Residents discourage proposed rezoning John Purcell 03/18/11
Public hearing draws criticism from neighbors of proposed apartment complex site
Neighbors of the proposed zoning change in Rotterdam off Fuez Road have banded together to say they don’t want apartments in their community.
The Rotterdam Town Board held a public hearing on Wednesday, March 9, for a comprehensive plan amendment and zoning change to 6.38 acres from A-1 Agriculture to R-3 Multi-Family Residential to make way for garden apartments to be built. A petition was presented to the board including 9 out of 10 residents living within 100 feet of the proposed zone change expressing opposition. With over 20 percent of the of the adjacent property owners signing a petition the board would need a super majority of the members to vote to approve the zoning change.
“It is not a logical fit and would not add value to the area. It would destroy the character of an existing single family home neighborhood,” said Elizabeth Contompasis, County Walk Road resident overlooking the proposed rezoning. “A property development of this sort would have a severe negative impact on our property value.”
Many of the nearby residents that spoke said adding apartments to the neighborhood just really doesn’t make sense with the surrounding one -family houses. There was also a concern raised about the safety of the community being affected.
“Rental property is not always kept up as nicely and statistically tends to increase crime reports,” said Contompasis. “Even a nice apartment building does not ensure that in 10 years it would not be run down. I think the neighborhood would be better severed with single family owned housing.”
Bill Barber, the developer for the proposed apartments, spoke out and said there shouldn’t be the opposition to apartment housing in the neighborhood. In the tough economic conditions, Barber said it seems the town would look to “positively exploit” resources in the town.
“The issue of not wanting people around you that can’t afford to buy a house … that seems unfair and kind of snobbish,” said Barber. “This is a viable alternative to housing, people who want maintenance-free, people who don’t want to own but want to live in the area.”........................>>>>...................>>>>.......................http://www.spotlightnews.com/news/view_news.php?news_id=1300470128
“The issue of not wanting people around you that can’t afford to buy a house … that seems unfair and kind of snobbish,” said Barber. “This is a viable alternative to housing, people who want maintenance-free, people who don’t want to own but want to live in the area.”
of course....so what.....if I paid to live in a neighborhood WITHOUT apartments there is a reason why.....GO BUILD IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.....If I want apartment living I would go there.....YOU ARE NOT GOD THE DEVELOPER AND CANT STRONG ARM OTHERS TO PLAY GOD.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
I'm just curious to see whether the upper class in Rotterdam will get any better understanding then the Draper Area did when the Charter School was passed.
The neighbors in the Draper area tried to stop the Charter School from moving into that building...they even circulated a petition against it...one of their off the record arguments was, and I am not kidding, "these kids are coming from Schenectady". Their official claim was legitimate concern about its affect on the neighborhood...which IMO is ridiculous when you consider that for decades it was a K-12 school with no school buses...and parents' cars by far outnumbered the buses and other assorted claims of intrusion that I believe was masking their real problem which was that these kids would come largely from Schenectady...as if they were scumbags and criminals...and yes, comments were made about the expected ethnic composition, which was largely black.
Children who attended that school probably have parents who understand that their kids are being shortchanged...and are involved and concerned enough to seek alternatives. The waiting lists for these schools in some areas extend as far as the eye can see.
I am a big fan of Charter Schools and other alternatives to what is obviously a failing public system. Granted, they receive public funds...but only about two thirds of the amount per student than the public schools get. Some have failed and others have thrived based on testing results, etc. The beauty is that unlike public schools, the teachers are not unionized and the education cartel has no authority over them...teachers are hired and fired based on merit and results...also unlike the public system...unless the LIFO policy is finally discarded, as it should be...but don't count on the Teachers' Unions to cooperate....instead they will continue to push for caps on these schools and/or their OWN Charters for their own benefit...which IMO would be counterproductive since these are the same people that created the need for charter schools in the first place.
As for the charter school I dont think they were ready for the traffic.....and yes folks are afraid of the ethnicities of the city....but I think the attachment of the ethnicities to 'the city' is mostly in part a miscommunication....I believe it was mostly about the urbanization of the area.....the city 'patina' is spreading as it always does everywhere.....in America it seems the conversation about 'big city' crime is everywhere....and whatever ethnicity happens to live in the city at the time gets this label.....
but I agree the public school cartel will bully any independent thinking....it's not just their $$$.....we should be able to take our taxes and bring them somewhere else.....after all it IS about the value of my tax dollars.....I will pay for anything I want but if I think it isn't worth the cost I shouldn't have to
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Mr Barber states appts for young famillies at the board meeting a few weeks ago, now he is changing to senior appts - like very thing in this town something stinks
Talking to each other is better than talking about each other
Mr Barber states appts for young famillies at the board meeting a few weeks ago, now he is changing to senior appts - like very thing in this town something stinks
what a jackwagon
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
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