APRIL FOOLS DAY
COMES EARLY

For 30 years the Buckingham Pond
Crestwood Neighborhood Association
has served the largely single family
residential neighborhood bordered
by Western Ave (N) South Manning
Blvd (E) Whitehall Rd-NYSTW (S)
Rte 85 (W).

Our main objective has been to
maintain/improve the residential
integrity, environment and quality
of life of this neighborhood.

A few of our achievements are:

1. Creation of  Buckingham Pond
    Park (1994) by rezoning the pond
    and adjacent shore as Land 
    Conservation (LC)  park land
   

2. Blocking a luxury housing plan
    for Albany Municipal Golf
    Course (1993-94) and rezoning
    it as LC  park land, as well
    as saving the land which became
    Hartman Rd Community Garden.

3. Blocking plans for a third
    middle school at Whitehall and
    New Scotland(1999-2000)

4. Blocking a plan to site a
    big box store the 7 acre
    parcel at New Scotland and
    Krum Kill Rd (behind the
    Mobil station and bordering
    Crescent Dr.) (2000}

    We have urged the 7 acres
     be combined with 5 acres
     of land locked wetland
     and 10 acres of city land
     behind the Stewart's store
     to form a neighborhood
     green way.

      No action by the City, as
      yet.

5. Clean up of the brownfield
    former gas station at Whitehall
    and New Scotland, blocking
    several attempts at commercial
    development of the 3/4 acre
    parcel and eventually having
    the site designated as open
    space when the Amedore homes
    were built.

    We have urged that the parcel
    become the Dan O Connell
    Pocket Park- but to date the
    City has failed to act on this
    proposal.

6.  Creation of permanent green
     spaces along New Scotland
     Avenue at South Manning
     Krum Kill and Whitehall.

     We supported construction
     of Buckingham Mews in
     retaining the acre green space
     at Krum Kill/New Scotland
     and planting the conifer trees
     bordering New Scotland
     Krum Kill, Friebel and the
     boundary line behind homes
     on Buckingham Dr. 

7.   Blocked egress from expanded
      CP parking lots via Marsdale/
      Harding and Hurst/Westford

8.   Advocated retaining Crestwood
      Plaza as a neighborhood retail
      commercial plaza.

9.   Blocked construction of a
      12 story apartment/parking
       garage on the Krum Kill Rd
      wetland/archeological site
      across from Ohav Shalom.

10. Obtained a NY Supreme
      Court Decision annulling
      the City Board of Zoning
      Appeals approval of the
      Family Promise of the 
      Capital Region rented
      homeless social services
      hub at the Bethany Church
      pasonage-738 New Scotland 
      Ave.

      Family Promise and Bethany 
      appealed the Supreme Court
      Decision to the Appellate
      Court, 3rd Dept.

      The Appellate Court will not
      likely take the appeal because
      the Supreme Court Decision
      is correct on the law and
      because Family Promise/
      Bethany are asking the
      Appellate Court to make
      law.

      Refer to posts this blog
      2015-2016 which provide
      details and the rationale for
      opposing the Family Promise
      regional homeless social
      services hub in this R-1B
      single family zoned residential
      neighborhood.

11. Supported defeat of the 200
      million dollar high school
      reconstruction proposal in
      the November 2015 General
      election. Opposed the February
      9 , 2016 revote and proposed
      merging the city schools with
      city government, with one
      property tax roll to finance
      both, return to a k-8 neighborhood
      school system, abolishing the
      city school board: making the
      Mayor and Common Council
      responsible/accountable for the
      operation/performance of City
      schools.

The self identified "progressives
that control Albany City schools
and Albany City government  have
sought to gain control of our
neighborhood, first through the
Buckingham Pond Conservancy
and now through forming the
Buckingham Lake association.

The organizers and officers of
both organizations are the same.

Allies, job holders, relatives and
supporters of the City Schools
City Hall and the Common Council.

The organizer of the Buckingham
Pond Conservancy used that
organization as a stepping stone
to a seat on the City School Board.

Have you seen the condition of
Buckingham Pond  Park after 
7 years stewardship by the BPC?
Take a walk around the park,
Observe.

The formation of the "new"
Buckingham Lake Neighborhood
Association is intended to serve
as a stepping stone for candidates
seeking election to ward and citywide
public offices and validating the
Mayor's agenda to reassess, rezone
and social engineer the uptown
single family residential zoned
neighborhoods in order to reap
financial rewards from federal
HUD grants bringing the Obama
agenda to transform America
right down to the neighborhood
level.

Explore the links below and
the posts on this website.

Connect the dots and decide
for yourselves.

Residents of the BPCNA
neighborhood are all members
of this association and
neighborhood watch.There
are no dues. You are invited
and urged to participate.

