Many neighbors fought the apartment complex on Sandidge Way for good reason

— Photo by Paul Miller

Trees are cut down on Sandidge Way for a new apartment complex.

To the Editor:

I am sending you some pictures of the destruction going on Sandidge Way/Loughlin Street in the city of Albany bordering the McKownville area of the town of Guilderland. Many old-growth trees were cut down last week to prepare for the demolition of the single-family homes that line this street so that an apartment complex can be built that will cause many problems for the neighbors.

These include an increase to traffic on Fuller Road, which is already at its limit many times during the day. This will only be compounded by response of emergency vehicles including police, fire, and EMS [emergency medical services] that will no doubt occur due to the substantially increased occupancy on this street.

Also there may be schoolchildren in these apartments with the potential that school buses may stop on Fuller Road to pick up these children.

There was a geologist at the last McKownville Improvement Association meeting who spoke about the water-table level in this neighborhood, which can be found four to five feet below the surface. Many of the residents of this neighborhood have had problems with water in their cellars in the past, including a cellar wall collapse.

There is currently a project going on the other side of Fuller Road to address the problem in that area.  The plan for this development is to not add any stormwater to the storm drains; all stormwater is to be absorbed on site. While this state regulation may sound good in some areas of the state, it will most likely lead to more water-in-the-cellar problems for the neighboring streets in the town of Guilderland.

I remember a time when wild turkeys roamed this street and chased the mailman; it is unlikely they will ever return.

There is a resident on the next street who has been forced to move out of her home during the demolition and construction due to her severe asthma.

To top this all off, the city of Albany has granted this developer a tax abatement (corporate welfare), which isn’t being given to people building single-family homes. I want to point out that many neighbors fought this at the city and county level along the way exactly because of what is now about to occur.

Paul Miller

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Paul Miller represents part of Guilderland in the Albany County Legislature.

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