Guilderland

Guilderland Supervisor Peter Barber described the building as being “frozen in time” and said he’d also like to acquire from the district the “big pot-belly stove” and the original desks and chairs that had been in the school until recent years because he’d like to “recreate what a school looked like at that time.”

Project applicant David Zhang was before the Guilderland Planning Board at its March 13 meeting with a proposal to reconfigure 1975 Western Ave.

Superintendent Marie Wiles told the board members at their March 12 meeting, that, by creating a third Comprehensive Skills section next year, “The hope is spreading those students out over three sections, recognizing the wide range of age levels that are served there, [ages] 14 to 22, will give us a lot more opportunity to meet those individual needs, customize the programs for those students as they age through the program and their journey here.”

“I mean it’s crazy,” said Guilderland School Board President Seema Rivera. “We’re asking for things for our kids … nothing exorbitant. And then … we have to send money to Crossgates. I think it’s insane.”

GUILDERLAND — A Guilderland man using a dating app was identified as a target for armed robbery through the app, according to a release from Guilderland Police.

“If the net cost is zero, why wouldn’t we purchase more?” asked school board member Rebecca Butterfield. “It comes down to being able to store them, charge them, and run them …,” responded Andrew Van Alstyne. “While free buses would be good … districts have seen them break down.” He said he hoped the technology will be more advanced before Guilderland turns over its fleet to electric.

While she said the program is “a great idea,” Robyn Gray went on, “I just want to make sure that we’re going to focus on affordable housing and senior housing and not high-end housing, not even market-rate housing. It should all be for those special needs.” Superintendent Peter Barber responded that the grant programs “are all geared towards workforce housing, affordable housing, senior housing.”

The board voted down Guilderland Live Poultry and Grocery’s request 4 to 1.

While it was the town of Guilderland that was sued by Crossgates, it will be Guilderland schools that bear the brunt of the refund burden. 

The district has spent $5.7 million to pay tax refunds after court challenges, and drained its reserve for tax certiorari cases. So it made a strategic decision to pay Crossgates Mall, once the most recent tax challenges are decided, not entirely out of the operating budget but rather by borrowing the money and paying off the bond over a decade.