You can do nothing. Or, you
can participate in the independent
BPCNA.Or, you can join the
one, or both ,of the below of
the City Administration inspired
organizations.

Both are meeting in April at
Bethany Church to  help get out the
vote for the April 19th Presidential
Primary.

Polls are open Noon to 9 pm.
You may request and vote by
absentee ballot.

Only enrolled Democrats or
Republicans can vote in the
primary. Independents or non
enrolled voters get what is left
over in November.

There are two opposing Democratic
Presidential slates on the ballot:
The Hillary slate led by Mayor Sheehan
and the Bernie Slate.

You can send Mayor Sheehan
a message by voting for the Bernie Slate.

PASS THE WORD to family, neighbors
and friends.

                              Joe Sullivan



http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-local/article/For-Albany-s-Buckingham-Lake-a-new-neighborhood  (See Times Union March 24, 2016 Pp C1 and C3)
http://www.blnaofalbany.org/board-of-directors/
http://buckinghampondconservancy.org/

NEIGHBORHOOD ALERT

RESIDENTIAL COPPER BURGLARY ALERT

As of March 15 2016, we have had an increase residential burglaries within the Whitehall Rd area and surrounding neighborhoods.

Target locations: Brookline Ave., Pinewood Ave., Whitehall Rd., Fleetwood Ave. and Main Ave.

Items taken: copper piping, ornamental household items (glass door knobs, fixtures, etc.) 

Locations targeted: unoccupied vacant homes and homes for sale.

Suspects: 2 white males operating gray pick up truck

Time of incidents: weekend- weekdays, various hours

Everyone, please be attentive of your neighbors who are on vacation  and houses which are posted/listed for sale in your neighborhood.

If you see anything that seems suspicious please call the police.

 Note: when calling try to give a description (vehicle, suspects) if possible.

Thank You

 Officer James Brooks

Albany Police Department CSU

536 Western Ave

Albany NY 12203

email jbrooks@albany-ny.org

office 518-458-5669


                                  Joe Sullivan

LOST DOG CAMILLA

As of   2:30 pm today not
reunited with her owner.

Reported seen vicinity
lower New Scotland Ave.

Hello neighbors,






Please see urgent note and photo about a lost dog. If you have any information, please call. (518) 281-1872.





--------------------------------------------

Lost my dog Camilla Saturday morning, March 12th in Albany's Washington Park (seen later in Center Square then Central Av.). She is 45 lbs, one year old, big pointy ears, light brown, friendly, blue collar, chipped. Please call. Reward. Thanks.

(518) 281-1872





Thank you,





Eric Huntington

Chair, HNA









--



Helderberg Neighborhood Association

hna@hnaalbany.com

(662) 598-1462

Visit hnaalbany.com

Like "Helderberg Neighborhood Association" on Facebook


                                       Joe Sullivan

A WALK IN THE PARK

Buckingham Pond Park needs a
lot of work.

The City has removed dead trees
and limbs overhanging the footpath
at Berkshire South and Lenox.

A few more still remain near Euclid
South side, as well at other locations
including along Rafts Way, the Milner
Ave footpath and in the vicinity of
the holding pond and footpath leading
to the children's play area.

Erosion of footpaths from heavy rain
and running water needs to be
addressed, particularly near Euclid
and Berkshire South.

Perhaps, Sheriff Apple will provide
inmate work crews to assist in
resurfacing footpaths with gravel
in cooperation with City DGS
as we arranged last year?

We are looking forward to the
return of Jack and Carl as park
caretakers.They do an excellent
job each year.

The Buckingham Pond Conservancy
(not affiliated with the neighborhood
association) will hold a meeting to
discuss pond water quality, April 3
1 pm at Bethany Reformed Church.

Pond water quality is impacted
adversely by lawn chemical and
road salt run off from lawns and 
streets within the pond watershed.

Shoreline stabilization can be
achieved by planting a variety of
trees, bushes and plants suited
for that purpose.

These plants are available in
quantities at minimal costs from
local county soil and water
conservation districts that hold
annual Spring sales.

Note that the guard rails on
the roadway bordering the East
end of then pond park are
leaning toward the pond. This
is evidence of a gemorphological
processes known as soil creep
and slumping are taking place
similar to what is occurring
on the closed section of Krum
Kill Road.


One can expect that section
of road will, one day, slump
into the pond- unless the City
takes steps to address the problem.

Invasive plants such a purple
loosestrife, and the recent arrival
of knotweed also effect pond
water quality.

Dumping  of yard wastes along
Rafts Way and litter are another
factor.

Pond water quality is dependent
on addressing the above problems
as well as developing a woodland
management plan for the park
which includes replacement
planting of suitable trees and bushes
for the future.

The woodlands are a source of
much seasoned fire wood  and
wood chips which the City could
make available to neighborhood 
residents, on site.

                            Joe Sullivan