ROTTERDAM Neighbors fear new home on lot at center of dispute BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Amedore Homes has again raised the ire of several Putnam Road residents after pitching plans to build a duplex between a condominium complex the company built and the former home of Aaron Mair. The developer submitted plans to the Rotterdam Planning Commission this week, calling for a split of the property, which is about two-thirds of an acre, off Putnam Road. One of the resulting parcels would then be rezoned from agricultural to two-family residential, allowing the construction of a four-bedroom duplex between the former Mair residence and Putnam Woods. Now, some of Mair’s former neighbors fear the town is poised to further change their street by allowing Amedore to build on the lot he acquired. Next door neighbor Patricia-Anne Green-Dehn said the proposed duplex will destroy the privacy of her home and further affect the groundwater issues she’s had since the condominium complex was built three years ago. “The only thing this fits in with is Amedore’s Putnam Woods,” she told the commission Tuesday. “It’s taking away the neighborhood’s feel.” Several commission members also expressed reservations about the project. Dan Brudos said the project appears as though it would remove a valuable buffer between the condominiums and the properties along Putnam Road. “They’ve got a nice buffer there with that lot and I’d be concerned to see that lost,” he said. The commission ultimately forwarded a recommendation to the Rotterdam Town Board to approve the zone change. Board members will first need to schedule a public hearing before acting on the project. Amedore Homes acquired Mair’s property after reaching an out-of-court settlement in October. Attorneys representing Mair and company president George Amedore Sr. declined to discuss the terms of their settlement, other than to say the lawsuit was amicably resolved. However, some terms of the agreement came to light after the zoning change was proposed. In addition to building the duplex, the developer plans to restore Mair’s single-family residence acquired in the settlement, project engineer Brett Steenburgh said. “The settlement was settled in Mr. Mair’s favor,” he told the commission Tuesday. “[Amedore] settled the lawsuit because of an easement issue he couldn’t resolve.” Mair sued the town of Rotterdam and Amedore Homes in November 2006, claiming the company had unlawfully developed within his long-standing property easement when it built Annabelle Place, the sole access point for the 52-unit Putnam Woods condominium complex. Mair also claimed Amedore’s project to build Putnam Woods had changed the area’s water table, which in turn caused foundation damage and flooding inside his home. Schenectady County real estate records show Amedore Homes purchased Mair’s property in November for $185,000, which is about $11,000 greater than the assessed value. Mair, a staunch critic of the Putnam Woods project, had initially demanded $200,000 in compensation from the town and that Amedore remove all of the structures built within his easement, including the development’s private road, septic pumping station, and electric service. Mair’s argument about his easement was upheld by a Schenectady County Court ruling in October 2007, but his claim against the town was dismissed. The matter was scheduled to go to trial this year before the settlement was reached. Mair wouldn’t discuss any part of the settlement, other than to acknowledge he transferred the property to Amedore, the father of state Assemblyman George Amedore Jr. He spoke with anger about ................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00900
by allowing Amedore to build on the lot he acquired.
Quoted Text
Schenectady County real estate records show Amedore Homes purchased Mair’s property
Note, the CORPORATION purchased it, not George Amedore, individual.
The corporation, Amedore Homes, is not a "he" - it's an IT ... George Amedore happens to own the corporation, but George didn't acquire it, the corporation did.
More accuracy... Note, the CORPORATION purchased it, not George Amedore, individual.
The corporation, Amedore Homes, is not a "he" - it's an IT ... George Amedore happens to own the corporation, but George didn't acquire it, the corporation did.
I persoanlly take no issue with George Amedore, BUT....Let's use the metroplex for an example here. The plex is a 'thing/authority' of it's own...but..Ray Gillen is the face of this 'authority'. So Gillen is the one who will get hammered. I guess Mr. Amedore can expect the same thing, rightfully or not.
And what makes it even more complex is that the plex isn't called 'the METRORAY' or 'METROGILLEN'. Whree as Amedore Homes IS his name! And yet similarly, Amedore and Gillen DO make the calls that have an end result.
I hope I'm explaining this so it can be understood.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Absolutely agree with you Bumble - but for M'plex, Gillen is there making the decisions on a daily basis. He's the one talking to the media. In Amedore's case, George isn't even in the office most days - it's a company handling things (secretaries, etc)
Absolutely agree with you Bumble - but for M'plex, Gillen is there making the decisions on a daily basis. He's the one talking to the media. In Amedore's case, George isn't even in the office most days - it's a company handling things (secretaries, etc)
Isn't that a little different?
