Newsflash
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STOP THE BIG BOX ONCE AND FOR ALL |
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Public Hearing
Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 P.M.
Voorheesville High School (PAC)
The Town of New Scotland Town Board will hold a public hearing for the 50,000 sq. ft. size cap law, Local Law B of 2010 at the Voorheesville high school in the Performing Arts Center. The Board plans to convene a special meeting immediately following the hearing in order to vote on the law. The moratorium has expired and we are still vulnerable. Three Town Board members support the new law, but four votes are needed to guarantee its passage. That's why you won't want to miss this public hearing. Only you can convince one of the other two board members to vote for this law. Please come out Thursday, March 11, 6:30 P.M., and stop the big box once and for all. Although we're not done yet, we have come a long way. On Feb. 17, the Albany County Planning Boad approved Local Law B of 2010, after having twice rejected laws submitted by last year's Town Board. You can also read up on what the Town of New Scotland Planning Board members say (71 pages) about this issue so you're prepared for the public hearing. (Hint: Some of them say we don't even need zoning laws in the commercial zone.) Read why everyone who was at the 2008 Moratorium public hearing should come to this one, too! Be sure to come out and bring your friends and neighbors to show support for responsible growth in New Scotland. Please use the flyer you can download by clicking this link. Print it out, share it with your neighbors and post a copy on public bulletin boards you use. |
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What do the terms “community” and “neighborhood” shopping areas really mean? |
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When determining the size of retail stores and retail shopping centers for the Town of New Scotland, the terms “community” and “neighborhood” centers are used to justify building big boxes here. Unfortunately, the terms “community” and “neighborhood” are used differently in the development world than in ordinary English usage.
We think of a “community” as a limited number of people who share bonds. Voorheesville is a community. A “neighborhood” is smaller than a community - a few blocks of homes near each other. .
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Read more...
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Albany County approves Local Law B |
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"Based on where we were in May and where we are today, the Town has taken monumental steps forward." With these words, the Albany County Planning Board today (Feb. 17) approved the 50,000 sq. ft. size cap law, Local Law B of 2010. Their vote was unanimous. NS4 co-founder Liz Kormos attended and told the County that the Town has applied for a grant to help in developing a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS), something County repeated it would still like to see done. Planning Board Chairman Chuck Voss told the County it was something the Town was looking forward to doing. "This is good because it means we may not need a super majority of 4 votes on the Town Board," to put zoning in place, said Dan Mackay, a Town of New Scotland Board member, after the meeting. Also present for the announcement were Town Supervisor Tom Dolin and Town Board member Doug LaGrange, along with several members of the Town Planning Board and a handful of other citizens. |
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18,000 sq. ft. Price Chopper for nearby mixed use building |
 Saratoga Springs is getting a new 18,000 sq. ft. Price Chopper grocery store in a mixed use building. Download and read the entire article from EcoLocalLiving.com. It's from the Winter 2010 edition. |
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Local Law B will go to County Feb. 17 |
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We've just heard that Local Law B of 2010 will be reviewed by the Albany County Planning Board at its Feb. 17 meeting right here in Voorheesville at the County Department of Public Works conference room. Check our Events Page for more information. (Note: Originally, we reported the meeting would be on the 18th. But Albany Co. DPW web page confirms this meeting has been moved up one day to Wednesday, Feb. 17.) Update: the location has been moved back downtown to 112 State St., as of 2/12/2010, to accommodate a larger than usual crowd. Watch our Events page for any further changes. |
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Town Board advances Local Law B |
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Proposed size cap law for retail development is on its way! Tom Dolin, Deb Baron, Doug LaGrange, and Daniel Mackay voted last night to send the law to the Albany County and the Town of New Scotland Planning Boards for their review. Chuck Voss, our new Town Planning Board Chair, said that the Planning Board would review the law at its next session, Tuesday, February 2, at 7 pm. All are welcome to attend. Thanks to Tom, Deb, Dan, and Doug for supporting the advancement. Anyone who would like to review draft Local Law B of 2010 may download it here from the Town of New Scotland Web site. |
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Finally, a size cap law New Scotland can live with! |
Your efforts and votes have made a difference. SLINGERLANDS, NEW YORK -- On Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, at 6:30 P.M., the Town of New Scotland town board will take up a commercial zone size cap law with limits that ensure responsible growth for the community. It's called Local Law B of 2010, and it's on the agenda for this special meeting. The Law sets responsible growth limits in the Commercial Zone with a 50,000 sq. ft. retail store size limit for development without requiring town board approval.
What happens next? After the Planning Board offers its recommendations regarding the proposed law to the town board, they will set the date for a public hearing. We will let you know so you can mark it in your calendars, come out and attend, and bring your neighbors and friends.
In this more than 2 year process, we are getting closer to our goal: sound economic development. But we have not yet arrived. We still need all of you to come out and express your opinions at that public hearing. Remember the momentum for the moratorium? We will need that kind of strength in numbers again at the public hearing. In order to remind residents of this most important date, NS4SED will continue to operate its web site, send out email blasts, place perhaps 1 or 2 banners in strategic, highly visible spots around the Town, and continue to work toward our goal. In order to defray expenses, anyone who would like to make a donation or $25 or whatever amount you feel comfortable giving, please use PayPal at http://www.ns4sed.com/. (Look under Ways to Help.) Or you may send checks to New Scotlanders for Sound Economic Development at PO Box 163, Voorheesville, NY 12186. |
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NS4SED co-founder by Chris Galvin with Jean Mackay holding the Bible.  Town of New Scotland board as of Jan. 1, 2010, includes Dan Mackay, Doug LaGrange, Tom Dolin (Supervisor), Diane Deschenes (Clerk), Rich Reilly and Deb Baron. |
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