To the Editor:

The Altamont Village Board will be meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m., for the purpose of hearing the residents of the village express their opinion on the current Stewart’s proposal. The management of Stewart’s Shops is requesting that the current residential property at 107-109 Helderberg Ave. to be rezoned to commercial.

If approved, a larger Stewart’s footprint will result in significant changes to the look and feel of the five-way intersection and will also be visible from the Main Street and Maple Avenue intersection.

The plans that were published in The Enterprise on Nov. 15 and additional facts obtained from the State Environmental Quality Review form completed by Stewart’s Shops show that the 1900 two-family Severson house will be demolished. The footprint of the new Stewart’s will now take up about two-thirds of the block on Helderberg Ave.

Removal of many of the 20 trees indicate a decrease by half the green space, and the asphalt area will be greatly increased. The number of parking spots is to remain the same. Lighting will increase from three pole lights to four pole lights. The soffit lighting under the four roof edges will increase from eight to 10, and the canopy lighting for the two gas pumps will increase from the current two to six.

This will become a highly lit corner that will now be the brightest intersection within the entire village of Altamont.

Stewart’s could fit beautifully into the village landscape with a scaled-down plan that uses its current site. Please make every effort to attend the Dec. 12 meeting and be part of the decision-making process. In addition, you can also express your views with a note or letter left at the village office to our board members.

Carol Rothenberg

Altamont

Editor’s note: Carol Rothenberg owns and lives at 111 Helderberg Avenue, a single-family home next door to the two-family home that Stewart’s Shops wants to demolish to make way for a new store.