Complex is too big, residents tell board
New Scotland Ave. neighbors relay concerns over proposal
Residents voiced concerns at Tuesday night’s planning board meeting about a proposed development on New Scotland Avenue across from St. Peter’s Hospital.
The project consists of 188 residences and 13,515 square feet of retail space.
The complex — at New Scotland Avenue, South Allen Street and Onderdonk Avenue — includes a five-story building with a mix of apartments and retail, two four-story buildings for multi-family units and another twostory structure, also for multi-family residences.
About 50 people attended Tuesday’s meeting. During a two-hour discussion period, the residents brought up concerns about increased traffic and noise and the development’s impact on surrounding residences’ property values.
The main complaints targeted the proposed five-story building, which would border New Scotland Avenue.
“It’s entirely too large,” James Hennessey, an Albany resident, said at the meeting. “This five-story thing is out of character with the neighborhood.”
The proposal will be discussed again at Wednesday’s Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. Town officials will debate a variance to allow for the construction of a five-story mixed-use building; the maximum permitted height for principal buildings is 4.5 stories.
The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at the Albany Community Development Agency, 200 Henry Johnson Blvd.
No action was taken on the proposal at Tuesday’s planning board meeting.
“This project still has a number of hoops to jump through,” said Albert Desalvo,
the chairman of the Albany Planning Board.
Seven existing structures would be demolished.
Other residents at the meeting said they approve of the plans by the developers, Jankow Cos., to replace the existing buildings with a modern structure that would also house storefronts and “quality restaurants.”
“The building they want to demolish is absolutely horrendous; its’s depressing to the neighborhood,” said Roxanne Lawrence, another Albany resident. “I would like to see modernization. I want restaurants. I want stores.”