Annual Spring Cleanup a sparkling success

Grounds Committee Guru Harvey Bailey cracked the whip and the volunteer crew spruced up the Terrace during the annual Spring Cleanup project last weekend. Many thanks to all who participated.

Here are a few scenes, courtesy of Jerry Gordon.

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.

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.

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."

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.

City planners meet May 10

The monthly meeting of the Troy City Planning & Zoning Board is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 10, at City Hall on River Street.

The agenda items have not yet been publicly released, but I suggest you keep abreast of it by clicking on City of Troy in the menu at the right and going to "Economic Development." There you will see the P&Z Board and be able to select a copy of the agenda when it is posted.

At the April meeting, the proposed Diamond Ridge complex expansion went back to square one since changes had been made in the conceptual plan by the residential facility owners and the possibility of connecting Harris Road and Hyland Drive has resurfaced. Preliminary review was given to Diamond Ridge's desire to construct seven two-family apartment buildings and a 3-story building containing 60 units for senior living. The applicant is Omni Housing Development, 40 Beaver St., Albany.

Also at the April meeting, several projects in the general vicinity of the Terrace were discussed.

• A proposal was delivered to demolish the Spring Garden restaurant building and reconstruct it in the same footprint. It is located at Second Avenue and 112th Street in Lansingburgh.

• A proposal was delivered to convert a former dance studio into a retail store selling cell phones and jewelry. It is located at 20 Northern Drive in Lansingburgh.

Spring membership meeting coming up

The Terrace Homeowners Association will hold its annual spring meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, May 7, at Faith Lutheran Church. Secretary Pat Whitman is sending out formal notifications by mail.

If you have any items you would like placed on the formal agenda, please let President Bill Dowd know no later than May 1 at 238-1950 or by e-mail (see top right of screen).

Ready for a laugh?

If today's pop music isn't to your taste, how about one of the classics?

The popular viewer-supplied Web site YouTube has this video of a group of English oldsters and Alf, the lead singer (seen here), doing their version of the rock 'n' roll classic "Talking 'bout My Generation," by The Who.

Just go there and click on play. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

The Who, by the way, first began appearing publicly in 1964, more than four decades ago. The original quartet was John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon and Pete Townshend. Moon died in 1978. The rest probably could blend right in with this video group.

Down in the 'Burgh

The decrepit, abandoned Friehofer bakery facility down the hill from the Terrace in Lansingburgh, is nearly gone.

After years of wrangling among developers, real estate agents, landowners, city officials and preservationists, the brick eyesore and the adjacent yacht club building are being torn down and the debris carted off.

The choice piece of land, right on the Hudson River next to the Union Bridge between Troy and Waterford, is one of those rare opportunities. The problem at the moment is that we don't know what is going to be done with it. One hopes it won't be another cookie-cutter drug store as had been talked about a year or so ago.

Photos by April Dowd.

Snow going

When an equipment malfunction occurs during the winter's heaviest snowfall, you're bound to have some plowing problems.

Despite that, Mark and his crew got Terrace driveways pretty much cleared in time for people to get out to work Thursday morning and by 10 a.m. was doing what he calls the "finesse" work -- clearing walkways, moving two feet or more of snow out of the way after it wound up in large piles from City plowing (which took place around midnight last night) and his first-pass work.

Thanks to all Terrace residents who kept their cars out of the way of City and private plows, making the Great Valentine's Day Mess a lot easier to handle that it might otherwise have been.

Murley strikes again! Plus, Diamond Ridge expansion progressing

Thomas Murley, the man who started Moneta Overlook, the pizza-and-donut complex on Oakwood Avenue next to the empty, disintegrating restaurant building, and other enterprises, now wants to construct a gas station and a bank on his property at 310 Oakwood, opposite Biscayne Boulevard.

That's right. A gas station just a few doors from an existing Stewart's gas station/convenience store.

Murley, who lives at 32 Hialeah Drive across Oakwood from us, is scheduled to present a "conceptual review" of his proposal at the Thursday, Feb. 8, meeting of the City of Troy Planning Board.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, second floor. Murley's proposal is the seventh item on the agenda. Four pieces of old business, then two pieces of new business are scheduled to precede his turn.

The second item of old business also is a "conceptual review," this one of the Diamond Ridge expansion project. It consists of two phases:

• The first, which Diamond Ridge officials tell us they hope to have compp;leted by the end of the 2007 building season, calls for seven two-family units along Harris Road.

• The second, which still has to undergo state review as well as the city approval process, calls for a three-story building containing 60 senior housing units. Because it would be built at a grade level well below that of the Terrace, Diamond Ridge officials say the highest point of the building would be on a direct line with the front doorstep of the Claeys house so sightlines should not be disturbed.

If snow really is on the way ...

... this weekend, please be sure to keep your cars out of the driveways and off the streets so the city and private snowplows have unfettered access to The Terrace.

