ALTAMONT — Village residents came out in force for a public hearing Tuesday night on the issue of Stewart’s request for a zoning change for the property next-door to its village store, where the chain hopes to rebuild on a larger combined lot.

At the end of a meeting that lasted more than three hours, the board decided to forgo for now issuing any declaration, negative or positive, on the State Environmental Quality Review done by village engineer Brad Grant of Barton & Loguidice.

Mayor James Gaughan said that, prior to issuing a declaration, he and the board would like to receive, in writing, Stewart’s response to some of the issues that have been raised over the last few months.

At the meeting, the board went over the SEQR results, point by point, prior to the public hearing. Grant read aloud each question on Part 2 of the SEQR application, and also gave his proposed answers to the questions. Members of the board occasionally stopped him to ask questions about an answer or to suggest that an item be noted as an issue of concern. This part of the meeting was not open to public comment.

Next, the board opened the public hearing, and about 15 residents gave impassioned speeches, all of them opposed to the plan.

Residents Michael McNeany and Dick Howard each asked the board not to place the interests of a corporation above those of residents. David Cowan mentioned that as old buildings in the village are demolished or burned down, they are replaced by buildings not in the old style, but in a new style, and “our nature as Altamont is being lost.”

Several residents including Stewart Linendoll urged rejection of the zoning change since it would displace two families living at 107-109 Helderberg Ave.; one mentioned that, at this juncture, when Altamont Elementary School was only recently saved from possible closure, the village needs to hold onto, and not turn away, its school-age children.

Many including Don Snyder said that the removal of the line of trees between Stewart’s and 107-109 Helderberg to create a larger commercial lot in the heart of downtown was not in keeping with the unique atmosphere of the village.

John Sands suggested that Stewart’s had not sufficiently made a case for needing to demolish the house at 107-109 Helderberg Ave. Linendoll said that “Stewart’s can find another way to improve its building on the existing lot.”

Several residents including Kate Provencher mentioned their concerns about setting a precedent. Provencher said that residents don’t tell people who are considering moving into the village, “‘Oh, by the way, you’re on the edge of the business district, so, down the line, you could lose what you think you’re buying into.’”

Copies of a packet of letters that the village board had recently received were available at the meeting. Of the 40 or so letters, a handful were in favor of the zoning change.

Gaughan said at the meeting that the board hopes to receive a response from Stewart’s before the next village board meeting on Oct. 6.

Some of the issues that he hopes Stewart’s will address are:

— Why the building at 107-109 Helderberg Ave. needs to be torn down; in other words, why the Stewart’s store needs to be rebuilt on a larger lot rather than within its current footprint;

— The proposed increase in the quantity and quality of lighting, and increase in “skyglow,” or light pollution;

— The impact on surface water, and whether the project would affect bodies of water including wetlands or streams;

— Transportation issues, specifically, the proximity of the entrances and exits to the intersection;

— The proposed project’s consistency with the village’s comprehensive plan; and

— The proposed project’s consistency with the character of the community.

Gaughan told The Enterprise on Wednesday that the board is very “concerned that we make a decision that is balanced and sensitive to the many arguments on both sides that we have heard for the last several months.”

He said that the board hopes to get feedback from Stewart’s by its October meeting, so that it is able to consider the company’s ideas about mitigating some of the issues, to help in the decision-making process. 

“Other than that,” he said, “we have not set a definitive timeline.”

Other business

In other business, the board:

— Voted to spend $22,000 from the Water Project Special Reserve Fund for an emergency repair on Route 156 in the village;

— Considered the environmental review of and held a public hearing on proposed Local Law 2 of 2015 to create a new zoning district called the Residential Conservation District for the property annexed from the town of Guilderland. The board then approved this law;  

— Considered the environmental review of and held a public hearing on proposed Local Law 3 of 2015 to amend the definition of elderly/senior housing, to create area and bulk requirements for elderly/senior housing.

On Wednesday, Village Clerk Patty Blackwood told The Enterprise that the board plans to hold a brief meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m., in the courtroom, to consider holding a public hearing on Oct. 6 on Local Law 3—specifically, on whether to set the minimum age for eligibility for senior housing at 55 or 59; and

 — Approved the Altamont Fire Department’s request to hold a Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner on Oct. 2 and the annual Halloween Parade on Oct. 31.