McKownville
Improvement Association
- Association Meetings; email subscription, and contact
information
About Meetings
News Projects
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Local history
The Association
board of directors has decided to follow the current Town policy for
meetings (online vs. in-person).
If the policy one
week prior to the meeting permits, the meeting will be held at the
Hampton Inn; otherwise online using Zoom.
During the week prior to a public meeting, a flyer with details on
the meeting agenda will be delivered to McKownville homes, and
posted in this website, and notice sent to email subscribers.
Subscription to
Association email list
Contact information
Spring 2022 Meetings
Thursday, May 19,
7pm., at the Hampton Inn, 1442 Western Avenue
Our May meeting will be our last before we break for the
summer. In addition to Supervisor Barber's updates, Biagio
DelVillano from Delaware Engineering will again update us on the
status of the storm water drainage improvement project.
Additionally, Luke Rumsey, Interim Director for Community Relations
of the University at Albany, will tell us about ongoing and upcoming
construction projects on campus, and we may have a speaker from
CDTA. Finally, we will hold an election of all officers and three
board members whose terms are expiring.
[Meeting
announcement flyer - pdf file]
Dates for meetings in Fall 2022 will be
announced on this website when they are finalized.
Wednesday, April 20, 7pm., at the
Hampton Inn, 1442 Western Avenue
Biagio DelVillano from Delaware Engineering
gave an update on the status of the storm water drainage improvement
project.
Thirteen candidates are running for three open seats on the
Guilderland Board of Education. The election will take place
on Tuesday, May 17. Five candidates briefly introduced
themselves and told us why they wish to serve on the BOE.
Our last speaker was MIA secretary Laura Barry. As many of you
know, Laura has compiled lists of trees and shrubs
appropriate for planting in McKownville. She gave a
presentation that she has created highlighting the advantages of
incorporating native plants into our environment.
[Meeting
announcement flyer - pdf file]
Wednesday, March 23, 7pm., at the Hampton Inn, 1442 Western
Avenue
Town Supervisor Peter Barber made announcements regarding
recent activities in the town, and answered questions from the
audience.
Biagio DelVillano from Delaware Engineering updated us on the status
of the storm water drainage improvement project.
Amanda Beedle, one of our newly serving Town Board members, spoke
about a program that she has initiated in her private life called
The Caring Closet Guilderland.
The State Historic Preservation Office has approved the 'Country
Club Highlands' section of McKownville for listing on the NYS
Register of Historic Places, and we anticipate that listing on the
National Register will occur soon. With that in mind, Bill Kidd
spoke to us about plaques that residents of this section might
purchase and place on their houses.
[Meeting
announcement flyer - pdf file]
Fall 2021 Meetings
Online meeting: Thursday, November 18 - 7pm.
Retiring Town Board member Pat Slavick reported on upcoming Town
Board business. Our neighbor and County Legislator Mickey Cleary
told us about what the Legislature is doing these days, and what is
planned for 2022. Also, Biagio DelVillano, representing
Delaware Engineering, updated us on the status of the McKownville
drainage improvement project. Nellie Gontos gave a presentation on
the opportunity for home hosting of foreign students attending the
University at Albany's English Language program. Delaware
Engineering is thanked for hosting our meeting again this month.
[Meeting
announcement flyer - pdf file] [Meeting summary]
Online meeting: Wednesday, October 20 - 7pm.
Town Supervisor Peter Barber made announcements regarding recent
activities in the Town. Tim Wiles, Executive Director of the
Guilderland Public Library, told us about the reopening of the
library, and programs that are available to residents. Five
candidates are running for two open positions on the Guilderland
Town Board. All were invited to the meeting; four attended and
introduced themselves with brief statements, and answered questions
from the audience. Once again, Delaware Engineering is thanked
for kindly hosting the meeting via the Zoom platform.
[Meeting
announcement flyer - pdf file]
Online meeting: Thursday,
September 23 - 7pm.
[Meeting
announcement flyer - pdf file]
Town Supervisor Peter Barber made announcements regarding
recent activities in the Town, and answered questions from the
audience.
Biagio DelVillano from Delaware Engineering provided an update on
the stormwater drainage improvement project.
The President summarized information presented at the September 14
meeting hosted by the State Historic Preservation Office regarding
the proposed McKownville - Country Club Highlands historic district.
[pdf
file of the SHPO slide presentation at the 14 Sept meeting - 3.5MB]
An election of all officers and three members of our Board of
Directors took place.
Members of the audience were invited to make suggestions as to
future projects that the Association might work on to improve our
neighborhood.
