To the Editor:

Guilderland Supervisor Peter Barber informed me that Darci Efaw is the town’s coordinator for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Darci Efaw informed me she handles town employees with ADA issues.

Now,  Town Clerk and Receiver of Taxes Lynne Buchanan is the ADA coordinator. How can we possibly have Lynne Buchanan, someone that relies upon the votes of nondisabled voters, working in a role as an ADA coordinator with a conflict of interest and no experience in matters of town public rights-of-way and public sidewalks?

When was Lynne Buchanan appointed the ADA coordinator? And what is the enabling act and authority given to her in oversight of the public sidewalk and town public rights-of-way particularly when the town board under the state’s General Municipal Law has duties?

If you will recall, Peter Barber introduced and had the former town board grant to Building and Zoning Administrator Jacqueline Coons oversight on land use in matters of parking.

We have a problem with the zoning board and Peter Barber’s cousin, Stephen Feeney, chairman of the planning board, telling residents and businesses to obstruct the public sidewalk and public right-of-way. Examples include but are not limited to 1975 Western Ave. where Stephen Feeney along with Town Planner Kenneth Kovalchik drew into a plan a concrete barrier that is in the public right-of-way at a former nonobstructed bowling alley.

Will Lynne Buchanan be examining the special-use permit and hearings on this application because it is a case study on all that is wrong in Peter Barber's leadership: an incomplete permit; a lack of State Environmental Quality Review; and an intention of Peter Barber’s cousin to create a neighborhood characteristic that deprives safety, sightline and pedestrian accessibility or even children on bicycles.

Will Lynne Buchanan be examining 1 Fletcher Road where Guilderland Assemblyman Dustin Reidy alleges there is no problem and he and his wife have no problem when in clear view, the curb has been altered and pushed out reducing the crosswalk to embolden 1 Fletcher Road to obstruct sightline, pedestrian accessibility, and use of the public sidewalk?

What about the New York State Thruway: Where are they on turn radius and the electronic signage at 1 Fletcher Road?

Will Lynne Buchanan be consulting the Guilderland Police and ask why they refuse to enforce state’s Vehicle and Traffic Laws? Will The Altamont Enterprise investigate the blatant discrimination of the town public right-of-way permit?

We have a culture of hate in the town and no one wants to talk about it because then we would have to look at Supervisor Peter Barber and his leadership. But the culture of hate is easy to see.

All anyone needs to do is look at the sandwich boards placed by businesses on the sidewalk, which is their rallying cry to harm pedestrians with disabilities. It’s just like they did when a resident complained about electronic signage in Westmere; the business community and town boards and employees doubled down to escalate signage with the Albany County Executive Dan McCoy joining in to place outdoor MVP billboard advertising disguised as an exercise area at Towasentha Park across from the pool and mandatory viewing by every motorist entering the park.

There was no need to forward-face MVP’s outdoor signage towards the town residents; that advertising could easily have been done on the side facing the adults using their equipment. But no, a resident complained about signage and the town’s emboldened retaliation was to put signs anywhere it  #&*! wants.

Same thing is going on with the public right-of-way and public-sidewalk takings; they will do whatever they #$&! want.

And inspections? It is fascinating to watch nondisabled residents display their hate -— it is overt blocking and takings and covert moving obstructions when town employees show up.

But hate is hate and discrimination is discrimination. Those who have obstructed the right-of-way and/or public sidewalks, please remove the obstructions.  Stop showing the schoolchildren how to discriminate. 

Town of Guilderland residents, the scope creep of town leadership’s refusal to follow laws is not isolated to disability.

Christine Duffy

Guilderland

See related letter.