Jul 30, 2015
Scenes from a pizza party
Here are some images provided by Nadeen Thompson from this summer's Terrace Pizza Party. It shows what can happen when you combine a rainy afternoon with pizza and fun-loving folks.
May 15, 2015
May 9, 2015
Welcome to our new neighbors
Please join us in welcoming our new neighbors.
John and Patti Paccione have moved into 19 Hyland Court.
Give them a welcome wave next time you walk or jog past their new abode.
May 5, 2015
Are you in need of driveway repair work?
The Ravena company will be restoring Hyland Court and the mailbox parking area.
While Precision has its crew and equipment here, it is offering to repair/patch/repave any residential driveways in need of such work, at what Ground Committee Chairman John Victor terms "a deep discount." (If you wish to check the Angie's List review of the company, click here.)
John has posted a signup sheet on the mailbox gazebo bulletin board. If you wish to avail yourself of the paving service, please print your name and telephone number on the sheet next to your house number. Precision will contact you and give you an estimate for the work.
If you have questions beforehand, please call John at 874-1459, or e-mail him.
Christopher-LaVine umbrella to cover wine shop
The news that Vic Christopher and Heather LaVine are planning to open another downtown Troy venture is not surprising. Their track record of revitalizing decrepit buildings and turning them into vibrant places of business is well know.
Their latest project is a "retail boutique wine shop," according to plans they submitted to the city on Tuesday. It would be located at 22 Second Street, not far from their Lucas Confectionery Wine Bar which is located at No. 12, near Monument Square.
The plan is to offer only small-batch wines from small makers, the sorts of wines that have proven popular at their wine bar.
The plan for redevelopment of the long-vacant building is similar to the process the husband-wife team used to create their wine bar, The Grocery food market and their tavern-restaurant Peck's Arcade: Stabilize the building throughout, then concentrate on street-level renovations to create the business space.
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| Proposed shop site. |
Their latest project is a "retail boutique wine shop," according to plans they submitted to the city on Tuesday. It would be located at 22 Second Street, not far from their Lucas Confectionery Wine Bar which is located at No. 12, near Monument Square.
The plan is to offer only small-batch wines from small makers, the sorts of wines that have proven popular at their wine bar.
The plan for redevelopment of the long-vacant building is similar to the process the husband-wife team used to create their wine bar, The Grocery food market and their tavern-restaurant Peck's Arcade: Stabilize the building throughout, then concentrate on street-level renovations to create the business space.
Memorial service set for Gerry Claeys
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| Geraldine Claeys |
The venue will be the Transfiguration Parish, located at 17 South Main Street in Schaghticoke, about a 10-minute drive from the Terrace.
Our friend and neighbor Gerry, the beloved wife of Joe Claeys, passed away on November 6, 2014. You can read her obituary here.
If you plan any exterior painting ...
Under our bylaws, exterior paint colors cannot be changed without prior written consent of the THCA Board of Directors.
The list can be downloaded from the selection of Terrace documents available by scrolling down the right side of this page. In some instances, paint codes have been changed since originally posted, but professional paint sellers can match the necessary tint.
Annual outdoor spring cleaning coming up
The project, which will be headed up by Bob Malphrus who will assign the individual tasks, is a great way to help maintain the appearance of the common grounds of our community, as well as get to better know the many new residents we have throughout the Terrace.So, get your hats, gloves, water bottles and hand tools ready and meet us at the Mailbox Gazebo shortly before 10 o'clock that day.
Charter Review Commission hearing Friday
Terrace resident Bill Dowd is one of nine members of the bipartisan Commission charged with offering an updated, modified version of the document to voters on the November ballot.
Members of the Commission are not compensated for their work in any way.
The public is welcome to attend, as it is for all meetings of the Commission. This is the fourth of five planned hearings. The first three were (a) open for public comment, (b) open for comment from the mayor and city department heads, and (c) open for comment from members of the City Council.
If you are not familiar with the City Charter, you can access it online by clicking here.
Apr 29, 2015
Downtown 'gourmet food court' in the works
TROY -- A Brooklyn transplant has big plans for an entrepreneurial food court in downtown.
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| Nelson at the 'food court' site. |
The former Union National Bank building includes original marble and brass elements, and a grand lobby with walls rising 32 feet to a glass ceiling.
The coming attraction is located a block from the Franklin Plaza Ballroom, itself housed in a former bank building, and just steps from the multi-level Uncle Sam Parking Garage. The lower level has a vault Nelson refers to on his plans as a "secret basement."
