitive, with decisions expected around February or March.
Capital Kids Care Daycare Hours Extension
Capital Kids Care at Linwood Reformed Church requested formal approval for its Monday through Friday operating hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Adam Bernacki Pole Barn Height Variance
A homeowner requested permission to build a 25-foot-tall storage shed to house large tractors and equipment, exceeding the standard 15-foot limit. Because the home sits 700 feet back on a 25-acre lot, the board found it would not alter the neighborhood character.
Albany Med Urgent Care Signage Expansion
A sign company requested a variance for a 167-square-foot building-mounted sign for Barnes & Noble at Crossgates Mall, where 50 square feet is typically permitted. The board approved the request given the mall's massive scale and the sign's distance from the ring road.
Empire Avenue connection and neighborhood traffic patterns
Connecting Empire Avenue to Fuller Station Road would reroute traffic through older subdivisions like Four Hunter States, Crimson Park, and Logan Manor. Committee members want a broader analysis of stop sign controls at Bostonian, Gene, Ronald, and Christina intersections that were once covered by an old traffic gate condition.
Stormwater and drainage on the Fuller Station Road parcel
A 38-lot subdivision proposed here back in the late 1980s fell apart over drainage concerns. Developers plan infiltration testing and a stormwater management plan, and the committee wants to see it handled right given wetlands on site.
Foundry Road Blighted Properties Assessment Proposal
A resident raised concerns about derelict buildings marked with red X's along Western Avenue, the status of town water wells, tree clearing by developers, and meeting minute posting practices.
Veterans Property Tax Exemption Expansion
Phoenix New York 2 LLC is seeking roughly $3 million in tax breaks for a hotel, spa, restaurant, and 30 modular cabins at 1180 Berne Altamont Road. Residents raised heavy concerns about school tax impacts, local water shortages, and low-wage service jobs.
Sewer District Budget and Rate Increases
The town adopted sewer budgets that increase rates by $0.45 for existing users and raise operation and maintenance costs by $20.59, bringing the average home's sewer cost to $307.29.
Flock Safety Camera Network Privacy Concerns
A resident urged the town to discontinue the police department's use of FLOCK automated license plate readers, citing privacy violations, mass surveillance, and civil liberty concerns.
West Lydius Street Major Cluster Subdivision
A 25-lot cluster conservation subdivision is proposed on West Lydius Street, aiming to preserve wetlands while adding more homes. Residents raised similar concerns about traffic, speeding, and strain on local roads.
Climate Smart Communities Certification
Guilderland is racing to pull together documentation for its Bronze Climate Smart certification by May 22nd. Meeting this goal will open doors to state grants that were previously out of reach, helping the town fund future green initiatives.
Severe Drainage and Flooding Challenges for West Lydius Subdivision
Residents of Dana Joel Drive and Lone Pine Road voiced strong concerns regarding existing high water tables, basement flooding, and inadequate drainage ditches connected to the proposed Dutch Mill Acres PUD site.
Commercial Property Maintenance and Compliance at 255 Western Avenue
AJ Sign Company requested a 20-foot tall pole sign for Dollar General on Western Avenue. Residents and board members pushed back against the tall 'lollipop' pole sign, successfully negotiating it down to a 12-foot monument sign with a solid base.
Accessory structure height variance, West Old State Road
The board discussed rules for chicken coops and sheds, emphasizing neighborhood aesthetics through privacy fencing and landscaping rather than purely restrictive mandates.
Crossgates Mall signage allowance
Barnes & Noble's new 167-square-foot sign draws down the mall's finite signage allowance from a 1994 variance, leaving 460 square feet for future tenants.
2027 Preliminary Budget and Tax Cap Compliance
Supervisor Barber presented the 2027 preliminary budget, which complies with the state's 2% tax cap despite rising health, retirement, and fuel costs. The budget includes one new parks laborer and new police vehicles.
Pine Bush Parc PUD Density and Traffic Evaluation
A revised sketch plan for a 190-unit multi-family residential development on New Karner Road, featuring 4-story buildings, 10% workforce housing, and the preservation of approximately 39.9 acres for the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.