Crossgates – Save the Pine Bush

Update on Costcos and IDA Tax Breaks – June 28 2023

June 28, 2023 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Dear All, Yesterday, members of Save the Pine Bush and the Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth spoke with Channel 6 prior to the Guilderland Industrial Development Agency meeting. Afterward, we went into the IDA meeting. To my great surprise, at the beginning of the meeting, the chair announced that no decision would be made that evening regarding giving tax breaks or acquiring the roads through eminent domain. Instead, the IDA board had written a series of 12 questions. The board…

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Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth, Save the Pine Bush, and Mothers Out Front object to tax abatement and donation of roads through eminent domain for Pyramid Corporation

June 27, 2023 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

For Immediate Release: June 27, 2023 For Further Information: Contact Robyn Gray at (518) 727-6841 or Lynne Jackson at (518) 366-7324 Press Advisory – Tuesday, June 27, 6:45 PM Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth, Save the Pine Bush, and Mothers Out Front object to tax abatement and donation of roads through eminent domain for Pyramid Corporation GUILDERLAND, NY: The Guilderland Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is scheduled to make a decision at their meeting on Tuesday, June 26 regarding tax abatement…

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Costco Press Conference, May 31, 2023

June 6, 2023 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Dear All, The press conference by Save the Pine Bush, Mothers Out Front and the Guilderland Coaltion for Responsible Growth was well attended. Below are links to articles from the Altamont Enterprise, Channel 10 and Channel 6. Today, the Times Union published an article by Chris Churchill, “Guilderland shouldn’t fall for Costco scam”. Here is a link to that article that everyone should be able to open: https://www.timesunion.com/churchill/article/chris-churchill-guilderland-shouldn-t-fall-18135472.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGltZXN1bmlvbi5jb20vY2h1cmNoaWxsL2FydGljbGUvY2hyaXMtY2h1cmNoaWxsLWd1aWxkZXJsYW5kLXNob3VsZG4tdC1mYWxsLTE4MTM1NDcyLnBocA==&time=MTY4NjA1NTgzNTYzOQ==&rid=NGM3YzAxMmMtNTc4OC00YjE0LTk0ZDctM2I2MmI5MmY0NzBk&sharecount=MQ== The next meeting regarding the proposed tax breaks and eminent domain for…

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Press Conference, Public Hearing on Pyramid Crossgates’ request for tax abatement for proposed Costco

May 30, 2023 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Dear All, On Wednesday, May 31, the Guilderland IDA is holding a public hearing on Crossgates Releasco (Pyramid Corporation) request for tax abatement and donation of roads through eminent domain for the proposed Costco. If you wish to comment on the project, here are things you can do: Here is a link to the proposed tax abatement and eminent domain:https://www.townofguilderland.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif7546/f/uploads/costco_-amended_ida_application_with_attachments_5.16.23-c.pdf Hope to see you at the press conference and the hearing! Thanks so much,Lynne JacksonFor Save the Pine Bush

The Costco Public Hearing & Climate Change

April 11, 2023 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

GUILDERLAND: What better way to celebrate Earth Week than attending a public hearing? The Town of Guilderland Zoning Board of Appeals is holding a public hearing on giving a special use permit to Pyramid for the proposed Costco to be built near Crossgates Mall. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, April 19 at 7:00 PM at the Guilderland Town Hall, 5209 Western Tpk, Guilderland, NY. Pyramid is proposing an approximate 163,000 square feet Costco wholesale retail facility, including an…

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Save the Pine Bush Update and the War on Terror

April 6, 2022 Tom Ellis Comments 0 Comment

by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Lynne Jackson spoke about current developments in the Pine Bush and Steve Downs about The War on Terror – Twenty Years Later, at the February 23 Save the Pine Bush virtual meeting. After thanking SPB members for their financial contributions to assist one of SPB’s dinner chefs, Adam Baldwin, with his sudden medical bills, Lynne thanked Andy Arthur for creating an on-line “event sweeper” that quickly identifies proposed projects in the pine barrens sections of…

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Save the Pine Bush Appeal Heard in the NYS Appellate Division, Third Department

April 6, 2022 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: On March 23, the Supreme Court, Appellate Division Third Judicial Department heard Save the Pine Bush’s appeal of the dismissal of our case against the Town of Guilderland and Pyramid over the proposed apartments, Costco and office buildings. Todd Ommen, of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic argued for Save the Pine Bush. The main argument was that the issues Save the Pine Bush raised in our case in Supreme Court have never been heard. Residents in…