Nelson, 26, who moved from Brooklyn to study computer science and chemistry at Howard University in Washington, DC, now lives in Troy. He is partnering with Kyle Engstrom, about whom he says, "I couldn't have asked for a better partner in this venture."
"[And} thank you," he says, "to the entire city and region for all the positive words and support thus fa. It means the world to us. We will continue to keep everyone updated of our progress. Also, feel free to reach out if you have a questions or just want to say hi. This project doesn't belong to me or Kyle, but to the entire city, so we want everyone to feel involved and excited about it just as we are."
Nelson has given major credit for inspiring his project to the example of local husband-wife entrepreneurs Vic Christopher and Heather LaVine. They have revitalized three once-crumbling buildings to create the Lucas Confectionery Wine Bar, The Market grocery, and the restaurant-tavern Peck's Arcade, all in the Monument Square neighborhood.
Although no details have been announced on potential tenants, if one is inclined to read the Facebook tea leaves, Brian Bowden may be involved in the new "food court." The well-regarded and well-traveled chef just left his position as founding chef at Mingle On the Avene in Saratoga Springs. And, he is a resident of Troy. Bowden has posted mention of the project on his Facebook page, and recently "friended" Nelson.
Bowden's resume includes stops at such popular restaurants as The Ginger Man in Albany, Creo' in Guilderland, and Javier's Nuevo Latino in Saratoga.
Apr 24, 2015
Update: Joan Richardson fills vacancy
(Originally published 3/24/15)
Amy Willard has resigned from the THCA Board and her position as first vice president.
If you are interested in being considered for appointment to the Board, please contact President Claire Steiner.
As the population of the Terrace continues to undergo major change -- barely a third of households are original owners -- it is becoming more difficult to maintain institutional memory and the sense of how the community was created.
Please remember, we have been able to keep Association dues low over the 20+ years of the Terrace's existence because residents volunteered their time and talents to handle the business of the organization. Should that spirit of community involvement not remain strong, we face the very real possibility of having to hire an outside management company to do that work at a price at least triple what we now pay.
Please consider serving your community in some way.
Lawn repair under way
Heavy rains and lack of frost just before the first of our major snowfalls kept the ground soft. That meant the plowing trucks sunk a bit into the dirt, tilting the plow blades, thus resulting in much of the damage.
After removing clods of dirt and loose stone, fresh soil was applied, and a bluegrass seed mix will be sown.
Thanks to Grounds Committee Chairman John Victor for working out the repairs with the vendor.
Here's a look at what went on today:
Apr 15, 2015
Midnight P.O. deadline for 2014 tax returns
Returns filed by mail must be postmarked no later than midnight tonight, April 15, to be considered filed. Or, there's always the option of filing electronically. Then you don't have to worry about a mad dash to the post office.
Of course, if you already have done your annual chore, congratulations. You can relax and watch the procrastinators flitting about.
Apr 13, 2015
Troy seeks comment on 'Action Plan' grants
That document -- sometimes referred to as the "One Year Annual Action Plan" -- covers a wide range of potential grants all over the city. You can see it in its entirety by clicking here.
If you would like to make comments about any or all parts of it, the process is simple. Until Friday, May 8, "All residents. property owners, and other stakeholders of the City of Troy are encouraged to submit written comments or questions regarding the draft One Year Annual Action Plan to the Department of Housing & Community Development, 433 River Street, Troy, NY 12180, or e-mail to tim.mattice@troyny.gov."
There also is a public hearing scheduled for 5:30 p.m. this Thursday at City Hall, which this week remains located at 433 River Street on the fifth floor of the Hedley Building..
Apr 12, 2015
'A Taste of Troy' fundraiser coming up
The community center, which also runs a food bank, will hold its 5th annual "A Taste of Troy" from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday (April 14) at the Franklin Terrace Ballroom, 126 Campbell Avenue.
Cooking demonstrations, live music, auctions and specialty vendors will be part of the event, along with a tasting of wines from Victory View Vineyards.
The restaurant lineup:
• Bootlegger’s on Broadway
• B-Rad’s Bistro & Catering
• Brown’s Brewing Co.
