To the Editor:

The recent purchase by the University Albany Foundation of the former Holt-Harris property in McKownville has produced a mini-tornado of sometimes-conflicting rumors and representations. The lack of clarity regarding the current situation is a real source of distress to neighbors in an area that has been residential for well over a century, yet is subject to threats of development on a regular basis because of its uniquely convenient location.

In the interests of full disclosure, I will state that my family's own residence immediately abuts the acquired property and that I am literally looking over it as I write this letter.

My most immediate concern on this transaction was that I learned about it from media reports and from the local neighborhood organization. Since there are no more than a dozen neighbors bordering the former Holt-Harris property, it seems to me that a purchaser looking to be neighborly would have made direct contact with this group of folks before talking to the media or conducting site tours for elected officials and others far less directly impacted than direct neighbors.

As far as the transaction itself goes, I can't argue that in the near term the change will likely be positive, as the property has been neglected for a number of years, and is full of large dead trees, one of which came down a couple of years ago, taking out my back fence and coming within a few feet of my family room. I have been told that this will be remedied, and can only hope that it is so.

Beyond that, I, unlike the neighborhood association, don't really have an opinion one way or the other about who owns the property. It was purchased for what was evidently fair value in an arm’s length transaction, and I think transparently enough for any informed neighbor to realize that this was likely a foregone conclusion. What I do care about very deeply as a matter of both personal and community interest is what the ultimate use of the property is.

In the event that the property is ultimately transferred to UAlbany, it will be removed from the limits previously imposed by Guilderland zoning and building code restrictions, since use decisions on State University of New York property are solely the province of SUNY. They could build a dormitory, a parking garage, whatever they want on land that has been used for and is zoned for only residential use under Guilderland's laws.

One of the things that has preserved the quality of life in McKownville over the years is the fact that it is a neighborhood composed almost exclusively of owner-occupied homes. The emergence of an intense use such as a dormitory or parking structure in its midst is almost certain to diminish property values, and to promote the conversion of the neighborhood into an area characterized largely by investor-owned student housing units.

This would not only be a tragedy in terms of quality of life for the neighborhood's longstanding residential base, but it would also adversely impact Guilderland's tax base, and would not be offset by any revenue from SUNY, which is, of course, tax-exempt property.

Overall, the current situation is characterized by far too much uncertainty for something with such a high level of downside risk in human and economic terms. Phrases like "no current plans" just don't cut it.

I'm only one homeowner, and my neighborhood is just a small and not very wealthy one. The interests on the other side of this conversation are large, and possessed of significant political and economic clout. I'm hoping for a positive outcome for my neighborhood, but current circumstances leave me very, very fearful.

Donald Csaposs

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Donald Csaposs is a grant writer for the town of Guilderland.

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