To the Editor:

The proposed Stewart's expansion will be revisited at the upcoming Sept. 3 Altamont Village Board meeting. I would once again like to express my strong opposition to Stewart’s plan to demolish the perfectly serviceable and aesthetically pleasing adjoining historic house so it can expand its footprint.

My concern is that the extensive negative impact on the village may not be truly appreciated by many of us until it is too late.

Try to imagine a much larger and brighter store dominating our village center. Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, most of us appreciate the relative peace and tranquility that Altamont now offers. It is vitally important that we preserve this for ourselves and our posterity.

I have trouble regarding Stewart’s as our good neighbor. Yes, Stewart’s provide a service which many of us find useful. However, despite the significant opposition expressed by the majority of attendees at the December meeting, Stewart’s continues to boldly press on with its misguided expansion plans.

A responsible corporate citizen would instead listen to the opposition and find a way to limit its remodel to the existing lot.

I also question its sensitivity to the other businesses in town that will undoubtedly lose a portion of their sales as Stewart’s expands its sales. Stewart’s has all of the appearances of another big corporation motivated by market share and profitability, while displaying little or no regard for the community.

The village’s comprehensive plan was created with thoughtful consideration to protect us from rampant development. It is the village board’s responsibility to follow the law by honoring the wise guidelines set forth in that document.

It is vitally important that we neighbors make our voices heard if we want to protect our village. Even folks like myself, who live outside of the village but spend a lot of time in Altamont, have much to lose.  Please tell the board to say “no” to the proposed expansion of Stewart’s.

Paul Scilipoti

Knox