And, while you're preparing, be sure you have candles, matches or lighters, flashlights, spare batteries and bottled water in case of power interruptions.

Don't spend it all on presents

The first round of Association dues comes due on Monday, Jan. 1, 2007.

Effective on that date, quarterly dues are $355 per household, in line with the passage of an increase approved at a special meeting of the Terrace Homeowners Association on Monday, Oct. 16.

The increase, passed without dissent, is $2.79 per week per residential unit. It will fund the anticipated increase in lawn care service.

Dues in 2007 will be due on or before Jan. 1, April 1, July 1 and Oct. 1.

The Terrace rings in the season

The annual Terrace holiday party this year had a different sort of theme -- a French country Christmas. The setting, at The Epicurean at Sterup Square, was a warm and seasonal one, with the gourmet bakery/specialty shop decorated for the event.

Some candid scenes shot by Bill Dowd, beginning with event chairperson (and committee of one) April Dowd putting the final touches on the table favors:

Friday deadline for party reservations

If you haven't already responded with your "yes" and your dinner entree choice(s), please contact holiday party chairperson April Dowd (238-1950) no later than Friday, Nov. 17.

Missing the material mailed out to everyone? Just check the mailbox gazebo bulletin board.

Hurry, hurry!

Party time!

Click on the invitation to enlarge.

Dues increase approved

Our quarterly dues were raised to $355 per quarter, effective Jan. 1, 2007, at a special meeting of the Terrace Homeowners Association on Monday, Oct. 16.

The increase, passed without dissent, is $2.79 per week per residential unit. It will fund the anticipated increase in lawn care services now being finalized by Grounds Committee Chairman Harvey Bailey under authorization of the Terrrace Board granted at its Oct. 7 meeting.

Dues in 2007 will be due on or before Jan. 1, April 1, July 1 and Oct. 1.

Special meeting on dues hike

A special meeting of the Terrace at Highpointe Homeowners Association has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, October 16, at Faith Lutheran Church.

As discussed at the Oct. 2 general membership meeting, the special session is being called for the single purpose of voting on a quarterly dues increase, raising dues from $320 per quarter to $355, an increase of $2.79 per week per residential unit.

The increase is needed to pay for a new lawn services contract with a new vendor. Details were explained by Grounds Committee Chairman Harvey Bailey at the Oct. 2 session. At the same time, a non-binding "sense of the community" motion was proposed to ascertain sentiment about changing lawn services because of widespread discontent with the level of service we had been receiving. After thorough discussion, it was passed unanimously.

President Bill Dowd said at the time he would call a special meeting of the Association Board to review the lawn services proposal Harvey received (as well as a snow plowing contract for 2006-07 with the current vendor). If, in the Board's judgment, a dues increase would be necessary to cover the price increase, a special meeting of the membership would be called as quickly as possible to take a vote. That process, too, was unanimously approved as a "sense of the community" motion.

The Board, joined by Harvey, met on Saturday, Oct. 7, to review the proposals. It was ascertained after due diligence in reviewing the organization's finances that a dues increase would be necessary. Secretary Pat Whitman was instructed to mail out notices of the special meeting, which also is being publicized on the Terrace web site and posted at the mailbox gazebo.

We would like to have each residential unit represented at the Oct. 16 meeting. Because each unit gets only one vote, it is necessary for only one person from each unit to attend the meeting.

Thanks for your participation.

Join the holiday party committee

April Dowd has volunteered to chair the committee for the annual Terrace Holiday Party.

Getting her to agree was the "easy" part even though this will mark the third time she has been on the committee. Now, she needs committee members as she searches for a site and a date and begins getting the many details of the event lined up.

If you'd like to help, please call April at 238-1950, right away.

This would be an ideal activity for those of our Terrace residents who haven't been involved in helping plan and carry out Terrace events in the past (you know who you are). That way, we're not continuing to rely on the same people all the time.

Dues are due by Oct. 1

The quarterly dues for the Terrace at Highpointe Homneowners Association are due in the hands of Treasurer Kathy Murray Wade by Sunday, Oct. 1.

If you haven't mailed your check, made out to the Terrace H.O.A. in the amount of $320, please do so immediately.

Under our bylaws, the Board can assess a 15% late penalty for any dues 12 or more days in arrears.

There is a practical matter for that penalty. Because our association is self-funded, late dues payments adversely affect interest paid on the Association's bank account. In other words, paying late ends up costing everyone.

Thank you.

Practical safety tip

This posting was put on our Web site earlier this year. After taking apart the ductwork used to vent our clothes dryer and removing a shockingly large amount of accumulated lint, I felt compelled to re-post it. -- Bill Dowd

• Dryer Vent Safety -- Accumulated lint in clothes dryer vent pipes poses three problems: (1.) It reduces the efficiency of the dryer, which means the appliance has to work harder and wears out sooner; (2.) Drying longer takes more power, which costs you money, and (3.) it poses a fire hazard because the lint is flammable.

