To the Editor:

Demolishing an occupied two-family home on Helderberg Avenue in Altamont is the most serious of the reasons I oppose changing its zoning status so Stewart’s Shops can expand. Evicting people creates hardships and is unnecessary for Stewart’s continuing success.

Also, having a variety of single- and multi-family homes and rentals is important for a community to house young people, new families, new graduates, disabled people, one-parent families, and the aged. My volunteer experience with the Guilderland Food Pantry, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Hilltown Community Resource Center, and American Red Cross has provided awareness of unmet needs in our county, including lack of affordable housing.

The other reasons are:

— 1. Land use guidance from the comprehensive plan and zoning regulations;

— 2 Reduction of property values of adjacent homes;

— 3. Additional traffic, noise, and commercial lighting affecting the residents and the historic Fredendall Funeral Home;

— 4. Community support for preserving the Victorian character of the village;

— 5. Concern for pedestrian and traffic safety at the five-street intersection; and

— 6. Site and design alternatives available to Stewart’s.

I hope villagers will attend the Wednesday, Dec. 12, public hearing at Altamont Village Hall at 7 p.m. to express their views.

Kirby Wilson

Altamont