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Altamont Enterprise: Appeal heard in second suit filed against Guilderland, Pyramid

March 25, 2022 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

From the Altamont Enterprise on Thursday, March 24, 2022 – 19:03 GUILDERLAND — A panel of five appellate court judges this week heard arguments in the second lawsuit to land in their laps over Pyramid’s proposed Rapp Road and Western Avenue projects. Save the Pine Bush filed its suit in November 2020 based on the Guilderland Planning Board’s adoption of a findings statement for Pyramid’s proposed 222-unit residential development and Costco Wholesale store in addition to the site-plan approval given…

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Curry Road Solar Colonie (Eden Renewables) Proposed on 75-acres of Full Protection Lands

February 13, 2022 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

As much as we love solar, the Eden Renewable Solar Project in Colonie is NOT okay. Dear Save the Pine Bush Friends, Please come to the public hearing regarding the proposed Solar Farm in the Pine Bush. I have included links to the documents and maps. Thank you so much, Lynne Jackson For Save the Pine Bush Join the next fight for the Pine Bush Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Town of Colonie…

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SPB Newsletters Listed by Date – 2000s

February 12, 2022 Lewis B. Oliver, Jr., Esq. Comments 0 Comment

2020s 🦋 2010s 🦋 2000s 🦋 1990s Search Newsletter Archives: 2009 🦋 2008 🦋 2007 🦋 2006 🦋 2005 🦋 2004 🦋 2003 🦋 2002 🦋 2001 🦋 2000 2009 October/November 2009 – Download printable PDF version Bringing Back Sustainable Karner Blue Populations, October/November, 2009 September Biogas Talk, October/November, 2009 Buckmoth Monitoring, October/November, 2009 Neither a Borrower or a Lender Be, October/November, 2009 Pesticide Reductions Won at Albany Common Council – We can fight City Hall and Win!, October/November, 2009…

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SPB Newsletters Listed by Date – 1990s

February 12, 2022 Lewis B. Oliver, Jr., Esq. Comments 0 Comment

2020s 🦋 2010s 🦋 2000s 🦋 1990s Search Newsletter Archives: 1999 🦋 1998 🦋 1997 🦋 1996 🦋 1995 🦋 1994 1999 December 1999, January 2000 Garbage in the Pine Bush – City Proposes Landfill Expansion SPB Files Most Unpopular Suit Yet – Sues the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission The Thruway Authority Comes Across Royally Thank You to All Who Responded to the Emergency Appeal 1st Annual Pine Bush Walk-a-Thon a Sucess! October/November, 1999 Save the Pine Bush Sues…

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Save the Pine Bush Files Appeal

February 12, 2022 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

by Lynne Jackson ALBANY, NY: Save the Pine Bush has filed an appeal in January to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department in the matter of Save the Pine Bush vs. Town of Guilderland and others over Pyramid Corporation’s proposal to build apartments, office buildings and a Costco in the Pine Bush. Originally, SPB filed suit in NYS Supreme Court. The NYS Supreme Court judge dismissed the case, saying that a previous decision in favor of the Town…

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Bill Aylward and Gene Messercola

December 15, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

ALBANY: Bill Aylward and Gene Messercola spoke at the January vegetarian lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church in Albany. Both Mr. Aylward and Mr. Messercola spoke bout the one important thing Albany County can do for Pine Bush preservation: donate all tax delinquent properties located in the Pine Bush to the Pine Preserve. Tax delinquent properties in the Pine Bush should be turned over to the Preserve instead of being auctioned. Mr. Aylward spoke about the work he did…

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Proposed Developments to Watch

September 28, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

by Lynne Jackson GUILDERLAND, NY: Save the Pine Bush is watching several proposals in the Pine Bush in Guilderland. These include the proposed Pyramid projects, one of which is a Costco with 18 gas pumps. With climate change a critical issue, the Town of Guilderland should not permit the construction of any fossil fuel infrastructure. Currently, SPB, represented by the Pace Environmental Law Clinic, has a lawsuit before the New York State Supreme Court over the approval of this development….

