SAY A PRAYER THAT THE
ALBANY CITY BZA DENYS
THE BETHANY-FAMILY
PROMISE APPLICATION APPEAL
( FOR AN :INTERPRETATION"

FOR ENTRY INTO THE
BZA PUBLIC HEARING
RECORD

RE: Case # 1-15,4230

CITY OF ALBANY
DEPARTMENT OF
DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Albany City Hall
Board Caucus, 5:00 pm
City Court Room 209
Regular Meeting, 5:45 pm
Common Council Chambers
PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA


2. Case # 1-15, 4230
Property Address:
736-760 New Scotland Ave.
Applicant: Bethany Reformed
Church
Representing Agent: 
Donald S. Pangburn, Esq.
Zoning District: R-1B
 (Single-Family Medium-
Density Residential)
Request: Interpretation (§375-25B)
to determine if a community service
ministry that will serve the needs of
the homeless families and
be administered by Family Promise
of the Capital Region is consistent 
with the use of the property
as a house of worship.

The above description of the
BZA hearing question is not
accurate.

Refer to the Bethany Application
and supporting documents:

http://www.albanyny.org/Libraries/BZA/BZA_-_1-15-4230_02-11-15.sflb.ashx

The Appeal  dated 12/15/14 

in this matter asks

the BZA to rule that the use of

church property at 738 New Scotland

Ave, as a hub for operation of

homeless social services program by

Family Promise of the Capital

Region, a 501 (c) 3 Not for Profit

Corporation, headquartered at 533

Clinton Ave, Albany,

is a permitted use in an R-1b

single family zone.

The City of Albany  already has

correctly, determined that the 

answer is NO, 

and denied the Bethany.

Refer to City letters dated 11/20/14

and 12/8/14 .

The property at issue is  the

single family dwelling at 738

New Scotland Ave which has served

as the residence of pastors and

their families since the founding

of Bethany Reformed Church in 1953.

The single family dwelling vacant

because the present Pastor has

purchased a retirement home

elsewhere, and has assumed

the role of guardian for a six

year old girl, the child of a friend.

(Refer to Bethany Reformed

Church for verification) 

The Family Promise Homeless

Program is a social  services

program NOT a ministry of

Bethany Church.

The single family dwelling at

738 New Scotland Ave would serve

as a "hub" for a much larger

operation that would include

housing homeless at Mater Christi

and St Sophia's Churches  and

a number of other churches

synagogues in the city and

suburbs.

One might speculate that

eventually, Family Promise

will take over Bethany 

Church

at 760 New Scotland Ave

and  the large parking lot.

A church without significant

income, a dwindling membership

and a retiring pastor is not in

a position to undertake a "new

homeless ministry".

Furthermore, the annual rent

Family Promise has agreed to

pay Bethany, part of which will

go to finance the Pastor's new

retirement home, will do little

to keep Bethany Church afloat.

The Bethany Application makes

a  veiled threat to invoke The

Federal Religious Land Use and

Institutionalized Persons Act

(RLUIPA) to strong arm a

fearful BZA into granting a

land use variance or special

permit  for the Family Promise

plan to use 738 New Scotland

Ave as hub for their homeless

social services program.

The Law is not to be used as a weapon

to subvert the U S Constitution, 10 th

Amendment. 

Approval of the Bethany-Family

Promise scheme would have an

adverse

transformational impact on this

and adjacent single family zoned

residential neighborhoods, not

only in the City of Albany.

ultimately  but in adjacent 

suburban Towns in Albany

County, the property tax bases

and financial solvency of all. 

The BZA has  compelling
reasons for upholding the
City Zoning Code and DENYING
the Bethany-Family Promise
Application APPEAL for an

"INTERPRETATION". 

In particular negative impact

of approving this application appeal 

on the residential integrity/quality 

of life, and home values in the

BPCNA neighborhood, one of

the few remaining  city prime residential

neighborhoods which pays the lion's share

of the property taxes that support

the city government services

and city schools. 
  
Albany is a cash strapped city
on the verge of insolvency.



The current city administration
is grasping for financial life
lines to keep the city afloat,
including installing red traffic
light cameras and turning city
finances over to the Governor's
Financial Review Board, both

acts of financial desperation 


So, now the BZA is going to
approve a use variance or 
special use .permit for a social 
program that will destroy the city
property tax base?

BZA granting Bethany-Family

Promise a use variance or use

permit to operate what is clearly

a social services program in a

vacant single family dwelling

in this R-1 single family residential

district ,that pays the lion's share

of proprty taxes that support city

schools and city government services

would be an irresponsible failure

of the BZA whose function is to

uphold the Albany City Zoning Code

and maintain the neighborhood 

residential integrity/quality of

life of this and similarly zoned

single family districts, which in

turn, serves to protect the city

property tax base and support for

city schools/city government services.

DENY The Bethany-Family Promise

Application for a use permit or

use variance for 738 New Scotland

Avenue.

Failure to do so, will put the

City of Albany on a non reversible

fast track to becoming Detroit on
the Hudson.

The City of Albany would be
committing Hari Kari.

Charity begins at home. The first
ministry of any church or synagogue
is to the residents of the neighborhood
wherein those Houses of Worship are
located.

Residents of the BPCNA neighborhood
and similarly zoned single family 
neighborhoods in the City of Albany
hopefully will contact the Mayor
and BZA, today, Monday and
Tuesday, March 8,9 and 10

BZA  Brad Glass Tel. 445 0754
          bglass@albanyny.gov

Mayor Sheehan  Tel  434 5100
                              Fax 434 5013

             mayor@ci.albany.ny.us



 and file statements for
the hearing record, OPPOSING
the Bethany-Family Promise
Application  and calling upon
the Mayor and BZA to DENY the
Application  for an "Interpretation"
would would amount to granting
a use variance or special use
permit to Bethany-Family Promise
contrary to the intent and purpose
of the Albany City Zoning Code 

Also, contact the Pastors of Mater
Christi and St Sophia's- tell them to
WITHDRAW from participation
in the Family Promise homeless
social services program because
of the adverse impact it will have
on this neighborhood, the city
city schools, and ultimately on
the futures of their own churches.

                                  Joe Sullivan

PS: Click on this link

to put all this in perspective

lots of homeless to care

for......... until lifeboat America

is swamped and we all go down 

in a raging sea of world poverty

Monday, February 23, 2015

SNEAKING INTO
THE USA AND
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

That's  a HUD Promise

Musical rendition courtesy Rusty  Humphries

 http://safeshare.tv/w/eUqDmyBbir

                            Jose Sullivan