The following letter was sent to the Town of Colonie Planning Board in response to proposed development adjacent to the nationally-significant Watervliet Shaker National Register Historic District.

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Concept review for Capital BOCES, 925 Watervliet Shaker Road, Colonie

June 5, 2020

Mr. Peter Stuto
Chair, Town of Colonie Planning Board
Public Operations Center
347 Old Niskayuna Road
Latham, NY 12110

Dear Chair Stuto,

I write on behalf of the Preservation League of New York State to comment on the concept proposal for the Capital BOCES at 925 Watervliet Shaker Road in Colonie. This project is immediately adjacent to the West Family structures and on the remaining agricultural land associated with the West Family site. The Preservation League is New York’s statewide nonprofit historic preservation organization. We advocate for the protection of historic buildings and landscapes throughout New York State, assisting in advancing historic preservation and community development efforts.

The project proposed at 925 Watervliet Shaker Road is part of the nationally-significant Watervliet Shaker National Register Historic District. In 2018, the Preservation League listed this historic district as among the state’s most endangered, part of our 2018-19 Seven to Save list. At the time of designation, the League noted that the district was “exceptionally susceptible to insensitive development,” a threat that has only grown over the last two years.

Full build-out on this parcel, as proposed by the developer, would devastate the integrity of the West Family site. Other municipalities cherish, celebrate, and promote their unique Shaker heritage. It is sad indeed how much inappropriate development has been allowed within this important historic district. Not to mention the loss of agricultural land, wetlands, and open space within a heavily trafficked corridor.

We believe that the required permitting for this project will lead to a State Historic Preservation Office review under Section 14.09 of the 1980 NYS Historic Preservation Act. We also believe that given the size and National Register designation, this project would have a positive declaration as a Type 1 under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, requiring a full Environmental Impact Statement that includes the cumulative impact of all project phases.

The Preservation League has met with the developer of the neighboring parcel and Shaker Heritage, offering assistance in promoting the incredibly intact collection of West Family buildings. Allowing the maximum development at 925 Watervliet Shaker Road would also destroy the buildings’ viewshed, which the Afrim’s Sportsplex on the opposite side worked hard to preserve.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Thank you and the other members of the Colonie Planning Board for your consideration.

Best regards,
Erin

Erin M. Tobin (she/her)
Vice President for Policy and Preservation
Preservation League of New York State

An important bill passed in the Senate this session: S3645A. We appreciate the Senate's support and recognition of the importance of the NYS Historic Tax Credit and how these improvements will make the credit more functional and valuable for smaller, Main Street, and nonprofit projects. We would like to thank Senator Kennedy (D- 63rd District) for introducing this bill and to the following Senate co-sponsors: Metzger (D- 42nd District), Serrano (D- 29th District), and Kaplan (D- 7th District).

Thank you again to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the Assembly and Senate, especially Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Ways and Means Chair Helene E. Weinstein and Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger for including improvements to the Historic Tax Credit in the budget bill earlier this session, so that both State Historic Sites and cities with a poverty rate over 15% can take advantage of the Historic Tax Credit.

At the conclusion of the 2019 legislative session, the NYS Senate and Assembly passed legislation which adds Ulster county to the list of counties in the Hudson Valley eligible to raise funding for preservation through a Community Preservation Fund. The legislation will be delivered to the Governor.

This legislation (A4403/S1864) will help small and mid-sized cities in New York State mitigate the blight caused by vacant and abandoned buildings, while providing them with a more expedient mechanism to place the buildings with owners who can rehabilitate them.  

Click here to read the League’s Memo of Support.

Thank you to Assemblymember John McDonald (D-Cohoes), for introducing A4403, and to Assemblymembers Fahy, Gottfried, Otis, Raia, DiPietro, Peoples-Stokes, Woerner, Gunther, Palmesano, Steck, Friend, Morinello, Wallace, Hawley, Taylor, Arroyo, Cook, Crouch, Giglio, Griffin, Ramos, Sayegh, Schimminger, and Tague for co-sponsoring in the Assembly.

Thank you to Senator Gaughran for introducing S1864, and to co-sponsors Senators Helming and Parker.

Two important improvements to the State Historic Tax Credit have made it into the final state budget. All historic buildings within two distinct groups can take advantage of the State Historic Tax Credit, regardless of prior qualification:

1. Historic buildings within New York State Parks and State Historic Sites
2. Historic homes in cities with a population under one million with at least 15% poverty threshold 

This win for historic preservation would not be possible without the leadership of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the Assembly and Senate, especially Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Ways and Means Chair Helene E. Weinstein and Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger. 

Recognition also belongs to Assemblymembers Carrie Woerner, Donna Lupardo, Patricia A. Fahy, Steve Otis, Steven Englebright, Robin Schimminger, Anthony D'Urso, and Carmen Arroyo and NYS Senators Timothy Kennedy and Jose M. Serrano who sponsored the initial bill that included the poverty rate qualification for cities. 

Click here to learn more.

Thank you, NYS Assembly! The State Senate and Assembly Released Their Proposed Budgets – Including Improvements to the State Historic Tax Credit in the Assembly’s Version!
We hoped both houses would include these improvements, but we are grateful to see them represented, nonetheless. Our team has been advocating for these changes along with our colleagues and partners in preservation since the fall. Many thanks to everyone who contacted their representatives, the legislature, and especially Assembly members Carrie Woerner, Donna Lupardo, Patricia Fahy, Steve Otis, Steven Englebright, Robin Schimminger, Anthony D’Urso, and Carmen Arroyo and NYS Senators Timothy Kennedy and Jose Serrano who sponsored these amendments.

And if you want to see these improvements included in the Governor’s final budget, keep calling your state senators and your assemblymembers!

State Tax Credit Enhancements make it into the Assembly budget bill: Part U of A2009B
 View the entire Assembly Budget Bill

In 2019, the League is advocating for the following enhancements to the State Historic Tax Credit:

1) Ability to directly transfer NYS Historic Tax Credits, mirroring the allowed transferability in the NYS Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

Transferring NYS Historic Tax Credits provides a greater return on New York State’s tax credit dollar, driving more investment into economic development rehabilitation projects. 

2) Increasing the NYS Historic Tax Credit from 20% to 30% for small projects under $5 million.

Owners of smaller historic buildings, the type typically found in a Main Street neighborhood commercial corridor, are challenged to make a historic rehabilitation project feasible in projects under $5 million. This increase will encourage these projects to move forward.

3) Qualifying every city under one million with a 15% poverty threshold for the NYS Historic Tax Credit. 

Allowing entire cities in upstate New York to qualify for this economic development incentive will benefit cities and the state overall, removing qualification ambiguity.

​Our good pal, Tug Urger has been making waves, thanks to Assemblymember John McDonald (D- Cohoes) who introduced bill A4075 to make Urger the official New York State Tugboat! Thank you to Senator Rachel May (D-Syracuse) for introducing same-as bill, S3790!

Click here to read our Memo of Support.

The League has been honored to assist in advocating for this special tug over the past year.​

S1558, introduced by Senator José Serrano (D-Bronx), and co-sponsored by Senator Diane Savino (D- Staten Island), authorizes the Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation to establish a resident curator program for the rehabilitation of state park buildings.

Click here to read our Memo of Support.