The subject of the fate of the land in the Exit 9 area owned by the Shenendehowa School District has been a popular topic of conversation in our community. The first referendum vote earlier this year had a large voter turnout when compared to historical norms for Shen budget votes. The results were lopsided in favor of not supporting the sale of the property by the school district to a developer for commercial development. A robust effort undertaken by many people in late 2016 forced the referendum vote. Several thousand signatures were collected in 30 days, during a cold period of winter weather. Soon after the proposition to sell the property to a developer was defeated, representatives from the Town and school district began to discuss a resolution to this burning issue.
Over the next few months an agreement was discussed and consummated between the school district and Town. The agreement was publicly vetted prior to approval by both entities and the public interest in the process remained high throughout the Summer and Fall of 2017. The final purchase price in the agreement is $1.1 million. The total acreage to be purchased is just over 37 acres. We are all accustomed to saying 34 acres of property since the beginning of the public discussion. Where did the number 37 come from? The school district established a 100 foot buffer between the property boundary of the parcel and the adjacent land of Shaketon School. Since the school contemplated a commercial development would be the neighbor they smartly ensured there would be a buffer between the properties. During our joint discussions, we discussed the prospect of the buffer not being necessary if the neighbor was the Town instead of a commercial development. It was decided the Town would purchase the additional property(the buffer) and hence the acreage number changed to 37.
So, what will be the result of your vote you may ask? If the YES votes are in the majority, the Town and school district will move to consummate the land purchase agreement. When the Town owns the property we will initiate a comprehensive, public planning process following the same template we have used with other long range planning studies. Examples of these studies since 2000 include the Town Center Plan, Open Space Plan, Western Clifton Park GEIS, Recreation Plan, etc. We will host public meetings, engage professional consultants and most importantly hear your thoughts and ideas about the future uses of the property. If the NO votes are in the majority, the land purchase agreement between the Town and school will be void and the ownership of the parcel remains with the school district.
How am I voting? I will be voting YES. The results of the first referendum sent a very clear message. As elected officials we can ignore referendum results, but to say that is not good public policy would be an understatement. The Town Center Plan identified creating a park or green space in the Exit 9 area as a major goal for the future. Due to the location and characteristics of the parcel, purchasing the property would be a good investment. The Town Board has also expressed the desire to work with the school district on future opportunities for our adjoining land if the Town were to own the 37 acres. The 37 acres and the Shatekon property can and should complement each other in the future. A separate MOU between the Town and school district has outlined the framework for a joint working group in the future. The two entities should work together on joint initiatives when it will benefit the people we serve. And finally, the price is fair. I stated from the time we submitted our bid in response to the school district’s RFP process executed in 2016, that we are interested in the property, but we will not pursue a dubious deal with the school district. There is a stark difference in value assigned to a property when considering future uses. A commercial developer purchasing the property is using the land as an investment to make a return on their money. There is nothing wrong with that whatsoever. But, the value of land for commercial development is far higher than the value of property purchased by a municipality for public use. In the end, we were able to negotiate a fair deal for all sides.
Don’t forget to vote on the 5th and let your voice be heard! See you at the pols!
Phil Barrett
Clifton Park and Beyond 