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Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic Defends the Pine Bush

September 28, 2021 Grace Nichols Comments 0 Comment

by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Todd Ommen and Robert O’Connor of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic (PELC) made a joint zoom presentation at the June 16th Save the Pine Bush dinner. Lynne Jackson hosted the event. Mr. Ommen led off. He is the PELC managing attorney and supervises interns. He began practicing environmental law in 2007, joined PELC in 2016, after prior corporate litigation and a stint with the NY Attorney General. He said there was little environmental law in…

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Research

September 9, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Here are some helpful tools to help you research development and land use changes in Albany Pine Bush. Properties on the Planning Board Agendas See our Planning Board Agenda Tracker. Search a Property You can search a property here, however it must be in a very specific format to match the tax record, like this describing the property: 20 New Karner Rd, Town of Guilderland. If you don’t have that level of detail or nothing is returned, you should use…

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Pine Bush Proposed Projects

August 24, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

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Proposed Crossgates Development

August 10, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

GUILDERLAND, NY: Rapp Road Development, a corporate entity of Pyramid/Crossgates, is proposing to build on about 46 acres of land. Originally, the proposal was to build 222 apartments on 20 acres of land adjacent to the Pine Bush preserve. After the Town Planning Board appointed themselves the lead agency, the project was exapanded to include a proposed Costco and an undefined commercial/residential development on an additional 26 acres of land. The proposal is huge. To put this proposed development in…

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Guilderland and Pyramid look for second suit, filed by Save the Pine Bush, to be dismissed

August 3, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Guilderland and Pyramid look for second suit, filed by Save the Pine Bush, to be dismissed Monday, August 2, 2021 – 19:13 Enterprise file photo — Michael Koff The not-for-profit group Save The Pine Bush, in November 2020, celebrated when Westmere residents won a lawsuit (which was recently overturned) that stopped construction of two Pyramid projects. GUILDERLAND — With one win in hand, the town and Pyramid are looking to run up the score, asking the judge in a second lawsuit…

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Development in Albany Pine Bush – 2010 to 2020

July 21, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Albany County Tax records show that 253 acres of Pine Bush were forever lost to development between 2010 and 2020. Acres in Study Area Acres Developed with a Building * % Acres Preserved ** % Acres Undeveloped or Used for Highways / Landfill *** % 13,005 5,723 44.0% 3,317 25.5% 3,965 30.5% * Acres developed does not include highways or other developments that do not contain buildings. ** Albany Pine Bush Commission managed lands *** County tax parcels that do…

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Just Say No to the Bridge!

June 27, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

The Village of Colonie is proposing to build a bridge in the Pine Bush over the Rapp Road/Lincoln Avenue railroad tracks. To allow for high-speed rail, all Òat gradeÓ crossings over railroad tracks are to be eliminated. The Village wants to eliminate the Rapp Road/Lincoln Avenue crossing by building a bridge. Save the Pine Bush knows a much better, much less expensive way: dead-end the road on either side of the railroad track. This would save about $3.5 million taxpayer…

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Appeals court in Guilderland-Pyramid lawsuit allows case to cut the line – Altamont Enterprise

June 17, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Monday, February 15, 2021 – 19:52 – Altamont Enterprise GUILDERLAND — The judge overseeing the town of Guilderland and Pyramid Management Group’s appeal to reverse a lower court’s decision that stopped construction of the company’s Rapp Road and Western Avenue projects has agreed to a request for “an expedited briefing schedule on this appeal.” The order from Justice Christine M. Clark of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department means that both sides are to have all of…

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Rapp Road Costco and Town of Guilderland State Appellate HearingLivestream

May 24, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Dear All, Please note: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 – 1:00pm Rapp Road Costco and Town of Guilderland State Appellate HearingLivestream: http://wowza.nycourts.gov/ad3/ad3.php Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 25, the oral argument for the case of Hart v Town of Guilderland, will be heard. This is the case involving the proposed Costco, apartments and office building in the Pine Bush along Rapp Road. New counsel has been retained by Pyramid Cos. with Guilderland Supervisor Peter Barber representing the Town of Guilderland. The Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth has more information…

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PAUSE – Zero Waste

April 24, 2021 Tom Ellis Comments 0 Comment

by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission (APBPC or Commission) Conservation Director Neil Gifford spoke at SPB’s June 19 dinner about the ongoing work of the the Com- mission and the proposed Pyramid Crossgates 222-unit apartment development on Rapp Road inGuilderland. He began saying that “in no small part do we [the Commission] owe our existence” to the work of Save the Pine Bush. At it’s best, he said the Pine Bush is a savanna with some…

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Rezsin Adams, leader of Save the Pine Bush, passes away

April 9, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

ALBANY: It is with great sadness that Save the Pine Bush announces the passing of one of its founders and long-time leader, Rezsin Adams. Rezsin, born in Brooklyn on February 13, 1927, died peacefully yesterday at the age of 93. Rezsin met her husband, the late Dr. Theodore Adams, while attending college at the University of Rochester. After marrying in 1947, and receiving a masters degree in physiology, Rezsin and her family moved to the City of Albany Center Square neighborhood in 1959….

