Pine Bush Loses – Drumlin Fields Approved 
Albany Common Council Votes Against Pine
Bush
Approves Drumlin Fields Office
Complex
Ignores Commission and all Rational Thought
by Lynne Jackson The Common Council, against the wishes of its constituents, major environmental organizations in Albany, Save the Pine Bush, and the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission, approved the re-zoning of 46 acres of Pine Bush from residential to commercial on Monday, March 15. The Pine Bush lost by only one vote.The Pine Bush did gather six votes against the re-zone, which is more than we expected. Your phone calls to these six Common Council members made all the difference in how they voted. Please take a moment to thank our supporters on the Common Council.
Carol Wallace, in her presentation to the Common Council before the vote, spoke extensively on all of the reasons why this re-zoning should be voted down. This would be the first time a municipality had gone against the recommendation of the Albany Pine Bush Management Commission on a proposed project. She read a list of more than 10 environmental organizations that opposed the project. Bringing up the issue of taxes, she pointed out that according to the developers themselves, the tax breaks on this project were huge. She described the Pine Bush as our unique jewel and pointed out that only 10% of the original Pine Bush remains.
Council Member Wallace’s excellent and impassioned presentation obviously fell on nine deaf ears.
In addition, Nicholas Coluccio spoke to the Council asking the members to listen to his constituents and vote against this re-zoning. Richard Conti told the Council that to vote for this re-zoning against the Commission’s plan for the Pine Bush Preserve meant that there is no plan. Carol Wallace and Nicholas Coluccio have worked tirelessly over the past few months towards the defeat this bill. Though they were not successful, we thank them for all the time they have spent on behalf of the Pine Bush.
Here is the role-call vote:
Pine Bush Supporters Who Voted No to the Re-Zone
Please thank our supporters on the Common Council.
Carol Wallace, First Ward
Carolyn McLaughlin, Second Ward
Sarah Curry-Cobb, Forth Ward
Richard Conti, Sixth Ward
Shawn Morris, Seventh Ward
Nicholas Coluccio, Fifteenth Ward
In addition, Carol Wallace, Nicholas Coluccio and Richard Conti made excellent and impassioned speaches about why the this re-zoning should be voted down.
Anti-Pine Bush Council Members Who Voted for the Re-Zone
Michael L. Brown, Third Ward
Shirley A. Foskey, Fifth Ward
David R. Torncello, III, Eight Ward
Thomas P. Nitido, Ninth Ward & Chair of Health & Environement Committee
James R. Scalzo, Jr., Tenth Ward
Michael J. Hall, Eleventh Ward
Phillip T. DiPace, Twelth Ward
Daniel Herring, Thirteenth Ward
Joseph Igoe, Fourteenth Ward
You may wish to call your Common Council member to thank them for their support or let them know what you think about their vote.
To find out who your alderman is, call City Hall at 434-5080 or Lynne Jackson at 434-1954. If you know who your alderman is, here is a list.
published on the Web on March 16, 1999
