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To the Editor:
Stuyvesant Plaza is back again — with its proposal to change green space near TGIF and McKownville Park into asphalt and parking.
It was not a good idea when it was proposed by Stuyvesant in 2010. It was not a good idea when it was proposed by Stuyvesant Plaza in 2011. And in 2013 it is still not a good idea.
McKownville is one square mile with much of the area taken by the University at Albany, the Northway, and the Thruway.
People need green space — private lawns and public gardens and parks and wooded areas and green areas.
Stuyvesant Plaza paved over the town land west of the park for a parking lot and to store its construction materials. It used to be wooded.
Stuyvesant Plaza paved over town land for its entrance from Western Avenue.
Stuyvesant Plaza paved over town land bordering Starbucks and the dry cleaners.
Stuyvesant Plaza paved over town land near the liquor store.
And now it again is requesting permission, this time to pave over an area near TGIF.
Many corporations are good citizens — they do nice things for their neighbors.
In the 44 years I have lived in McKownville, I do not remember one nice thing Stuyvesant ever did for its McKownville neighbors — not one. (If Stuyvesant cannot think of one — the university sent free tickets for a university lacrosse game to McKownville residents).
Not only did Stuyvesant not extend itself as a neighbor, it piled snow illegally on park land for years.
It took water from our park pond for its own uses for years — without payment for the water.
Stuyvesant Plaza still permits the runoff from its parking lots to go into our park and the pond.
Now it wants to cut down trees for parking and more asphalt, yet again.
We need green space far more than we need more asphalt.
Thanks Stuyvesant — but for the third time — I do not want the town land to be one more piece of asphalt and a parking lot.
Don Reeb
McKownville
Editor’s note: Don Reeb is president of the McKownville Improvement Association, but asserts he wrote this letter not in that role but rather as a McKownville resident.