NEW SCOTLAND — A country-club community is proposed for New Scotland — literally.

Many people dream of living on a golf course, and that could become a reality for 37 families who can afford $400,000 or more for a home.

Amedore Homes development company is back before the town’s planning board, but this time at the request of the owners of the private Colonie Golf and Country Club. They want to build a 37-house exclusive golfing and club residential neighborhood on 50 of their 244 acres along Route 85A, also known as Maple Avenue in New Scotland, not far from the Voorheesville village line.

George Amedore Sr. had stormed out of a New Scotland planning board meeting in December, stating he was fed up with the board’s inability to be consistent in its views delaying his planned unit development approval. He withdrew his application requesting a re-zone in the commercial corridor on Route 85, next to the old Saab dealership, to permit 206 units of senior condos and townhouses with 125,000 square feet of commercial space by the road. Amedore told The Enterprise then that he did not see himself coming back to New Scotland until town officials conducted themselves more professionally.

Amedore did not return phone calls this week, to comment about his return to New Scotland.

His single-family homes now proposed for the country-club property will not require a rezone like the PUD did. This land is already zoned for residences at a density of 44,000 square feet per lot.

Club’s Plan

Joseph Lanaro, an engineer from Chazen Companies, presented a preliminary subdivision plan to the planning board on Tuesday night. He said that the proposed parcels are all at least one acre — that is, 43,560 square feet.

Jeff Sperber, one of the country club’s co-owners told The Enterprise after the meeting that the owners approached Amedore Homes asking if Amedore would be interested in the project.

Amedore Homes is now under contract to purchase the 50 acres from the club.
"It’s another way of enhancing the property," Sperber said. Some existing members would like to live at this location, and he would also like new people to move and join the organization as well, Sperber said.

As part of the agreement of buying one of these houses, the purchaser also has to buy a club membership, Lanaro said.

Currently, the subdivision application states that a private well and septic system will be located on each lot, although, Lanaro said, it would be preferable to have public water, supplied by the village of Voorheesville.

Planning board Chairman Robert Stapf informed Lanaro that the procedure for an inter-municipal agreement is that the applicant would first submit a water application to the town of New Scotland’s water committee and then the town would approach the village to discuss the possibilities of an intermunicipal water agreement.
"It’s certainly a possibility," new village mayor Robert Conway told The Enterprise on Wednesday. The village has recently lifted its moratorium on outside users, Conway said, and village officials have begun offering public water to New Scotland residents who lie within 150 feet of the pipeline that runs up to the high school.

The village is starting to look at areas of need where infrastructure already exists, Conway said. There is village public water service to the Scotch Pine development, which borders the country club, Conway said.

The fees to outside users are double those for village residents.

Amedore Homes is proposing two entrances into the neighborhood off of Route 85A, by constructing a new private road that is to be maintained by a homeowners’ association. The road will, however, meet the town’s specifications.

According to Lanaro’s drawings, the private roadway enters where there is an existing sign for the country club now, then winds along, heading back toward the village, forming a T. The left side of the T continues out to form a cul-de-sac with houses along both sides of the private road. To the right side of the top of the T, the road continues back out to Route 85A alongside Scotch Pine Drive.

Since the proposed cul-de-sac is longer than 1,000 feet, it will need a variance from the town’s zoning board.

The road will also need a second variance if it is to be a private drive, legal counsel Louis Neri said.

There are people who want to live in the community, Sperber said, and be a permanent part of the golf community. The plan is to house people who enjoy golf, the club environment and entertainment, Sperber said.

It’s a golf-course community with access to the county club, Lanero said. Walking paths connecting it all together.

Changes come with new owners

The Colonie Golf and Country Club used to carry the name just Colonie Country Club up until February of 2005, when five long-time members of the club formed a limited liability company (LLC) and purchased the property for $1,918,000.

A new sign was put out by the side of the road in April of 2005, reflecting the new name and ownership.

With what seems like an out-of-place name along Route 85A, the club has a long history. It had originally been a nine-hole course located on Wolf Road in the 1960’s, where Colonie Center now sits.

When the new sign was installed in 2005, the club had 235 members and Bob Desautels was hired to be the membership director to increase membership.

This is the first time that the club is privately owned; it had previously been member owned and run by a board of directors.

The club needed more money and the financial soundness of private ownership, Desautels said. The club had felt financial strain in the past few years, and the new owners invested money in order to continue to play golf and maintain their community, Desautels said.

Desautels told The Enterprise last year that the owners are striving for a more well-rounded country club, with an extensive tennis program, three outdoor swimming pools, dining, and social events like jazz nights and barbecues.

Members come from all over, Desautels said; many travel in from Delmar and Slingerlands, while others live in Troy, Niskayuna, Clifton Park, and some come from within New Scotland and Voorheesville.