Online meeting: Tuesday, September 14 -
7.00pm. - meeting specifically on the McKownville historic
district nomination, led by staff from the State Historic
Preservation Office. [pdf file
of the SHPO slide presentation - 3.5MB]
[Meeting
announcement flyer - pdf file] See also
the item on the Announcements
page
Spring 2021 Meetings
Online meeting: Thursday, May 20,
7.00pm
[Meeting
annnouncement flyer - pdf file]
Town Supervisor Peter Barber told us about the arrangements for
the imminent
reopening of Town offices.
Senator Michelle Hinchey spoke about legislative and other
highlights of her first term as a member of the New York State
legislature.
Michael DiAcetis and Michael Bates from National Grid gave a summary
on the gas line replacement project. All old gas lines are retired
and all supplies in the project area north of Western Avenue are now
on the new medium-pressure lines.
Biagio DelVillano summarized the state of the the water (project
fully complete) and storm drain (about 25% complete) projects in
McKownville. He discussed the plan to rebid the remaining part of
the storm drain project late this year, with the intention of storm
drain construction occurring and being completed in 2022. FAQ#7 of 28
April 2021 explains the significant issues.
James Carter from the State Historic Preservation Office gave a
presentation on the status of the nomination for listing a portion
of McKownville as a historic district in the New York State, and the
National, Registers of Historic Places. The required extensive
documentation is nearly complete; a public meeting to present the
nomination to homeowners in the proposed district is planned for
September. Letters formally notifying the property owners and
explaining how to object (if they wish) to the proposal would be
sent out not later than the end of September. The nomination should
be ready for presentation to the State Review Board in December. [More
detail on the Historic District proposal, the nomination
procedures, etc.]
Online meeting: Wednesday, April 14, 7.00pm
[Meeting
annnouncement flyer - pdf file]
Town Supervisor Peter Barber gave us information on the summer
recreation program, the Town's continuing response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Guilderland PD prescription
drug take-back event 24 April, and summarized some issues to
which the Town must respond regarding legalization of marijuana.
Mike DiAcetis from National Grid updated us on the progress of the
gas main replacement project. If you have complaints about the
grass/lawn restoration, use the National Grid customer service
number 1-800-642-4272.
Members of the the Fire Department (Jim White and Mike Costabile)
spoke on the options and present status of determining whether to
stay in the current location and modify the present building, or to
relocate partly or entirely to another site in McKownville, if one
suitable could be found. Open discussion also included the
repeated problem of noise at unsociably late hours coming from
rental accommodation in 1234 Western Avenue, as well as associated
vehicle intrusions and parking. If in future you are disturbed
by this noise, etc, do not hesitate to call the Guilderland Police
518-356-1501.
Online meeting: Thursday, March 18, 7.00pm
[Meeting
annnouncement flyer - pdf file]
Guilderland Town Supervisor Peter Barber updated us on the Town's
response to COVID-19, including vaccination opportunities,
described the next steps in the the reopening process, and outlined
tentative plans for the summer recreation program and the
Guilderland Performing Arts Center.
Michael Burgess and Tony Cortese described services and programs
that Community
Caregivers provide to many of our older neighbors despite the
pandemic. They also discussed the status of the "Village"
that some volunteers in our town are working to form that will
enable seniors to remain in their homes and continue to be engaged
with their community.
Michael DiAcetis, and Tom Bates, representing National Grid, updated
us on the progress of the gas main replacement project now underway
in McKownville, followed by an open discussion.
Subscription to Association
announcements email list
You can add your email address to the Association email list (or
remove it - unsubscribe) by using the
form on the webpage linked here.
To change your subscription email address, unsubscribe the old
address, then add the new one.
Your email address would be used only to communicate Association
business, and occasional neighborhood announcements approved by the
President of the Association.
The content of recent announcement
emails sent by the Association.
Contacting the Association
If you wish to suggest an issue and/or a speaker to be included in
a future meeting, please contact the President or the Secretary of
the Association by using the phone numbers listed on the home page, or you can send email
to [mailbox at mckownville dot org]. Postal mailing addresses are
in the About page.
Past meeting announcements
Fall 2020 - 10
September 2020 19
November 2020 [meeting
summaries and links]
Spring 2020 - 21
May 2020 [text
summary] [zoom video
segments: National Grid gas line replacement presentations;
questions and answers]
Fall 2019 - 19 September 2019
17 October 2019
21 November 2019
Spring 2019 - 14 March
2019 11
April 2019 16
May 2019 12
June 2019
Fall 2018 - 20 September 2018
17 October 2018
15 November 2018
Spring 2018 - 15 March
2018 11
April 2018 17
May 2018
Fall 2017 - 19 October 2017
8 November 2017
Spring 2017 - 16 March
2017 20
April 2017 18 May 2017
meetings in years prior to 2017
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