To the Editor:

This is in regard to the proposal and request for a special-use permit by Bernard Radtke of B&B Containers to allow a Dumpster/contractor yard in the rural-residential Meadowdale Road area in the Town of Guilderland [“Area residents come out against proposed contractor yard in rural Guilderland,” The Altamont Enterprise, Feb. 25, 2022].

The proposal would allow for the storage, sale, and transport of trucks weighing up to 16-and-a-half tons, and other heavy construction equipment and Dumpsters with potentially harmful waste/runoff to be transported on Meadowdale, Frederick, and Hawes Roads. The contractor has stated his hours of operation are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.

There are the obvious impacts this business would create such as damage to roads and decreased property values, noise pollution, hazardous conditions for the many individuals who enjoy the beauty and serenity this area currently offers while walking, running, or biking, including area children and students from the high school who exercise and train on these roads as a regular part of their physical education programs.

In addition, there is a potential for some harmful waste to be a part of the Dumpster contents. This and the probable leakage of harmful liquids from the trucks themselves pose a threat to not only the private wells in the community, but also the public drinking water supply for Guilderland, which is partially fed by the Black Creek Marsh Watershed bordering these roads.

Perhaps less obvious is the environmental and recreational significance of the Meadowdale area, including the previously mentioned Black Creek Marsh. This wetland is made up of both privately and New York State-owned land.

The Department of Environmental Conservation designates this wetland as a Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Management Area with the declared purposes of providing Wildlife Dependent Recreation, a Designated Bird Conservation Area and a Designated Important Area for Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians. New York State classified “endangered,” “threatened,” and “special concern” species are among the many that live in this WMA.

The disruption and potentially harmful runoff from the vehicles used by B&B Containers would be as detrimental to wildlife as it would be to the public. For more information on the significance of this habitat, go to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website.

The State University of New York college of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill regularly sends students on field trips to the Black Creek Marsh WMA, with the purpose of studying the many native species of herps, birds, and flora living here.

It is a known migratory habitat to innumerable bird species and for some of the 18 salamander species indigenous to New York State, as well as home to one of the first salamander tunnels in the state. Volunteers from all over New York come each spring for the purpose of protecting and assisting these species as they cross the rural roads.

This area is regularly listed on daily “rare bird sightings apps,” and draws birders from hundreds of miles away to study and sight species here. On occasion, there have been dozens of people lining the roads with their cameras, binoculars, and zoom lenses. We have met people from five states, and up to 300 miles away among those visiting this area for a glimpse of one of its diverse, native species.

Our hope is that the public will agree with us that this precious area would experience significant negative impact from the disruptive noise and rumbling of vehicles weighing over 16 tons. These vehicles would be a danger to both people and wildlife.

Surely there is something for everyone to care about in the long list of concerns. This unique and beautiful habitat is valuable to many, locally, as well as in the broader community. We feel privileged to live here and believe it’s our responsibility to protect and care for this recreational destination, and home to a diversity of species.

If you are opposed to the granting of the permit mentioned above, please write a letter of opposition to the Guilderland Zoning Board of Appeals, Building and Zoning Department, Town of Guilderland, Post Office Box 339, Guilderland, NY, 12084, and/or, attend the next Zoning Board of Appeals hearing on March 16, at 7 p.m., at the Guilderland Town Hall.

Margaret and Mary Ewart

Altamont

Editor’s note: Margaret and Mary Ewart live on Meadowdale Road.