To the Editor:

Our names are Beth and Spencer Tyson. We currently reside at 107 Helderberg Ave. with our four children: Justine, Nickolas, Abigayle, and Chloe. We could not attend this evening’s meeting because we will be at our daughter – Abigayle’s spring concert taking place at Altamont Elementary School.

We are writing this letter to the board to express our opinion about the current expansion situation regarding the Stewart’s Shop. First of all, we absolutely respect the right of Stewart’s to conduct business and to explore expansion opportunities. We also respect the notion that our landlord Peter Baumann owns the property and he has every right to explore each and every option regarding the property.

We are writing this letter to give the perspective of a family that will be directly affected and will be displaced by this expansion.

We have lived at 107 Helderberg Ave. since September 2002. We have raised all of our children in this neighborhood and all of our children have attended Altamont Elementary School. We chose this neighborhood because of the family-first feel that it still possesses to this day — from going on bird watches sponsored by the Altamont Library to attending movie viewings in Orsini Park. Watching our children excel academically, musically, and with regards to extra activities in Altamont Elementary, all of this has been possible because we live at 107 Helderberg Ave. 

So how does this expansion affect a family that lives behind Stewart’s? Yes we are fearful. We will have no place to go.

Is this a concern for Stewarts or our landlord? As we have previously stated, no, and we hold no malice nor do we think that there is any malicious intent towards us. We have always had a tremendous relationship with the employees of Stewart’s and they have graciously allowed us to park in the back of their parking lot for 13 years.

But how does it affect us? Our daughter Abigayle is about to enter fifth grade at Altamont Elementary School. She has watched her sister and brother volunteer at the craft fair and participate in the school play as fifth-graders. She has watched them take a lead in the annual fifth-grade carnival and go on the fifth-grade trip. Now it is her turn and her turn may be taken away from her.

Can we find these opportunities in other Guilderland schools? Perhaps, but not with the feel of Altamont. She has spent her whole academic career here. How do we tell her that she may not be able to take part in the activities that she spent years getting ready for? Yes, we explain to her that obstacles in life happen but does this have to be one of them?

Our daughter Chloe is about to enter the large wing of Altamont Elementary School. Any parent of a child that attends this school knows what that means to a child. She is now a big girl, thinking that she can start to take care of herself.

Our son, Nickolas, is presently an eighth-grader at Farnsworth Middle School. He participates in the accelerated math and biology program. He plays the trombone in the band and select band and he was just selected to the National Junior Honor Society. His foundation was laid at Altamont Elementary School.

Our daughter Justine is presently a junior at Oswego University. She is a standing member of the dean’s list. She is on the committee responsible for the Media Summit at Oswego. Her foundation was laid at Altamont Elementary School.

We spend two days a week volunteering at the Altamont Elementary School library, helping out because there was a need. As we walk through town or pick up food at Subway or ice cream from Stewart’s, children from all grades greet us not just because we are Abby’s or Chloe’s parents but also because they have seen us throughout the day and we may have helped them. This is all possible because we live at 107 Helderberg Ave.

Many will argue that this is purely an emotional argument. Perhaps. This has been our family home for 13 years. It is inconceivable that we would not get somewhat emotional about this.

Each side will have a point of view regarding this issue. We understand that families have to move all the time. Things do not always go as planned and there are plenty of good schools in the Guilderland School District.

We may even get lucky and another apartment may become available in Altamont. We just want this board to know that, behind all of the environmental studies, the zoning differences, and the look for expansion, there is a human and family element that is attached to this issue and we cannot even speak for the other family that is involved.

We just fought against the recommendation of having our school closed down. Well, this expansion would affect children and a family that helped to fight that fight. We do not know what the final outcome of this process will be. We do not expect that this will be the only voice that will be heard on this issue.

We just wanted to pass along the perspective of a family that would be affected and displaced by this expansion. Thank you for taking the time to listen and for taking the time to go through this process.

Beth and Spencer Tyson

Altamont

Editor’s note: Mayor James Gaughan read this letter out loud at the May 5 village board meeting. At that time, the letter said the Tysons had lived at 107 Helderberg Ave. since September 2001; they recalled later it was actually since September 2002, so this published letter reflects that change.

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