Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan is calling a recent mailer sent by the Colonie Republican Committee garbage and sent a letter denying its allegations that the town is giving land away on Onderdonk Road to be mined.
A number of residents in the area of Forts Ferry Road, near Riviera and Alpine drives, recently received a campaign mailer from the Colonie Republican Committee that reads: `What is the only thing standing between you and the noise, pollution and truck traffic of a gravel mine? The giant parcel of town property Paula Mahan is about to give Guptill Holding Corp.`
This week, Democratic incumbent Supervisor Mahan said the mailer was filled with blatant lies that were drummed up by her opponent to scare elderly residents into thinking that a mine was going to be constructed near their backyards.
`Nothing could be further from the truth,` said Mahan, adding that the mailing `upset a lot of elderly people.`
A lawyer for Guptill Holding Corp. said the company absolutely has no plans to mine the land in question, and said the campaign materials made his clients feel like they were attacked.
`There are no plans to mine whatsoever,` said Donald Zee, an attorney representing the Guptill family. `In fact, I don’t believe mining is permitted in that area of the property.`
Zee said the Guptills knew nothing of this issue until a few disgruntled residents visited Guptill’s Skating Rink.
`After this mailer, people showed up at the rink saying, ‘What the heck are you doing?’ and that’s what angered my clients,` Zee said.
Mahan continued to blast the Republicans and said they `should be ashamed for putting out this garbage.`
`It’s certainly not garbage,` GOP town supervisor candidate Mike Hoblock said Tuesday, Oct. 20. `It happens to be a Town Board resolution giving this supervisor the authority to make this transfer.`
The transfer at issue refers to an Aug. 6 resolution that would allow the town `to enter into agreements for the acquisition and conveyance of real property and necessary construction in relation to the Latham Water Tank Removal Project.` Part of the resolution states that a land swap of up 9.5 acres of town-owned land can be considered as compensation to Guptill Holding Corp. for use of part of the land for underground water pipes needed for the tank removal project.
Earlier this year, as part of the water tank removal project that was done to help clear the flight path at Albany International Airport, water pipes were installed under the land that is currently owned by Guptill Holding Corp. The project was partly funded by the Albany International Airport Authority and federal stimulus funds.
Once the pipes were installed, the town started looking into ways ` including a possible land swap ` to compensate Guptill Holding Corp. for use of its land.
Hoblock said he thinks the public should have been informed about this issue before pipes were installed.
`It’s a little bit late to be calling someone who calls it to the public’s attention ‘garbage,’` said Hoblock. `It seems to me, they didn’t want to say anything until they got caught.`
Republican Town Board candidate Dan Dustin defended the mailer, and said it is based on facts.
`The focus is really on how the town has proposed to swap land with a miner,` he said.
Mahan said that in order to mine on that land, Guptill Holding Corp. would need to fill out permits, which has not happened yet as Guptill does not even own the land yet.
When asked why he thought Guptill Holding Corp. would be mining on the land if acquired, Dustin said, `I’m not aware of [Guptill] having the permits to mine that land, but obviously, if you’re a business owner whose in the mining business, what are you going to do with that land?`
Dustin said he doesn’t understand why the town doesn’t just borrow the money to purchase the portion of land where the water pipes are, which he said is less than one acre.
`The town has the ability to borrow funds. Again, we’re talking 0.11 acres. The town has the ability to borrow money,` he said. `I don’t believe that it’s accurate to say that the town can’t borrow the money.`
Dustin said it doesn’t make sense for the town to swap up to 9.5 acres of land for using such a small portion of acreage on Guptill Holding Corp. property.
Town Attorney Michael Magguilli said the town does have an interest in parts of the Guptill Holding Corp. land, referring to a comprehensive plan drawn up by the previous administration that recommends acquiring a rare kettle bog, which could contain fossils, located on the Guptill Holding Corp. land.
`Why would the town borrow?` asked Magguilli. `We want the kettle bog. It’s part of the comprehensive plan and this is the opportunity to acquire a piece of land with high-priority conservation.`
Still, Magguilli said, nothing is final yet. The town is still not certain that it would be swapping for the kettle bog, or that it would be swapping land at all. In the event that land is swapped, a public hearing would be held prior to any finalization.
For more on this story, check back at www.spotlightnews.com, or read the Wednesday, Oct. 21, print edition of the Colonie Spotlight.
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