I agree also, but think about this, MT. The President (whoever it is, whenever it is) is always responsible for what happens in the country, no matter where he is or what is happening...or is George Bush not responsible for helping the country come back after 9/11 since he was in a classroom reading to children at the time of the attacks? Responsibility comes with the position, especially when your name goes along with everything that is done in the company's (or country's) name. In this light, if you're going to blame anybody for 9/11 happening, since the President isn't in the office every day, wouldn't his staff and those working under him (specifically Congress) be the ones to blame? And if so, why haven't we done so for the past 7+ years?
ROTTERDAM Residents oppose more development Flooded basements, shifting foundations among complaints expressed to officials BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
Marie Miklic remembers when the backyard of her Putnam Road home was buffered by woods. But then Amedore Homes built a 52-unit condominium complex behind her property. Soon after the project broke ground, the few remaining trees she had between her home and the development began to fall. “Then in one storm, about 30 trees came down,” she said. “Now the horizon has drastically changed.” Miklic and other residents along the road believe the condominiums caused a shift in the water table, which has since thinned the sparsely populated woods that were left behind in wake of the development. They say they now contend with flooded basements, shifting foundations, sinkholes in their yards and other problems since construction began in 2005. Rotterdam officials heard a number of other disgruntled residents during a recent public hearing for two separate zone changes that would allow further development on Putnam and Curry roads. In each instance, the residents argued their homes were already negatively affected by development. “For once I’d like to see the town say ‘no’ to developers and say ‘yes’ to the residents you already have,” Miklic said. Peter Amedore, an executive with Amedore homes, declined to comment Monday. Residents along Putnam Road are objecting to a zoning change that would allow Amedore Homes to build a four-bedroom duplex between the former home of Aaron Mair and the nearby condominium complex. The project was also protested by a Putnam Woods resident, who argued the project could have unintended consequences on the condominiums, such as a degradation of the development’s sole access road by heavy construction equipment. “We’ve already put Amedore on notice that we have a problem now,” resident Frank Adams told the board. Patricia-Anne Green-Dehn of Putnam Road said the town shouldn’t even consider the zone change because the property is too small to develop without a variance. She said the 15,340-squarefoot lot lacks both the size and the road frontage for the project Amedore Homes is planning. “They’re squeezing a duplex onto a piece of property where it doesn’t fit,” she said. “It’s going to make things difficult for everyone living there.” Residents also expressed concern about a change of zone along Curry Road to a new classification that allows for the construction of bungalows, town houses and condominiums on lots smaller than 15,000 square feet. Delzotto Builders is seeking the change to construct eight upscale houses on three acres of land zoned single-family off Curry Road near the dead end at Amsterdam Avenue. Some said they were concerned the development would detract from the character of the area, while others worried it might add to water table problems that seem to get worse in the area each time there is more construction. Amsterdam Avenue Resident Albert Raymond said he fears the project will be built, but the builder won’t be held accountable for future issues that may result. The board is expected to vote on both proposals this month. If the zone changes are approved, the proposals will go back to the Planning Commission for site plan approval. Supervisor Steve Tommasone assured residents the town will try to limit any impacts before approving a zoning change. For instance, he said.....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01001
The town should heed these warnings as the residents concerns are now in writing so if the town approves more development and there are problems in the future it will be grounds for a lawsuit. The town does not do enough research into potential problems such as a hydrological study which should be done in known wet areas which in my opinion is a form of neglect.
The Planning Commission expressed concerns. The residents expressed concerns. Supervisor Tommasone assures us that the Town will try to limit any impacts before approving a zoning change? Is he kidding me? I'm curious what he means.
These development concerns are not new. How many people have to be adversely affected by a rising water table before the Town understands?
If these zoning changes are approved, it is a clear and dangerous signal that developer interest reigns supreme over resident interest.
I agree Michael, the town is still being run just like it was 50 years ago and the town is still making the same mistakes at the residents expense with the developers calling all the shots. I thought we as residents were finally going to get transparency, accountability, and protection but I guess those ideals all went out the window when the developers objected to that type of government. I fear what Supervisor Tommasone means is he'll have the developers engineer assure us all that everything will be ok if the development goes thru IMHO.
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