To the Editor:

One line jumped out at me in the recent Enterprise article dealing with the Pyramid lawsuit to overturn the ruling against its apartment plans [“Arguments heard by appeals court in Guilderland-Pyramid lawsuit,” The Altamont Enterprise, May 27, 2021].

Our town supervisor stated in court that Judge Peter Lynch was acting as an “advocate” when he ruled against the project. Advocate for who? The people of Guilderland? 

If so, thank God someone is. The town government seems to be acting as an advocate for Pyramid. Which begs the question: Why is the Guilderland town supervisor working this hard to benefit a private corporation? Especially when many town residents who he is supposed to represent are objecting to the corporation’s plans.

Stuffing 222 apartments and a large box store into an area that is already congested is just a bad idea. You don’t even need to use your imagination to know what the Route 20 corridor will be like if these plans happen.

Go to Central Avenue in Colonie, go to Exit 13 in Clifton Park, drive down Route 50 between Saratoga and Ballston Spa, where what should be a 10-minute drive can take up to 45 minutes. You will get a taste of what over development does to communities. Is this what we want in Guilderland?

The changes they propose are permanent and not that great for the average resident. When the green space that once distinguished Guilderland as a nice place to live is gone, it’s gone. Once Route 20 is unmanageably congested, that’s our new reality. 

I am not against development; most people are not. I am for smart development.

Guilderland has had several new apartment complexes and housing developments in the last few years. Maybe we need to take a minute, catch our breath, and see how these new housing units will affect life here. Why the rush to cram more? Because Pyramid Corporation wants it?

Perhaps “new blood” in our government, people without such a strong connection with Pyramid, would be better. 

John Hughes

Altamont