McKownville
Improvement Association
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Projects recently completed
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McKownville water and storm
drainage project
Improvements to stormwater drainage and the
installation of new water lines in McKownville commenced in 2018,
and continued through June 2020. For reasons explained
here the construction project was interrupted; it was
restarted and mostly completed by the new contractor in the 2022
construction season. Both the water mains and house lateral water
pipes, and the storm drains and lateral stubs to individual
properties, were completely installed in 2022. The project was
completed in 2023, with the installation of two additional yard
drains, concrete sidewalk panels where temporary asphalt was placed
for the winter, asphalt restorations of streets, including the
Glenwood-Parkwood alley, and lawn restorations with topsoil and
reseeding; all finished at the end of November 2023.
The Town distributed (late May 2023) a packet detailing the
necessary actions all homeowners in the storm drain project area
need to take for installation of a connection to the new storm drain
lateral stubs, and inspection of these installations by the Town
Water Department. Every basement in this area must be formally
inspected to verify there is no connection of sump drains to the
sanitary sewer system, including houses where the homeowner chooses
not to install a connection to the storm drain system, or has no
sump pump. This inspection must be made before 31 December 2023;
call the Water Department at 518-486-6474 to set up an appointment.
Download [printable
scan pdf] the Town storm drain connection notice packet.
List
of contractors (updated 2022-08-24) available to install sump
pump - storm drain lateral connections for homeowners. Note that
other contractors may be hired; this list is provided as a courtesy,
and not as a requirement to choose from it.
Project
summary presented by Delaware Engineering at the Association
meeting of 19 October 2017.
Descriptions of the situation in 2010, and the reports and
maps of the replacement work planned:
Delaware Engineering reports and maps - on
this website - on
the Town of Guilderland website
Construction project updates, FAQ's, status
memos
on this website: project updates, FAQ's,
status memos
on the Town of Guilderland website: updates, FAQ documents, status memos
McKownville
- Country Club Highlands Historic District - Now
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The McKownville Improvement Association has always attempted to
preserve the residential character of our neighborhood. Many of the
houses were built during the early twentieth century, and the older
parts of the neighborhood display a mix of home styles from that
time. This blend of historic homes provides a pleasing contrast to
the commercial development to the east and west, and increasing
institutional growth to the north, and the recent multi-family
development on Fuller Road.
Volunteers worked with the New York State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO) to create a historic district to be listed on the
National and State Registers of Historic Places. Inclusion on these
Registers will provide a measure of protection for our unique
neighborhood. The historic district includes Waverly Place, the
southerly portions of Norwood, Glenwood, Parkwood and Elmwood
Streets, and the houses on the north side of Western Avenue from
number 1421 west to Elmwood [map of the
historic district].
The New York State Historic Preservation Office determined this
section of McKownville to be eligible for listing on the National
and State Registers of Historic Places, and the nomination and
review process for the NY State Register of Historic Places was
completed by the unanimous vote of approval at the meeting on 9th
December 2021 of the NY State Board for Historic Preservation. The
Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places on 2nd June 2022. [Announcement
by the McKownville Improvement Association].
More detail can be found in our Historic
District page, and in the page on the
proposal and the review process.
A successful application was made to the William
G Pomeroy Foundation for a grant to obtain a Historic District
roadside marker,
under the sponsorship and with the assistance of the Guilderland
Historical Society.
Design sponsorship of Historic
District house plaques is also completed.
We hope that in the future additional portions of McKownville will
be determined to be eligible and added to the initial Historic
District.
Our History website section contains
detailed information on the houses in and adjacent to the proposed
historic district, and also includes an overview summary of the
history of McKownville.
National Grid
replacement of old gas supply piping (street main, and house
laterals)
At the McKownville Improvement Association online meeting May 20th
2021, National Grid representatives stated that all gas in the work
area north of Western Avenue (Elmwood St - City line) is now
supplied by the new mains at medium pressure, and that all old mains
in this area have been purged and retired. Restoration of Western
Avenue sidewalk and adjacent areas was in progress. There were and
still are unresolved complaints about inadequate "soft" area
restorations on several of the side streets.
[Online meeting of 21 May 2020
zoom video segments: National Grid gas line replacement
presentations; questions and answers]
National Grid representatives stated that they would put together a
fact sheet on the project to be posted on the Town website, and on
this website. Such a document was never provided.
Some preliminary information can be found in Town of
Guilderland FAQ#6 - 30 March 2020
Projects active or
future
Street trees, and trees and shrubs for neighborhood yards
- Plant McKownville
McKownville is fortunate to have a substantial population of
mature trees along many of our residential streets. The
Association has in the past sponsored a tree planting program to
encourage replacement of street trees lost over the years. This
year, we're looking forward to renewing and expanding the
program, especially because the water main, stormwater and gas
main project excavations have caused the removal of even more of
our street trees. We have opened discussions with the Town
of Guilderland on ways that we might work together on a program
to preserve our existing trees and replace many that have been
lost.
A Master Gardener volunteer has compiled lists of trees and
shrubs selected for their suitability to our climate, and soils,
and for resistance to pests and diseases; many are native to our
area. An
introductory page briefly explains the practical
considerations used for selection.
One list is of trees
recommended for placement along the "street lawns",
including tall varieties, and a separate section of those with
lower mature heights suitable for planting beneath utility
cables.
Two other lists are also provided of recommended
trees, and shrubs,
for planting in neighborhood yards.
There is also a page containing a selection
of online and book reference resources.
Planting a mixture of species is now preferred, so that insect
pests and fungal diseases are less likely to damage or kill many
or all of a neighborhood tree population. Native varieties
provide a food web to native butterflies, moths, and birds,
unlike many non-native varieties. We encourage any
resident thinking of planting new trees and shrubs on their
property to study these lists and the detailed descriptions
provided, and to choose from them varieties to plant.
Traffic calming
The Association is supporting efforts to reduce the speed limit
from 40 mph to 30 mph on Western Avenue from the Albany city line
to the Northway.
Future efforts for improving pedestrian and street safety are
anticipated, especially requesting actions to eliminate
cut-through speeders on streets suffering from this menace.
Children's Halloween Party
The Association, in collaboration with the McKownville
Fire Department, has for many years helped to organize and run a
Halloween party for neighborhood children and their parents at the
Firehouse.
Improvements in McKownville Reservoir park
The park lacks a sign, the gazebo originally planned is not
present, and a replacement of the memorial tree for Sue Brown is
needed.....
Neighborhood cleanup events
In years past, an annual cleanup has been held at the McKownville
Reservoir park adjacent to Stuyvesant Plaza.
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