The vote was taken after the Guilderland Town Board had exited an executive session to discuss pending litigation. Councilwoman Laurel Bohl cast the sole dissenting vote. Supervisor Peter Barber made the motion to file the appeal in the lawsuit brought against the town and Pyramid over the company’s Rapp Road and Western Avenue projects; Councilwoman Rosemary Centi seconded the motion. 

Pyramid is not above the law. And the Guilderland residents who are appointed to serve on the town’s zoning and planning boards need to follow the law as they review plans that affect all of the residents of Guilderland.

Save the Pine Bush’s Nov. 27 court filing states that it is aware of the Nov. 20 court decision that halted the project, but “nonetheless brings this action in the interest of preserving” its rights “in the event that” Pyramid is able to move forward with the project, for example, “in the event of reversal or dismissal of the prior decision of this Court.”

“Pyramid Management strongly disagrees with the decision,” Pyramid told The Enterprise in a statement. “We are very confident that we will have success in our appeal. We intend to take all appropriate actions to complete and finalize the governmental approval process for each project.​”

The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on Crossgates Mall’s balance sheet, and the Guilderland retail center is just one of a number of Pyramid-owned malls that continue to deal with the fallout from the pandemic.

As retail sales falter, Pyramid sued the town of Guilderland in August, seeking a lower assessment, but now the two find themselves as co-defendants in a suit over Pyramid’s proposed Costco and mixed-use projects. 

Steve Wacksman, Guilderland

Brian Kelly, Guilderland

Debbie Petnel, Guilderland

Guilderland Planning Board members avoided walking through the front door of town hall to avoid activists who had assembled there on Wednesday to protest the board’s vote to approve Pyramid’s Rapp Road and Western Avenue projects.