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Regal Cinemas at Crossgates Will Shade the Karner Blues

April 9, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

GUILDERLAND: Regal Cinemas at Crossgates Maul has requested to increase the height of one theater from about 24 feet to approximately 70 feet above grade. The theater will become a “True Imax” according to their application. Save the Pine Bush sued over the approval of the original theaters in the 1990s. Unfortunately, we lost, and the theaters were built in 1997. The theaters are very close to Butterfly Hill, just the width of a narrow road apart. The theaters cast…

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Notice of Intent to Sue

April 9, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

PETER HENNER ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW P.O. BOX 326 CLARKSVILLE, NEW YORK 12041-0326 (518) 768-8232 Fax: (518) 768-8235 WEB SITE: peterhenner.com * CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE October 20, 2003 Mr. Mark Wagner, General Manager Pyramid Crossgates Company 120 Washington Avenue Albany, New York 12203 Dear Mr. Wagner: This letter is a formal Notice of Intent to file a citizen suit against Pyramid Crossgates Company (“Crossgates”) for violations of its State Pollution Discharge…

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Nature preservers For 30 years, Save the Pine Bush has fought for ancient barrens

April 8, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Albany — A blizzard howled on the evening of Feb. 6, 1978, when a shrinking remnant from the last Ice Age faced the prospect of the bulldozer. Anyone who cared that land in the Pine Bush — glacially created sand dunes and pitch pines at the city’s western edge — was slated for an office building would have to brave the storm to complain at the sole city hearing on the issue. The storm was so bad that the state…

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Residents foil meeting on Crossgates expansion

April 7, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Residents foil meeting on Crossgates expansion Residents foil meeting on Crossgates expansion Guilderland — Scores gather to keep a zoning board from advancing the project KIMBERLY MARTINEAU, Staff writer published on September 1, 1998 in the Times Union Nearly 200 residents refused to let the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals conduct a meeting Monday that some say would have advanced the proposed $100 million expansion of Crossgates Mall beyond the point of no return. The meeting had been called…

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SPB Files Appeal – – An Appeal Against the Avila Approval

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

by Sandy Sheridan In a continuing effort to preserve Karner Blue Butterfly habitat, Save the Pine Bush petitioned the Appellate Court to overrule the Albany Planning Board’s approval of another senior housing project’s construction within the Pine Bush. The plan to build Avila Independent Senior Housing Campus was given the go-ahead by the Albany Planning Board, despite distinct preservation criterion instituted by Federal, State and City regulations. The proposed Avila Campus would be built on land owned by the Roman…

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Even Environmentalists Have a Sense of Humor

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Even Environmentalists Have a Sense of Humor Even Environmentalists Have a Sense of Humor A sense of humor is essential to surviving the rigors of being an activist and fighting one of the oldest political machines in the U.S. Have you ever heard of the Ladies Against Women? I understand the group was formed to follow Phyllis Schaffly around at her speeches and ask her for her cookie and cake recipes. They have a way of poking fun at just…

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Divided Highways

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Divided Highways Divided Highways by Rezsin Adams The Interstate and Defense Highway System – – the "divided highways" – – was initiated by President Eisenhower in the early 1950’s to connect cities in the U.S. (in the case of enemy bombing, rail lines are more vulnerable than highways). Eisenhower wanted a highway system like the European Autobahns. Divided highways – – super-highways – – have fundamentally changed how we live and work, said Skidmore Professor Tom Lewis at our January…

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Ward Stone Speaks about the Most Important Environmental Problems of Our Time

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

by Lynne Jackson ALBANY, NY: Ward Stone, NYS Wildlife Pathologist, ate lasagna with Save the Pine Bush at the First Presbyterian Church this past March and spoke about changes in the environment over the past few years. He noted that in the past 30 years, there is some good news. We have shut-down the source of PCBs. We have banned a lot of pesticides such as dialdrin and chlordane. We have recognized the problems of lead, and taken steps to…

