There's an extremely clever morphing selection posted on the You Tube site, showing a collection of paintings of women done by various artists over the years.Click here to see it. I guarantee it's worth the time.
May 30, 2007
Women In Art
There's an extremely clever morphing selection posted on the You Tube site, showing a collection of paintings of women done by various artists over the years.Click here to see it. I guarantee it's worth the time.
About those 'cute' deer ...
A local store has a reminder posted near its pet food supplies:IT IS ILLEGAL UNDER NYS LAW TO FEED WHITE-TAILED DEER
Some reasons:
• Overpopulation has affected deer survival.
• The proliferation of Lime Disease caused by deer-borne ticks is endangering many humans.
• Attracting deer to neighborhoods encourages them to roam the area, where they destroy landscaping.
• Getting deer used to human activity creates road hazards.
According to the Cornell Cooperative Extension's Wildlife Damage Management Program:
"Deer frequently feed on flowers, fruits, and vegetables and the buds and twigs of fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. Damage to landscape plantings and ornamentals may occur at any time of year but is usually most severe in the late winter and early spring when other food supplies are limited. Damage to fruit trees may cause both the immediate loss of the crop and residual tree injury that leads to reduced yields in the future. Deer browsing may permanently disfigure ornamental trees."
For a copy of Cornell's excellent deer factsheet -- which includes information on repellants, deer-resistant plants and shrubs as well as general information about deer -- click here.
May 25, 2007
Oakwood goes big Times
Terry Page and Oakwood Cemetery are featured in a May 25 New York Times story on historic cemeteries around the country.
May 11, 2007
Diamond Ridge gets a partial OK
(DOUBLE-CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE.)
The Troy Planning Board approved "stage 1" of Diamond Ridge's expansion project Wednesday night.
What that approval covers is seven two-family units to be constructed on the east side of Harris Road. What it leaves up in the air is "stage 2," a proposal for a three-story, 60-unit residential building and the possibility of a connector road between Harris and Hyland Drive.
Duncan Barrett, president of Omni Housing Development which is handling the expansion work, has told the Terrace Homeowners Association that Diamond Ridge concurs with the Terrace that such a connector is not needed. However, under pressure from the city Fire Dept., his firm prepared four different scenarios for undertaking such work, ranging in potential cost to Diamond Ridge of $30,000 to $165,900.
The arrows on the map above show the two most likely emergency access pathways that have been drawn up. The top one is a Hyland-Harris connector, the bottom a paved version of the current Hollywood Drive dirt road. The other two access possibilities are a new driveway to Gurley Avenue and a driveway through the current commercial parcel (Dunkin' Donuts, etc.) onto Oakwood.
Because of continued Terrace opposition to a Hyland-Harris connector, City Engineer Russ Reeves agreed to call a meeting among the Terrace, Diamond Ridge, the Planning Board and the Fire Dept. to discuss the merits and demerits of such a project.
One other neighborhood-related item that came before the Planning Board this week was Thomas Murley's latest project -- construction of a gas station and a bank on a now-vacant plot on Oakwood opposite Biscayne Boulevard.
Several members of the Terrace Homeowners Association, as well as a representative of the Greens Party, spoke at the Planning Board meeting in opposition to the idea of a Hyland-Harris connector. Association President Bill Dowd delivered the following statement on behalf of the Terrace community:
"Ladies and Gentleman of the Planning Board:
"My name is William Dowd. I am here in my capacity as president of the Terrace at Highpointe Homeowners Association. Our community abuts Diamond Ridge.
"In February of 2006 I addressed this panel to explain our community’s opposition to any ill-advised attempts to create a connector between Harris Road, Diamond Ridge’s street, and Hyland Drive in the Terrace.
"Now we’re here again because of a change in Diamond Ridge’s planned expansion. Parenthetically, we are not opposed to that expansion. Diamond Ridge has been a good and cooperative neighbor. Plus, we recognize the growing need for senior housing. However, while the parameters of the project have been changed somewhat, what has not changed is the harm that will be done to the Terrace community if the two aforementioned roads are connected in a manner being pushed by the city -- and, I should note, with no effort to involve the Terrace Board in the matter as should be the case.