• Defazio’s Pizzeria
• Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
• The Eatery at Carol’s Place
• Franklin Terrace Ballroom
• The Greek House
• Hilton Garden Inn
• Infinity Café
• Jack’s Drive In
• Muddaddy Flats Quesadillary
• Red Front Restaurant
• The Ruck
• Slidin’ Dirty Restaurant & Food Truck
• Spill’n the Beans Coffeehouse & Bistro
• Ted’s Fish Fry
• Villa Valenti
Tickets, priced at $25 in advance or $30 at the door, are available online, or $30 at the door, also are available at Hope 7, 936 Pawling Avenue; Carol's Place, 536 Pawling, and Bob DeMeo's Wine and Liquor, 501 Campbell Avenue.
Don't block that hydrant
A friendly reminder: It is illegal to block access to a fire hydrant by parking a vehicle in front of it. That prohibition is in place whether or not there is a sign posted by the City of Troy.
In addition to residents and visitors, if you have any tradespeople coming to your home and see them blocking a hydrant, please politely ask them to move their vehicle. That makes it safer for everyone.
'Brunswick Meadows' -- Here's a look at our new 'neighbors'
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| Project location as it relates to the Terrace. |
(For the benefit of our newer Terrace residents, Oakwood Avenue roughly separates Troy from Brunswick, so what you see on the other side of the street as you leave the Terrace is in Brunswick.)
The proposed development project originally was submitted on January 13, 2005. Its current configuration was submitted to the town in 2008 as a "PDD" (Planning Development District) consisting of 34 condominium buildings with a total of 136 living units. A series of followup modifications reduced the project size to 31 buildings/124 living units, then to 28/112, then to 26/104, and finally to 23/92.
The developer, identified originally as "J.P.J. Partnership" but now referred to in Town of Brunswick documents as "Oakwood Property Management," describes the project as a "residential condominium community" on an 18.3 acre parcel that itself is "a portion of a larger 97.6 acre parcel." Interestingly, the proposal states there are no plans for development of the remaining 79.3 acres.
The project site is located off Grange Road (NYS Route 142), approximately 200 feet east of the Town of Brunswick and City of Troy municipal boundary. It will include roads, infrastructure and storm water management systems. Access to the development would be from Grange Road.
The proposed buildings will measure approximately 84 feet by 60 feet, consisting of approximately 6,278 square feet. There also will be 256 off-street parking spaces -- 92 garage spaces, 140 driveway spaces and 24 unassigned spaces spread throughout the site "in small landscaped parking areas. The result is 2.8 parking spaces per condominium unit."
The layout below was submitted in 2006, so some changes have been made since then. However, it does show the general design.
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| Click on map to see proposed building layout. |
If you want to see other materials on file with the Town of Brunswick -- testimony, proposals, environmental review, architectural drawings and the like -- you can access them by clicking here.
-- Bill Dowd
Webmaster
-- Bill Dowd
Webmaster
Apr 7, 2015
About that snowplowing damage ...
However, Grounds Committee Chairman John Victor is on the case. He reports in a mailbox bulletin board notice that the Wade Co. that did the plowing will be assessing the lawn damage, and will repair it at its costs.
No decision has yet been made, according to Association President Claire Steiner, about driveway damage caused by the plowing. However, Claire did say she would speak with John to see what steps should be taken to address the problem.
If you have particular concerns, please contact John or Claire.
-- Bill Dowd
Webmaster
Mar 25, 2015
It's dues time once again
As always, you can save the cost of a stamp by dropping your payment in the white lock box below the mailbox gazebo bulletin boards.
Checks should be made payable to THCA. Treasurer Jerry Gordon earlier sent out an e-mail to all of you explaining the various ways to pay -- quarterly, semiannually, annually, etc.
Thank you.
Mar 6, 2015
Adjust your chronometers, people
Daylight Saving (no "s" at the end) Time will begin on Sunday, March 8, and last until Sunday, November 1.
So, enjoy the light and stay patient until the warm sunshine catches up with it.
By the way, did you know:
• Brazil already changed its clocks on the third Sunday in February. Israel usually changes the clock on the last Friday in March. "There is no international authority governing timekeeping. There is no logic to the confusion," says Michael Downing, author of "Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving."
• In September 1999, the West Bank was on Daylight Saving Time while Israel had just switched back to standard time. West Bank terrorists prepared time bombs and smuggled them to their counterparts in Israel who misunderstood the time on the bombs. As the bombs were being planted, they exploded one hour early, killing three terrorists instead of the intended victims -- two busloads of people.
• In Antarctica, there is no daylight in the winter and there are months of 24-hour daylight in the summer. However, many of the research stations there still observe Daylight Saving Time anyway to synchronize with their supply stations in Chile or New Zealand.
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