It will be an evening of folk singing, fellowship and a buffet on Saturday, July 21, as supporters of Niskayuna’s embattled Ingersoll Home gather in Schenectady to raise money to keep up the fight to protect the historic structure.
Starting at 6 p.m., the gathering at the Moon and River restaurant located at 115 South Ferry St. in Schenectady’s Stockade section will feature live music by John Birchler, a folk singer from Glenville.
Linda Champagne, a key leader in the fight to protect the site, will also update attendees on the status of the ongoing court fight. Beans, greens and other food will also be available. While no admission will be charged at the door, donations will be accepted.
I’ve always been interested in historic preservation and preserving as much green space as possible, said Richard Genest, the Moon and River’s owner. `This is a very important issue for people, and I know that The Friends of Stanford Home have been in court trying to keep the Ingersoll Home from becoming just another strip mall, so I offered to host this benefit for them.
`They are in a tough fight and they are going to need all the resources they can get,` Genest said.
The first phase of the court fight over the Ingersoll Home began on April 13 when Albany-based attorney Lewis Oliver Jr. filed papers in state Supreme Court on behalf of preservationists led by The Friends of Stanford Home who are seeking to protect the 12.3-acre site of the Ingersoll Home from a developer’s plan to build a strip mall at the location. The filing came a month after the Niskayuna town board narrowly approved a special use permit needed before the project could move forward.
Both Oliver and the Niskayuna Town Attorney Eric Dickson presented oral arguments in person on June 1 before state Supreme Court Judge Joseph M. Sise. In the nearly seven weeks since then, both sides have been awaiting a court decision that will likely be appealed.
`Regardless of which side wins this first round, we have to be prepared for an appeal,` said Linda Champagne, president of the Friends of Stanford Home. `I think we all would have preferred not to end up in court, but in Niskayuna, the developers have been walking away with everything.
`We know from our grassroots efforts that there are well over 1,000 people who are concerned about the future of the Ingersoll Home and preserving this valuable resource,` Champagne said. `But we need to make sure they know there really is still hope for preserving this site.`
For information or to send a donation, contact Schenectady Heritage Foundation, c/o The Friends of Stanford Home, P.O. Box 1173, Schenectady, N.Y. 12301-1173.
The public is invited to the dinner the Moon and River at 115 South Ferry St., Schenectady, beginning at 6 p.m.“