To the Editor:

Rezone Albany, initiated by Mayor Kathy Sheehan and passed by the city’s Common Council, will have negative and lasting implications for parts of Guilderland. The rezoning of parts of Albany allows for the development of multi-story buildings and the destruction of neighborhoods.

Decisions about rezoning in two neighborhoods have been very different as follows:

An apartment complex was proposed for 1211 Western Ave. As a result of letters, e-mails, and phone calls from people in the surrounding neighborhood, Mayor Sheehan wrote to the city planning board:  “I respectfully request that any application for a conditional use permit for this project be denied until concerns regarding potential impacts to traffic, sound, light and water infrastructure are adequately addressed.”

On small Sandidge Way (formerly Loughlin Street), the proposal by Dawn Homes in partnership with Massry’s Tri-City Rentals was for seven big-box apartment buildings. On April 19, the planning board approved it and the mayor has never publicly raised any issues about it.

Here’s the difference between 1211 Western Ave. and Sandidge Way: The people who will be negatively impacted by the 1211 Western Ave. proposal live and vote in the city of Albany. All of the people who will be adversely affected by the Sandidge Way development live in the McKownville section of Guilderland that is adjacent to Sandidge Way.

For almost four years, neighbors of Sandidge Way repeatedly voiced concerns about water and sewer problems, noise, exposure to the toxic chemicals in construction dust, the demolition of many beautiful large trees that have been there for many decades, the destruction of their quality of life and the effects on traffic, especially on Fuller Road.

Spencer Jones repeatedly acted like he could safely ignore residents of Guilderland and the reality is that he could. During hearings, he sometimes talked to someone next to him while Guilderland residents were getting their three minutes to speak.

On more than one occasion, he and another representative from Dawn Homes stood in the back of the room chatting while people were speaking. To say he acted entitled is an understatement. Of course, the reality is that he is entitled. To me, it was clear for some time that he would get what he wanted.

What he wanted was to build a dense complex of ugly big-box apartments as Dawn Homes has done elsewhere. The fact that the apartments are devoid of architectural interest is not irrelevant.

In their book “Cognitive Architecture,” Hollander and Sussman, after a review of scientific data, concluded: “People function best in intricate settings and … not big, boring boxy buildings.”

So why does Dawn Homes build architecturally boring big-box buildings? I believe the answer is corporate greed and profit. Think about how many more apartments can be squeezed into big boxes occupying most of the green space rather than into smaller architecturally creative buildings with a lot of green space.

Dawn Homes’ profits will be further increased if it gets the tax abatement it plans to apply for. It’s not known for how long. However, several projects in the city of Albany have received tax abatements lasting from 20 to 22 years.

Given the tax abatement and the costs of additional services and infrastructure that will be needed, it makes sense that the apartment complex will be revenue negative for the city of Albany where only 38 percent of the properties are taxable.

The effects on the quality of life of the Guilderland neighbors and on the traffic on Fuller Road will definitely be negative. But I have seen no evidence that Dawn Homes and Tri-City Rentals care about any of this.

Carol Waterman

Albany