"Such an eventuality would turn the Terrace at Highpointe from a quiet extended cul-de-sac development into one with a through-street accessible by hundreds of vehicles daily attempting to circumvent traffic lights at Oakwood and Northern and redirecting vehicle traffic from Highpointe, Moneta Overlook and the Terrace that now flows directly onto Oakwood.
"As a result, Terrace residents on Hyland Drive -- and on Hyland Circle and Hyland Court whose homes adjoin Hyland Drive -- would suffer a decline in property values, an increase in unhealthy vehicle emissions, and greater potential for mishaps due to increased and faster traffic.
"If the city seeks to add an emergency egress or entrance for the benefit of the Terrace, there is no empirical evidence one is needed. We have been adequately served in a timely fashion with police, fire and EMT vehicles on call.
"It is with these very real concerns in mind that this association of taxpayers, voters and owners of 34 homes in Troy respectfully asks that the Planning Board take into serious consideration their point of view.
"As I noted here 15 months ago, the residents of the Terrace made an important decision to invest in Troy. Many moved here from other parts of the Capital Region to become active and productive members of the community. Endangering their financial investment and quality of life would set a poor example for others considering making similar investments in the future of Troy.
"Simply put, there is no concrete reason for connecting Hyland and Harris.
"One version of such an idea is to put a locked gate or barrier there which could be unlocked by fire emergency personnel. We submit that is patently useless. Any such equipment coming up Northern Drive from the lower Lansingburgh area would not need such a connector. Any such equipment coming out on Oakwood would merely have to access Diamond Ridge via Northern and Gurley, without stopping.
"Even should a Harris-Hyland connector be considered without a locking barrier, emergency equipment would have to considerably slow down and make several turns onto narrow residential streets.
"These streets, not so incidentally, usually are barely wide enough for a single passenger vehicle to navigate in winter because of the minimal city plowing we have experienced in the more than a dozen years the Terrace has been in existence.
"In conclusion, we submit that nothing has materially changed from the original Diamond Ridge plan that would necessitate proceeding with a connector road.
"Thank you for your attention."
The Troy Planning Board approved "stage 1" of Diamond Ridge's expansion project Wednesday night.What that approval covers is seven two-family units to be constructed on the east side of Harris Road. What it leaves up in the air is "stage 2," a proposal for a three-story, 60-unit residential building and the possibility of a connector road between Harris and Hyland Drive.
Duncan Barrett, president of Omni Housing Development which is handling the expansion work, has told the Terrace Homeowners Association that Diamond Ridge concurs with the Terrace that such a connector is not needed. However, under pressure from the city Fire Dept., his firm prepared four different scenarios for undertaking such work, ranging in potential cost to Diamond Ridge of $30,000 to $165,900.
The arrows on the map above show the two most likely emergency access pathways that have been drawn up. The top one is a Hyland-Harris connector, the bottom a paved version of the current Hollywood Drive dirt road. The other two access possibilities are a new driveway to Gurley Avenue and a driveway through the current commercial parcel (Dunkin' Donuts, etc.) onto Oakwood.
Because of continued Terrace opposition to a Hyland-Harris connector, City Engineer Russ Reeves agreed to call a meeting among the Terrace, Diamond Ridge, the Planning Board and the Fire Dept. to discuss the merits and demerits of such a project.
One other neighborhood-related item that came before the Planning Board this week was Thomas Murley's latest project -- construction of a gas station and a bank on a now-vacant plot on Oakwood opposite Biscayne Boulevard.
Several members of the Terrace Homeowners Association, as well as a representative of the Greens Party, spoke at the Planning Board meeting in opposition to the idea of a Hyland-Harris connector. Association President Bill Dowd delivered the following statement on behalf of the Terrace community:
"Ladies and Gentleman of the Planning Board:
"My name is William Dowd. I am here in my capacity as president of the Terrace at Highpointe Homeowners Association. Our community abuts Diamond Ridge.
