Westminster Presbyterian Church

Westminster is a congregation deeply committed to building a community whose purpose is to serve Jesus Christ in the city. We see our location as a unique gift. We are situated a block away from the state capitol of New York.

We are located in a diverse and vibrant urban neighborhood. At a time of polarization in government, media and religion, and when public discourse is increasingly shrill and uncivil, Westminster attempts to be a wide tent under which diverse ideas are not only tolerated, but welcome.

Save the Pine Bush has their monthly dinner at the rented-out hall below the church. It is accessed by going to 85 Chesnut Street. There is off-street parking next to the church for church functions and the dinner.

http://www.wpcalbany.org/

Guilderland’s Environmental Approval for Costco and Rapp Road Site Plan Approval for Apartments in the Pine Bush Ruled Null and VoidοΏ½by Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch | Guilderland Coalition for ResponsibleοΏ½Growth

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Press Release: Guilderland’s Environmental Approval for Costco and Rapp Road Site Plan Approval for Apartments in the Pine Bush Ruled Null and VoidοΏ½by Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch | Guilderland Coalition for ResponsibleοΏ½Growth

Save the Pine Bush and the Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth are pleased to announce a court victory against the Town of Guilderland Planning Board. Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch stated in his decision that the Town of Guilderland Planning Board’s SEQRA process for the Rapp Road Residential/Western Avenue Mixed Use Redevelopment Projects “violated SEQRA procedure and the ‘hard look’ test, rendering the . . . approvals arbitrary and capricious, null and void.”

The 77-page decision meticulously reviewed the entire State Environmental Quality Review (SEQRA) that the Town of Guilderland Planning Board applied to this project proposed by Rapp Road Development, LLC (aka Pyramid). Throughout the decision, the judge noted the many places where the actions of the Board were “arbitrary and capricious” and did not take the SEQRA required “hard look” at the proposed project. 

The criticism began almost immediately, with the decision stating “On scrutiny, the record herein is replete with conclusory self-serving and equally troubling representations made by the project sponsor [Pyramid], without the support of empirical data, which, unfortunately, the Planning Board relied on. That is not the stuff that the SEQRA hard look test is made of.” [emphasis added]

The decision noted in great detail how the project would harm the Rapp Road Historic District and the Westmere Terrace neighborhood. Several times, the decision observed that the project sponsor merely stating that their proposed project was allowed by the zoning, that did not constitute a “hard look.”

The lawsuit was brought by four residents of the Westmere neighborhood and Red-Kap sales.

Charlie’s At It Again! – Touhey proposes housing units in the Pine Bush

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Charlie’s At It Again! – Touhey proposes housing units in the Pine Bush

Charlie Touhey, whose proposed office complex at 300 Washington Ave. Ext. was voted down by the Common Council last summer, is proposing yet another development for his 12-acre site in the Pine Bush. There is a twist to this one, though.

Usually, developers never want the neighbors to know what they are doing. In all my years of working for Pine Bush preservation, not a single developer ever voluntarily notified the neighbors about a proposed project. This time was different.

Last summer, Mr. Touhey said that if he didn't get his office complex, he would build low-income housing. The residents of the Dunes housing development took that as a threat, as houses with significantly lower value would lower the value of their houses.

Rezsin Adams was generous and worked to make life for everyone better | The Altamont Enterprise

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Rezsin Adams was generous and worked to make life for everyone better | The Altamont Enterprise

It is with great sadness that Save the Pine Bush announces the passing of one of its founders and long-time leader, Rezsin Adams.

Rezsin, born in Brooklyn on Feb. 13, 1927, died peacefully on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, at the age of 93.

Rezsin met her husband, the late Dr. Theodore Adams, while attending college at the University of Rochester. After marrying in 1947, and receiving a master’s degree in physiology, Rezsin and her family moved to the city of Albany’s Center Square neighborhood in 1959.

Rezsin was a member of the activist community. Other than a few short jobs when she was younger, including running an art school in Buffalo and lobbying against nuclear power, Rezsin lived her life as the dedicated volunteer.