VOORHEESVILLE — The owner of a popular Bethlehem pizzeria has come forward as the likely buyer of 112 Maple Ave., once the home of Smith’s Tavern.

Guilderland zoning Chairman Thomas Remmert said it’s the largest variance request he’s heard since he’s been on the board.

Longtime incumbent trustees Richard Berger and John Stevens will face no opposition, nor will Kaitlin Wilson, who was appointed to the village board in July to fill the seat of Richard Straut, who took over for Robert Conway as village mayor that same month. 

The change came after a March 1 public hearing on the proposed local law to merge the two boards where residents as well as current members of the Altamont’s planning and zoning boards asked trustees to make the change. 

The message that said, “I have a gun,” according to Inspector J.T. Campbell of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, was found on a Voorheesville Middle School bathroom stall door at approximately 9:50 a.m. on Thursday. 

“This is by no means … our budget,” Altamont Mayor Kerry Dineen said during a recent budget workshop. “This is a very preliminary draft.”

The new owner of 112 Maple Ave. is not yet known, but changes to Voorheesville’s zoning code may have to be made to accommodate the buyer of the former Smith’s Tavern. 

Currently, the Voorheesville Central School District is not projecting a budget deficit in 2022-23, unusual in a first-draft spending proposal. 

Bernard Radtke of B&B Containers has asked the Guilderland ZBA to approve a special-use permit that would allow him to store roll-off containers, trucks, and heavy equipment at 4304 Frederick Road. 

Development Planning Committee meetings, Guilderland Town Planner Kenneth Kovalchik explained on Feb. 16, are a first chance for various department staff to provide feedback to project developers before any formal steps are taken.