To the Editor:

I am writing again to voice my concerns about how our local government handles issues that are important to the residents of this town.

As you are aware, there was quite a bit of contention regarding the building of the Knockout Car Wash across from the 20 Mall. The contention has had to do with how this particular business has basically taken the town for a ride on several fronts.

First, the car wash has received over $300,000 in tax relief from the Guilderland Industrial Development Agency. As a local business, it is hiring 10 people to run the business: two management staff, one skilled staff, and seven unskilled staff. It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out when they submit their end-of-the-year reports to the IDA.

Second, after the structure was built, the owners applied for a variance to put stairs on the outside of the building to reach new space that was going to be an office. None of this was in the original plans.

Third — signage. The signage on the front of the building is not in keeping with the character of the town. However, it may very well be, given the direction we seem to be headed with all of the variances that are approved routinely for just about any sign anyone wants in this town.

Many people were in attendance at the various town meetings, voicing their concerns about this. As it ended, we have a huge monstrosity with a red boxing glove on the front of it. 

Now that the business has opened, what we we see is this:

Changing lights in various colors that are left on during the night. This is a dangerous distraction and given the pulsing light changes, can cause a person who has a seizure disorder to have one. If you are sitting at the traffic light to turn left onto Route 20, you are left to see these lights flashing while waiting for the light to change.

There are also 24 vacuum centers that are so well lit, it is again a distraction. If the business was open, I may be persuaded that some of the lights would be appropriate, but not at the level they are running, with the brushes going during the off hours with a gate that is closed, signifying they are closed for business.

This is advertising that was not disclosed during the building process — this clearly gives the impression of advertising “Hey, look at me, come to my car wash!”

In addition to the above, there are also other signs in front of the business — there is a temporary banner, an air-filled “dancing man,” price signs, and some sort of temporary signs advertising the cost of a car wash.

In an earlier Guilderland Zoning Board meeting, on Sept. 2, 2020, Stuyvesant Plaza paid the appropriate $50 fee to have a temporary sign put up for the September sales that the plaza holds annually. Mr. [Richard] Hameroff, the owner of Knockout Car Wash, has done none of this.

I wrote to the Guilderland Town Board over a week ago, asking them to look into this situation and stating my concerns. I received one response saying that the town was looking into it and that I should receive more information and a response from Mr. [Supervisor Peter] Barber and Ms. [Chief Building and Zoning Inspector Jacqueline] Coons. To date, I have received nothing from the town supervisor or chief building inspector regarding these violations.

In fact, the violations continue and are added to each week.

It is this lack of concern for the residents of this town that gives credence to why we should question what is really going on with the development in Guilderland. It clearly tells me that, as long as it generates money for taxes, nothing else matters.

This is a very sad state of affairs for this town, and it must change if we want to continue to value our quality of life in this town.

Robyn Gray

Guilderland