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Save the Pine Bush

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

It’s a tale that could end up on a milk carton. Tender youngsters are snatched from their cradles and carried off to underground lairs, never to be seen again. “The one thing we know is that the Karner Blue Butterfly eggs are disappearing,” said Dr. Peter Spoor, speaking at the SPB lasagna dinner on May 24, 1990. “I think they are being taken by ants, but at this point that’s just conjecture. It’s not very scientific.” He also reports discovering…

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Guilderland CandidatesNight At SPB

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Guilderland CandidatesNight At SPB Guilderland Candidates Night At SPB by Lynne Jackson Candidates for Town Supervisor and Town Board members spoke at the October Save the Pine Bush dinner. Attending were Bill Aylward, Democratic candidate for Town Supervisor; David Bosworth and Cheryl Reul, Democratic candidates for Town Board; and Paul Caputo, Independence Party candidate for Town Board. Lauren Ayers had hoped to attend, but could not due to a family emergency. The other Independence Party candidates, Anne Rose and Tim…

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Neil Breslin Calls For Preservation

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Neil Breslin Calls For Preservation Breslin Calls For Preservation Hoblock "Powerless" To Stop Walmart By Daniel Van Riper In the hottest local race of the election season, Neal Breslin, Democratic candidate for State Senate, which includes the Pine Bush and much of the Capital District, squared off with Republican incumbent Michael Hoblock at the Sept. 25 lasagna dinner at 1st Presbyterian Church in Albany. Mr. Breslin congratulated the crowd on the recent Apollo Drive victory (see elsewhere in this issue),…

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SPB meets with Bill Aylward

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

SPB meets with Bill Aylward SPB meets with Bill Aylward by Lynne Jackson Representatives of SPB had the pleasure of meeting with Bill Aylward, Town Supervisor of the Town of Guilderland, in March. Chuck Reilly, Jerry Mueller, John Wolcott, and Lynne Jackson made the expedition to Guilderland to meet with Mr Aylward. We were pleased to note that Mr. Aylward had put on the door to his office one of the new Albany Pine Bush Preserve signs. Mr. Aylward met…

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Save the Pine Bush

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Karner Blue Butterfly eggs are being cut open and eaten, and still no culprit has been found. The ants, however, have not been ruled out as suspects. Dr. Peter Spoor gave an update on his investigations into the lifestyle and habits of the friendly butterfly at the Sept. 26 dinner at the Unitarian Church. Stunning slides of their eggs under an electron microscope failed to reveal what sort of creature is leaving it’s marks along the broken edges. Other excellent…

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Show Down Over Roundup

April 6, 2021 John Wolcott Comments 0 Comment

Show Down Over Roundup Show Down Over Roundup by John Wolcott Invading black locust trees are crowding out and over shadowing native Pine Bush plants including the blue lupine which is essential to the survival of the Karner Blue. Black locust trees, along with bulldozer happy developers, are one of the many threats to the survival of the Pine Bush. Black locusts, like developers, are extremely difficult to eradicate from the Pine Bush. Jerry Mueller has been cutting down one…

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The Albany Pine Bush Management Commission

April 6, 2021 John Wolcott Comments 0 Comment

The Albany Pine Bush Management Commission The Albany Pine Bush Management Commission The Pine Bush Management Commission was created by the New York State Legislature to study and manage the Pine Bush in response to Save the Pine Bush’s lawsuits with the City of Albany over the landfill. Members of the Commission include the executives of the municipalities which include Pine Bush. The City of Albany, the Town of Colonie, the Town of Guilderland, the County of Albany, New York…

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Notes from the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Newsletter

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Visitor Use Education Efforts Increasing in the Preserve — Several new educational tools are being used to increase protection of the Preserve’s natural features while allowing for appropriate recreational and educational use of the Preserve. About one dozen Preserve Naturalists are out on the trails, a new mountain bike education patrol is being created, new brighter trailmarkers are on most of the trails and additional signage relating to appropriate and responsible trail use has been installed. The Commission has recently…

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Save the Pine Bush

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Proposed Hotel in the Pine Bush Hotel Update: Oral Arguements in the NY Court of Appeals Tuesday, September 15 at 2:00 The Court of Appeals is next door to Albany City Hall. This is an extremely significant case, and could, if we win change who has standing in SEQRA cases. Click here to read Amicus briefs Read attorney Steve Downs’ commentary about the hotel case here. Action Alert! Hear the Oral Arguments in the NYS Appellate Division Friday,…

