Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations

Meeting Minutes October  6, 2004

Albany Public Library

1. Introductions

2. Minutes

            Minutes of the September 2004 meeting were approved.

3. Committee Reports

·        Budget Committee

Members of the CANA Budget Committee will meet on Thursday at 7:00 PM at Uncommon Grounds Cafe on Western Avenue when Harold Rubin will give a briefing about CANA ’s participation in the City’s budget process.  The budget committee will then meet until the end of November.  Several concerns were identified for review; (1) abolishment of line items; (2) stabilization; (4) codes funding; (4) comparison of funds spent to funds transferred or unused; (5) salary for a vacant buildings coordinator.   

·        Committee on University & Community Relations

The next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 13, 2004 , a t the Albany Police Department, 526 Central Avenue .  A summary of off campus hotline calls was provided.

·        Neighborhood Works Conference

The CANA and the Neighborhood Resource Center will sponsor the fifth annual Neighborhood Works Conference on Saturday, November 20, 2004 , from 8:45 AM to 1:00 PM at the First Lutheran Church , 646 State Street , Albany .  The subject of the conference is Code Enforcement and Zoning and will include a panel and keynote speaker.  CANA will follow up on issues presented at the conference.  The event is free and open to the public.  Registration is encouraged.  For more information contact NWV, c/o Kane & Lekakis, 27 Cuyler Avenue , Albany (kandl@capital.net) (964-6208).  A conference brochure will be available shortly.

·        Abandoned Buildings Committee/Task Force

The CANA vacant buildings task force has expanded to approximately 30 individuals.  The group feels the need to focus on code enforcement and how residents deal with the building department.   Since several of the individuals in the group have affiliations other than with CANA , a more global approach can be taken.  One of the group’s goals is to look at other cities and develop a plan for Albany to have a 21^st century building department and for vacant buildings to be turned into owner-occupied residences or businesses.  The Enterprise Group is working with the City and has made a 47-page report as well as a demographic map of vacant properties available on the internet.  The site address is www.enterprisefoundation.org/albany.  Another of the group’s goals is to establish a code enforcement office that maintains a comprehensive registry and responds quickly to reports of violations.  The group is hopeful that CANA and community members will submit concrete suggestions and involve the Common Council.  Presently responsibility for codes issues is bifurcated and the public is uncertain of which city department holds responsibility. An action plan is being developed.

4. Communications, Announcements & New Business

·        Setting a CANA Agenda

In order to formulate an annual plan and agenda for CANA , members had been asked to identify the scope of issues CANA should address regularly and which types of crises should be brought to CANA .  Colin McKnight has proposed a mission statement that defines the issues in which CANA should take an active part.   The text of that statement has been made available to members and will be considered at next month’s meeting when CANA ’s process and annual agenda will be the subject of discussion.  Feedback for the proposed statement has been positive.

·        Park South Neighborhood Revitalization Plan

Park South residents feel that the neighborhood revitalization plan has become inactive or private.   Planning seems to have stopped and there has been no communication with the neighborhood association from the city. 

·        Mayor Jennings previously agreed to present information about Albany ’s neighborhoods and neighborhood events on his weekly radio show.  Mary Connair will coordinate the submission of information by neighborhoods to the mayor’s office.  The mayor’s radio show airs every Friday morning from 9:00 to 10:00 on AM 590.

5.       Presentation:  Update on the Plans for the Harriman Office Campus

            Michael Tucker, President

Harriman Research and Technology Development Corporation

The strategic development plan for the conversion of the Harriman Campus into a research and private sector technology park has been conducted and is being updated.  The next step will be the development of a master plan, and the corporation has begun the search for qualified organizations to make proposals.  Development of the master plan is expected to take approximately nine months.

The Harriman campus includes 255 acres on the main site and 15 acres west of the outer “ring.”  The 15 acre parcel will probably be sold or leased in order to partially fund the development and construction of the main site.  It is valued at $200,000 to $300,000 per acre.  Twelve buildings will be destroyed or renovated and will be replaced by 700,000 square feet of office and researcher and science offices.  The offices of the Department of Transportation have been moved to Wolf Road and the Department of Civil Service will relocate shortly.  The gradual relocation of other state offices and 7,000 workers will take ten or more years.  

Several of the concerns of Albany residents, particularly those adjoining the site, are being taken into consideration and the Corporation and Mayor Jennings are seeking additional input.    

These include (1) evaluating the road that connects the university and the office campus; (2) the merge of traffic into route I-90; (3) other opportunities to increase the tax base; (4) integration of the neighborhood residents and campus tenants; (5) the street grid; (6) the ring roads; (7) the reintegration of the community into the campus; (8) the reengagement of the university and technology park into the community and neighborhoods.

Presently the mayor wants the ring roads removed, but the issue will ultimately be decided based on cost to remove them and replace them with street grid. Fifteen acres of land is in an Empire Zone and will probably be leased for $10-12 per square foot.

Presently the existing nano school hosts two or three tours each day and holds regular open houses.  Recently representatives from Ireland and Italy visited the site.

The public is encouraged to offer input for the master plan.  The next meeting of the corporation will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2004 , at 11:00 AM in Building 7A at the Harriman Campus.  The meetings are open to the public.   Mr. Tucker can be reached at 457-4444.

6. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM .

CANA

Meeting Attendees

October 6, 2004