"In February of 2006 I addressed this panel to explain our community’s opposition to any ill-advised attempts to create a connector between Harris Road, Diamond Ridge’s street, and Hyland Drive in the Terrace.
"Now we’re here again because of a change in Diamond Ridge’s planned expansion. Parenthetically, we are not opposed to that expansion. Diamond Ridge has been a good and cooperative neighbor. Plus, we recognize the growing need for senior housing. However, while the parameters of the project have been changed somewhat, what has not changed is the harm that will be done to the Terrace community if the two aforementioned roads are connected in a manner being pushed by the city -- and, I should note, with no effort to involve the Terrace Board in the matter as should be the case.
"Such an eventuality would turn the Terrace at Highpointe from a quiet extended cul-de-sac development into one with a through-street accessible by hundreds of vehicles daily attempting to circumvent traffic lights at Oakwood and Northern and redirecting vehicle traffic from Highpointe, Moneta Overlook and the Terrace that now flows directly onto Oakwood.
"As a result, Terrace residents on Hyland Drive -- and on Hyland Circle and Hyland Court whose homes adjoin Hyland Drive -- would suffer a decline in property values, an increase in unhealthy vehicle emissions, and greater potential for mishaps due to increased and faster traffic.
"If the city seeks to add an emergency egress or entrance for the benefit of the Terrace, there is no empirical evidence one is needed. We have been adequately served in a timely fashion with police, fire and EMT vehicles on call.
"It is with these very real concerns in mind that this association of taxpayers, voters and owners of 34 homes in Troy respectfully asks that the Planning Board take into serious consideration their point of view.
"As I noted here 15 months ago, the residents of the Terrace made an important decision to invest in Troy. Many moved here from other parts of the Capital Region to become active and productive members of the community. Endangering their financial investment and quality of life would set a poor example for others considering making similar investments in the future of Troy.
"Simply put, there is no concrete reason for connecting Hyland and Harris.
"One version of such an idea is to put a locked gate or barrier there which could be unlocked by fire emergency personnel. We submit that is patently useless. Any such equipment coming up Northern Drive from the lower Lansingburgh area would not need such a connector. Any such equipment coming out on Oakwood would merely have to access Diamond Ridge via Northern and Gurley, without stopping.
"Even should a Harris-Hyland connector be considered without a locking barrier, emergency equipment would have to considerably slow down and make several turns onto narrow residential streets.
"These streets, not so incidentally, usually are barely wide enough for a single passenger vehicle to navigate in winter because of the minimal city plowing we have experienced in the more than a dozen years the Terrace has been in existence.
"In conclusion, we submit that nothing has materially changed from the original Diamond Ridge plan that would necessitate proceeding with a connector road.
"Thank you for your attention."
May 8, 2007
Diamond Ridge on the docket; please turn out
Those who check this Web site or who attended the annual spring Homeowners Association meeting on Monday night were forewarned: The Diamond Ridge expansion project is back on the city planning agenda and so is the idea of a connecting road between it and the Terrace. (See preceding entry.)
As you know, we have testified several times before the Troy City Planning Commission against the idea of a connecting road, noting that it would destroy the character of the Terrace, which is an extended cul-de-sac design, as well as create unnecessary traffic and the dangers inherent in that.
Representatives of Diamond Ridge did not argue with that and, in fact, have been working against the idea of a connector as well. Duncan Barrett, president of Omni Development which is handling the expansion, told me in an e-mail earlier this week: "I continued to hope the city engineer would quash this whole notion. He hasn't, so it's better to be prepared."
Part of being prepared is showing up in force before the Planning Commission. As before, I plan to present a formal statement on behalf of the Homeowners Association, but all Terrace residents are free, of course, to make their own statements as well.
The Diamond Ridge project is second on the agenda for this Thursday's planning meeting at City Hall, so it is best to arrive no later than 6 p.m. when the meeting is scheduled to begin.
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