Rich Polsinello suggests looking into an extendable cleaning brush (he got his through Brookstone) that can be used both from the dryer end and from the exterior vent end to thoroughly clean the pipe.

For more information on dryer safety and efficiency, just click here. You'll be linked with the Web site for Underwriters Laboratories Inc., the organization that does the major testing of appliances and devices found in homes and offices. There is a wide range of safety test notes on other products included on the site.

Moneta runoff being addressed

The City of Troy finally is making some headway in helping fix the water runoff problem caused by the contractor ignoring proper setbacks and other requirements in building Moneta Overlook practically on top of some Terrace residents.

In an e-mail to Trent Cox which Trent shared with us, city engineer Russ Reeves wrote:

"Attached please find a letter addressed to Dewey Delsignore requesting a meeting to mitigate this issue.

"As you are aware, the City is unable to enter private property to perform mitigative work, but rather it is the responsibility of the developer/ site contractor to mitigate these issues. I view these mitigation measures to be readily solvable with the installation of a shallow swale directing surface water to the rear portion of the project site.

"I will ask that the developer explore the possibility of a curtain drain in as well. The curtain drain consists of #2 washed stone in a two-foot wide trench and is approximately 3 feet in depth. Four-inch diameter perforated pipe is placed at the bottom of the trench within the washed stone envelope. Filter fabric is placed around the stone to prevent fines from entering and clogging the stone and pipe. The swale addresses surface water issues while a curtain drain addresses ground water mitigation. The installation of a curtain drain will be dependent upon achieving adequate grades on the site which will need to be field determined by the site contractor.

"Because this issue has been occurring for quite some time, I will ask that you share a copy of my letter with the Homeowners' Association because these drainage issues could become problematic for the Terrace at Highpointe subdivision. If the contractor does not address this problem, the Homeowners' Association should intervene and install this shallow swale section.

"I placed a call into Dewey Delsignore who recently had a newborn son and is placing a week off. My engineering assistant Mr. Mark Pesce will keep you apprised when Mr. Delsignore can address this issue."

The letter from Reeves to Delsignore reads as follows:

September 5, 2006

Dewey Delsignore
c/o Delsignore Blacktop Paving Inc.
42 Brick Church Road
Troy, NY 12180

Re: Moneta Overlook Subdivision at Terrace at Highpointe

Dear Dewey:

I wanted to touch base with you regarding the Moneta Overlook subdivision.

A drainage problem was inadvertently created during the grading and filling of lot #1 at the Moneta Overlook subdivision. Fill had been brought in, placed, and graded in and around the foundation. This is specifically shown in Photograph 1, which is looking in a westerly direction at the filled and graded area and along the foundation of lot #1. Sheet flow from this graded area flows in a northeasterly direction towards the adjacent residence, which is owned by Mr. Trent Cox within the adjoining Terrace at Highpointe subdivision. This sheet flow has been adversely affecting his property and is introducing water into his basement.

During our field recon, we noted that it would be possible to install a shallow swale placed to the rear of the Moneta Overlook subdivision and paralleling the lot lines along the Terrace at Highpointe. This drainage issue could be readily mitigated with the installation of this swale so as to redirect runoff away from Mr. Cox’s property down towards a drainage area to the rear (west) of the development, as depicted in the direction of Photograph 2.

Apparently, this matter has been occurring since the grading of the Moneta Overlook site. I view this matter to be readily solvable and I would ask that you contact my office so that we can discuss a possible solution.

Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Russ Reeves, C.Eng., P.E.
City Engineer

LATE CHANGE: Planning board postpones

The Troy Planning Board meeting scheduled for tonight has been postponed until 6 p.m. next Thursday, Aug. 17.

The last-minute change was made because several board members are on vacation.

Diamond Ridge on Thursday city agenda

The City of Troy Planning Board has put the Diamond Ridge expansion project on its agenda for the 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, meeting at City Hall.

Because this comes under "old business," it should be discussed early in the session, a welcome change for those of us who have fidgeted through seemingly endless meetings in the past.

Here's how the project is described on the agenda:

PB2006-010 - Preliminary Review of a proposal to construct 17 two-family apartment buildings for senior living. Project location is Harris Road. Applicant is Omni Housing Development, 40 Beaver Street, Albany NY 12207.

Cruisin' with the classics

Enjoy classic cars, like this 1939 Chrysler?

There will be plenty of them at the 18th annual classic car show at the Schagticoke Fairgrounds a short drive from the Terrace this Sunday, July 30.

In fact, there are numerous classic car shows and events throughout the Capital Region this summer. A complete schedule is available every Thursday in the "Autos Weekly" section of the Times Union.

Meeting notice

The Terrace Homeowners Association Board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 27, 2006, at the home of President Bill Dowd.