On May 15, the Guilderland zoning board approved a 256-unit senior independent-living proposal that was the catalyst for the birth of a grassroots group urging “responsible development.”

NEW SCOTLAND — The lack of public infrastructure in New Scotland has helped maintain a rural charm many residents value, a characteristic long lost in the neighboring suburban towns of Guilderland and Bethlehem.

Pyramid officials learned recently that if their plans for an apartment complex at Rapp and Gipp roads is to go forward, they must meet and talk with residents of Gipp Road, Pine Lane — which is just east of Gipp — and Westmere Terrace.

As open space becomes scarce, municipalities are looking to their zoning code to help stem the tide of development.

Wayne Crounse of 2071 Western Ave. remembers a grassroots effort by housewives from Western Avenue in the 1950s who wanted a traffic light at the corner of Route 20 and State Farm Road. New Karner Road had not yet been built.

People want to move to Guilderland, said developer Francis McCloskey, and he wants to be involved only in responsible development projects. Current town residents should avoid putting up “imaginary walls” to keep new residents out, he said.

The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation prohibits tree-cutting from April 1 to Oct. 31 in areas where the northern long-eared bat lives, to avoid hurting bats that might be roosting in the trees.

The towns of New Scotland and Bethlehem are partnering for an event — on Feb. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar — where interested landowners can learn of different ways to conserve their properties for future generations.

ALBANY COUNTY — Building permits for multifamily housing outpaced those for single-family homes in the Capital Region in 2016 for the first time in recent memory, said Mark Castiglione, executive director of the Capital District Regional Planning Commission.

The same trend continued in 2017, he said, but to a lesser extent.