I couldn't agree with you more, Will. Even though housing is a real issue, our city has got to stop squandering the visual beauty of our downtown for these "junk builds". Now those lots are going to be eyesores for the next couple of generations and will do nothing to inspire other investors, large or small, to commit to quality restorations or infill. It's about to happen again on Warren St. (different builder... equally bad design) and Stewart's will very likely get the okay to demolish two historic buildings for the expansion of their Glen St. store. More blacktop and gas pumps... just what Downtown needs.
The city could pass laws that require builders to construct new building in the architectural style of the neighborhood. I imagine this would require concerned citizens to get together, come up with some guidelines and go to the city meetings. A good place to start might be with the county planning board and seeing if you have historical districts within Glens Falls. I know many communities in the United States are doing this to maintain the feel of the neighborhoods.
Wouldn't it be nice if instead of these newer buildings a fund was set aside for young people who are having trouble affording/finding homes in the area to be able to buy and refurbish the older two or more family buildings. They can live in them themselves and work on the rest and rent. This way we could keep the older beautiful building that need a lot of work. I'm not talking about selling to people who flip or corporations, etc. I mean just for young families. So many are looking for homes now but can't afford to do that kind of work and both people are working. Just a thought.
Will, it seems the profitable Substack replaces the newspaper, no reporters… are you reporting? No newspapers is a terminal problem for democracy says Yale professor of history, Tim Snyder.. who speaks many east European languages and has published incredible books - On Tyranny - published - two in versions - one for children, beautifully illustrated… Tim is on Substack…. Tim is accessible… is the best authority on Ukraine and Russia, Putin and Hungary… democracy and freedom, unfreedom and Viktor Orban’s dictatorship, and Moscow… and Ukraine … he says NEWSPAPERS… are necessary for democracy to survive… in Essex County NY we no longer have a viable newspaper.. Dan Alexander’s Valley News is a rag living on classified ads… does not have a reporter on a beat. And no one is publishing on Rep. Elise Stefanik’s race for VP under the dictator wanna be prejudiced orange faced, bleached blonde thug and former president now doing his best to destroy democracy … on trial but doing his best to postpone the many trials he is charged in… isn’t this the story?
I read "On Tyranny" and liked it. We've given Stefanik a lot of attention -- Ken, especially, has pointed out what a negative force she has become. It doesn't seem to have had much effect on voters. It took multiple drunken humiliations for John Sweeney to lose favor. I don't see that happening with Stefanik.
So much of the construction and development process is broken. A combination of intrusive and ill-conceived regulation, exclusionary zoning, myopic stakeholders, rising costs, uneducated electeds…it’s a wonder anything gets built at all. And in many cases, it doesn’t.
I could tell you some stories about the young millionaire Mr. Patten.
However one only has to watch the city council meetings when he was attempting his first venture, which was denied. Arrogance and entitlement abounded with contempt for city officials on full display.
This man cares only about making money. Believe me I know this firsthand and I also know how he treats those who work for him.
I've personally seen him deal with bank staff, distrubutors and staff ... if he doesnt get his way you are verbally assaulted. He screamed so badly at one lady from the bank that it horrified me and she left the meeting in tears
I remember when he was young and completed his first home - he took me to see it and was so proud. He was a different person then.
His apartment buildings do not fit in with the neighborhoods and he 100 % does not care. I know this as a fact.
Everywhere I look lands are consumed by Schemerhorn....we are losing green fields in SGF between him and Cerrone builders.
I also live in SGF where I feel we sold our souls to Schemerhorn due to ousting Kuznierz over Biochar.
My account of this is very personal....I worked directly under him. It was a nightmare.
This has been happening all over the US for the last 15 years in cities. I am in Seattle now and if you wrote this article here now, you would have been blasted as an elite homeowner who is lucky to own a home with so many folks locked out of homeownership. You would have been called a few other names as well and would have had over 100 angry comments. No one here says anything anymore about box apartments and just puts up with it because of the large housing advocacy that is here. They just changed our housing to allow for up to 6 floors in all residential neighborhoods to build vertical housing. Every lot can have an ADU in their backyard and every basement can be turned into an apartment. You can now make a single-family home into condos. Here is an article I think for 2018 in Dallas about ugly apartment buildings. https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2018/12/were-still-trying-to-understand-why-new-apartments-are-so-ugly/ Glens Falls has always been late to any party compared to the rest of the country. I am sure every generation hated the design of housing over the years. I remember hating the raised ranch when it was so popular. It was a design that was affordable since you used the basement as additional space, and it had large windows.
No one is ever going to think these cheap block-shaped buildings are attractive.