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Extinction Rebellion Capital Region

April 6, 2021 Grace Nichols Comments 0 Comment

ALBANY, NY: Christian Grigoraskos of the Extinction Rebellion Capital Region spoke at the February 19th SPB dinner on the topic of Climate Change: Heading for Extinction (And What to Do About It). Before he began, Lynne Jackson provided an update on the various proposals Crossgates has pending in the Town of Guilderland. Lynne said the PACE Environmental Litigation Clinic is representing SPB. Attorney Steve Downs added that SPB is the community organization that expanded the legal concept of standing by…

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Bringing Back Sustainable Karner Blue Populations

April 6, 2021 Grace Nichols Comments 0 Comment

by Grace Nichols ALBANY: Using the Freedom of Information Act, both Save the Pine Bush and Brian Nearing of the Times Union requested data that has been collected about the number of Karner Blue populations. We were astounded at what we found. The numbers of butterflies counted have plummeted in recent years, dipping below 1000 butterflies. Figures of what population level is sustainable vary; some say 3000 butterflies are sustainable (even though Karner Blues were extirpated from New Hampshire…

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Write to the Town of Guilderland Planning Board

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Name of the project: Rapp Road Residential/Western Avenue Mixed Use Redevelopment Projects Email comments to: Kenneth Kovalchik, Town Planner, Kovalchikk@togny.org The Town of Guilderland Planning Board should reject the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed development by Pyramid (Crossgates) to build massive apartment complexes, office space and expansive retail on Rapp Road, the Mall Road and Western Avenue. This proposed development includes a Costco with 700 car parking lot and a gas station. The Town of Guilderland Planning…

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Buffer is Essential to Protect Pine Bush

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

I am writing in opposition to the draft environmental impact statement filed by Rapp Road Development Corporation, a pseudonym for Pyramid LLC, the owner of Crossgates Mall, which was filed to develop 47 acres of pine bush into a variety of projects such as a gas station built in sand over an aquifer. The level of development proposed is dense, inappropriate to the area, and also bent on increasing traffic in a congested area; designed to create noise pollution in…

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Pyramid Submits the Draft Environmental Impact Statement

April 6, 2021 Grace Nichols Comments 0 Comment

GUILDERLAND, NY: On Christmas Eve, Pyramid Crossgates submitted the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for their project, “Rapp Road Residential /Western Avenue Mixed Use Redevelopment Projects.” When first brought before the Town of Guilderland Planning Board in late 2018, the project consisted of building 222-unit apartment complex on Rapp Road. The project has morphed into 312-unit apartment complex on Rapp Road, a CostCo complete with a gas station plus other commercial development. According to the NY State Environmental Quality Review…

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Willow Street Again

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

Willow Street Again Our Friends Visit FORCE Is Here To Stay By Daniel Van Riper Carl Letson and Donald Csaposs of Guilderland, two of the principle organizers of Friends Organized to Resist Crossgates Expansion (FORCE) spoke to the January Save the Pine Bush vegetarian lasagna dinner at 1st Presbyterian Church in Albany, and neither had anything good to say about the Pyramid Corporation or about the Crossgates expansion. “Pyramid wants to destroy the quality of life in Guilderland and…

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9

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

A Proposal A Proposal By Daniel W. Van Riper Here’s an idea. All elected officials in Guilderland should sign the following pledge before the voters and taxpayers of the town: “(1) I promise not to accept campaign contributions or any other monetary compensation from the Pyramid Corporation or it’s subsidieries, and I will return in full any money I have so far received. (2) I promise to refuse any opportunity offered to me by Pyramid or it’s subsidieries to…

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9

April 6, 2021 Lynne Jackson Comments 0 Comment

FORCE Fights Pyramid – Guilderland Citizens Organize FORCE Fights Pyramid Guilderland Citizens Organize By Daniel Van Riper Citizens and taxpayers of Guilderland, courageously opposed to the rape and ruination of their town by the vicious and sleazy Pyramid Corporation, have chosen a name for themselves and gotten down to the task of organizing. Friends Organized to Reject Crossgates Expansion (FORCE) has chosen officers and appointed committees, and is ready for a long war. “We have the force of will…

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