To the Editor:

I am writing today to the Guilderland Town Board regarding the current Crossgates expansion project that will, if approved, bring a Costco facility to Guilderland.

This project is currently under a State Environmental Quality Review and there are a number of concerns, both environmental and impacts raised by residents of the Westmere neighborhood.

The very purpose of a SEQR is to address any environmental concerns before the project is approved and built.

Last Thursday, March 26, the owner of the property, Pyramid Cos., began clear-cutting trees and vegetation on the proposed site. [“Protester sits on blade to try to stop tree-cutting for Costco,” The Altamont Enterprise, March 27, 2020].

The State Environmental Quality Review Act specifically states that no site, while under review for environmental issues, shall be altered in any way until completion of the SEQR.

Clear cutting began approximately 6:30 a.m. on March 26 but the notice of intent was not posted until approximately 10:17 a.m. that morning.

That the town planner would not know that clear-cutting a site while it is under SEQR is not allowed is inconceivable. Of what value is an environmental law such as SEQR if the current administration in the town of Guilderland fails to enforce the law?

Absent an enormous emergency, of which we have no evidence, one can conclude only negligence. What else could it be?

All of this activity comes under the purview of the town’s planning board, which should now be removed as the lead agency for the project.

There have now arisen a number of contentious issues regarding this project. I am writing to bring some of them to the attention of our town board and ask that you take action to correct the situation.

Gordon McClelland

Guilderland