But what you say about Seattle is interesting. Letting people build small apartments behind their houses or in their basements is a good way, I think, to address housing shortages, while allowing homeowners in a city (Seattle) where home prices have risen steeply to get a bit of profit out of their house. But must inexpensive housing be hideous? And, anyway, these apartments from Chris Patten are not inexpensive.
I totally agree with you, the point I was trying to make was that in Seattle, the fight is so strong that anyone that comments about housing is the villain, and each side does not see the value of blending the past with the present. I have joined a group Historic Wallingford, which is Seattle but a neighborhood that is part of the tear down old houses and put-up new apartments that are boxes. We have to tread so carefully to try to put value on the past without the feeling of privilege and understanding about the lack of affordable housing. It is so touchy here and takes a lot of delicate language and listening and trying to find compromise. I do think communities need to change, understand not everyone can afford to own a home now and actually not everyone wants too. I am a renter for the first time in 40 years and I am ok about it since I am in the middle of urban living, no car and living a new life of walking and taking the bus since everything I need is right in my neighborhood. Encourage the powers of be that having ADUs and apartments inside of these large homes is a compromise of big box apartments or at least have apartments have a little style with some bump outs and gables. It starts with the planning board or maybe pass an historic district that they voted down over 20 years ago when Mayor Regan was there.
It doesn’t take much to make some things a bit more esthetically appealing, there just needs to be the political will to do it. Dollar General built a store in Salem some years ago, and was required to improve the facade from plain old ugly box to a peaked false front roof and siding with some trim. It still wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but it is not as jarring to the eye as the ones they built in Hartford or Argyle. And I’m sure the company is still making a profit. Citizens do need to make their voices heard!
We need to take a hard look at the planning board. I understand they are appointed for life? If this is true, then it MUST change if wecwant to preserve Glens Falls. One point, a carvwash SHOULD NOT be going where Steve's Place used to be!!!! Planning board approved it. What was the rationale???
Take a look at current apartment prices in the area.His prices are within the market.
Yes, they are. If they were inexpensive compared to the market, that would be a justification for their bland sameness and cheap appearance.
If there is a need. Why does the desire for esthetics trumps the need? Unless the need was just an illusion.
I couldn't agree with you more, Will. Even though housing is a real issue, our city has got to stop squandering the visual beauty of our downtown for these "junk builds". Now those lots are going to be eyesores for the next couple of generations and will do nothing to inspire other investors, large or small, to commit to quality restorations or infill. It's about to happen again on Warren St. (different builder... equally bad design) and Stewart's will very likely get the okay to demolish two historic buildings for the expansion of their Glen St. store. More blacktop and gas pumps... just what Downtown needs.
The city could pass laws that require builders to construct new building in the architectural style of the neighborhood. I imagine this would require concerned citizens to get together, come up with some guidelines and go to the city meetings. A good place to start might be with the county planning board and seeing if you have historical districts within Glens Falls. I know many communities in the United States are doing this to maintain the feel of the neighborhoods.
Wouldn't it be nice if instead of these newer buildings a fund was set aside for young people who are having trouble affording/finding homes in the area to be able to buy and refurbish the older two or more family buildings. They can live in them themselves and work on the rest and rent. This way we could keep the older beautiful building that need a lot of work. I'm not talking about selling to people who flip or corporations, etc. I mean just for young families. So many are looking for homes now but can't afford to do that kind of work and both people are working. Just a thought.
GREAT IDEA!
Great idea!
Will, your comments about building construction are on point. These builders could do better.
Those fragrant purple flowers are lilacs!
Will, it seems the profitable Substack replaces the newspaper, no reporters… are you reporting? No newspapers is a terminal problem for democracy says Yale professor of history, Tim Snyder.. who speaks many east European languages and has published incredible books - On Tyranny - published - two in versions - one for children, beautifully illustrated… Tim is on Substack…. Tim is accessible… is the best authority on Ukraine and Russia, Putin and Hungary… democracy and freedom, unfreedom and Viktor Orban’s dictatorship, and Moscow… and Ukraine … he says NEWSPAPERS… are necessary for democracy to survive… in Essex County NY we no longer have a viable newspaper.. Dan Alexander’s Valley News is a rag living on classified ads… does not have a reporter on a beat. And no one is publishing on Rep. Elise Stefanik’s race for VP under the dictator wanna be prejudiced orange faced, bleached blonde thug and former president now doing his best to destroy democracy … on trial but doing his best to postpone the many trials he is charged in… isn’t this the story?
I read "On Tyranny" and liked it. We've given Stefanik a lot of attention -- Ken, especially, has pointed out what a negative force she has become. It doesn't seem to have had much effect on voters. It took multiple drunken humiliations for John Sweeney to lose favor. I don't see that happening with Stefanik.
So much of the construction and development process is broken. A combination of intrusive and ill-conceived regulation, exclusionary zoning, myopic stakeholders, rising costs, uneducated electeds…it’s a wonder anything gets built at all. And in many cases, it doesn’t.
Well.....
I could tell you some stories about the young millionaire Mr. Patten.
However one only has to watch the city council meetings when he was attempting his first venture, which was denied. Arrogance and entitlement abounded with contempt for city officials on full display.
This man cares only about making money. Believe me I know this firsthand and I also know how he treats those who work for him.
I've personally seen him deal with bank staff, distrubutors and staff ... if he doesnt get his way you are verbally assaulted. He screamed so badly at one lady from the bank that it horrified me and she left the meeting in tears
I remember when he was young and completed his first home - he took me to see it and was so proud. He was a different person then.
His apartment buildings do not fit in with the neighborhoods and he 100 % does not care. I know this as a fact.
Everywhere I look lands are consumed by Schemerhorn....we are losing green fields in SGF between him and Cerrone builders.
I also live in SGF where I feel we sold our souls to Schemerhorn due to ousting Kuznierz over Biochar.
My account of this is very personal....I worked directly under him. It was a nightmare.
The heavenly purple, lavender, violet, plum, LILAC colored flowers are LILACS! Nothing smells much better.
Maybe Lily of the Valley, also blooming now? Together they can’t be beat!!
Maybe the Glens Falls Planning Board and Chairman Ethan Hall, who is an architect, needs to improve their thought process.
Couldn’t agree more!
Does the Planning Board still also have architectural review powers? It did, many years ago.
Yes, that is part of their approval process.
This has been happening all over the US for the last 15 years in cities. I am in Seattle now and if you wrote this article here now, you would have been blasted as an elite homeowner who is lucky to own a home with so many folks locked out of homeownership. You would have been called a few other names as well and would have had over 100 angry comments. No one here says anything anymore about box apartments and just puts up with it because of the large housing advocacy that is here. They just changed our housing to allow for up to 6 floors in all residential neighborhoods to build vertical housing. Every lot can have an ADU in their backyard and every basement can be turned into an apartment. You can now make a single-family home into condos. Here is an article I think for 2018 in Dallas about ugly apartment buildings. https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2018/12/were-still-trying-to-understand-why-new-apartments-are-so-ugly/ Glens Falls has always been late to any party compared to the rest of the country. I am sure every generation hated the design of housing over the years. I remember hating the raised ranch when it was so popular. It was a design that was affordable since you used the basement as additional space, and it had large windows.
No one is ever going to think these cheap block-shaped buildings are attractive.
But what you say about Seattle is interesting. Letting people build small apartments behind their houses or in their basements is a good way, I think, to address housing shortages, while allowing homeowners in a city (Seattle) where home prices have risen steeply to get a bit of profit out of their house. But must inexpensive housing be hideous? And, anyway, these apartments from Chris Patten are not inexpensive.
I totally agree with you, the point I was trying to make was that in Seattle, the fight is so strong that anyone that comments about housing is the villain, and each side does not see the value of blending the past with the present. I have joined a group Historic Wallingford, which is Seattle but a neighborhood that is part of the tear down old houses and put-up new apartments that are boxes. We have to tread so carefully to try to put value on the past without the feeling of privilege and understanding about the lack of affordable housing. It is so touchy here and takes a lot of delicate language and listening and trying to find compromise. I do think communities need to change, understand not everyone can afford to own a home now and actually not everyone wants too. I am a renter for the first time in 40 years and I am ok about it since I am in the middle of urban living, no car and living a new life of walking and taking the bus since everything I need is right in my neighborhood. Encourage the powers of be that having ADUs and apartments inside of these large homes is a compromise of big box apartments or at least have apartments have a little style with some bump outs and gables. It starts with the planning board or maybe pass an historic district that they voted down over 20 years ago when Mayor Regan was there.
It doesn’t take much to make some things a bit more esthetically appealing, there just needs to be the political will to do it. Dollar General built a store in Salem some years ago, and was required to improve the facade from plain old ugly box to a peaked false front roof and siding with some trim. It still wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but it is not as jarring to the eye as the ones they built in Hartford or Argyle. And I’m sure the company is still making a profit. Citizens do need to make their voices heard!
Exactly right
We need to take a hard look at the planning board. I understand they are appointed for life? If this is true, then it MUST change if wecwant to preserve Glens Falls. One point, a carvwash SHOULD NOT be going where Steve's Place used to be!!!! Planning board approved it. What was the rationale???
I, too, was surprised at the news about the car wash, especially since there is an existing car wash half a block away.
Looks like a lilac bush😘😘😘
Will -
It's a lilac.
Erica