Community Comments

Community comments have been taken from our public petition on Change.org or have been submitted to us, and used with permission of the author. Comments are from neighborhood residents that are directly effected by the potential development and other concerned parties.

Troy needs forest and riverfront more than another apartment complex that will only be shabby and abandoned in 20 years. Fix up the apartments that already exist instead! – Sarah M.

This space should be preserved for its natural and indigenous significance. We don’t need more new housing! -Bridget G.

Stop destroying our land, new apartment buildings are so not needed. Think about our future and not about yourself and your bank accounts. – Alex E.

For the welfare of the current community residents of today and for the preservation of Indigenous rights now, let this bit of land be as it is. – Katherine C.

While there are numerous reasons to be against this development, I am personally signing this as a professional archaeologist of over 13 years. Even more important the the possible (most likely probable) loss of archaeological resources in our community, is the complete disrespect this project shows to the indigenous people who have called this land their home thousands of years before Troy was founded. – Sean D.

Troy is a city of neighborhoods that need nurturing. Lansingburgh is an under appreciated gem that should be a National Register Historic District that would enable individual owners to use historic tax credits to help rehabilitate existing buildings. The greenest buildings are those already built. Undeveloped land and mature trees are needed for natural flood buffer and carbon sequestration. – Christopher E.

There are already so many large apartment developments in Troy I recent years and ongoing. It is more vital to preserve urban forests than to develop existing forested areas along the river.

We need people to create local places of employment to balance the abundance of existing residential so that we can reduce commuting.

Further, previously developed underutilized properties should be redeveloped before greenfields. Urban trees are incredibly valuable to our citizens. Replacing them with asphalt and concrete is detrimental.

Also, Troy’s riverfront should benefit all Trojans.

Troy’s zoning should prioritize the above and should not issue variances that continue to encourage unnecessary development.

Encourage local employment while prioritizing our environment. – Kevin C.

Justice and respect for indigenous people of this land is directly tied to the collective healing of this nation. – Aidan B.

We need to preserve this land and not add another run of the mill apartment building. – William B.

Changing the zoning code to site a housing apartment complex in R1 Zone is illegal. We will be filling a lawsuit against the city and developer if this continues to move forward. – T.J.K.

Troy can’t keep up with current apartment complexes, code enforcement, trash, recycling, or our infrastructure. Now, we are are going to destroy land for profit? This is a horrible idea and irresponsible. Has the person requesting the rezoning been properly vetted?- Kimberly C.

I have lived in Troy all my life. I have walked this area and shared this area with my son. We enjoy the ability to go down enjoy nature and play at the river like any normal child would love to do. We have to many houses and not enough parks or nature. If you build more overpriced lofts you are proving your greed. This doesn’t help our community. If you allow this your not only destroying and removing trees and land. Your destroying and removing the people that already live here. – Andrea M.B.

Troy and lansingburgh residents dont need these large housing corporations to come in on land that doesnt need to be built upon, there are way more urgent things that need to be done before we start letting people come in and pull resources to go towards these buildings that will probably lose funding in just a few months and never get finished. – Elania H.

This development would ruin the area. So much wildlife lives in there. We need to secure and preserve as much forest as possible for them and ourselves. Not to mention the decrease in the property values of the surrounding neighborhoods. – Brenda F.

We do not need more apartment complexes in Troy. If you are going to do anything with this waterfront property please make it a beautiful place where all Troy residents can look at and access the waterfront. Once apartments are built they will claim this God given resource for their own. The children of Lansingburgh would benefit from a protected natural preserve. – Mary D.

Troy does not need more new apartment complexes- buy and fix up all the beat up buildings that already exist on river street, instead. And DEFINITELY don’t cut down precious trees on sacred land to do it. – Meagan G.

We cannot afford to lose more of our natural resources. We MUST respect our indigenous community members. Enough is enough. – Rose M.

Indigenous lands must be protected, and we must fight to keep natural the few parts of Troy that are undeveloped. Please protect this land, do not allow more unnecessary housing; there is plenty of housing in Troy already. – Morgean H.

By protecting Indigenous land in NY we are also protecting the Hudson River and improving the health of all of our residents. – Kathy P.

Don’t build there. There is a raw sewage pipe there with lime and toxic sludge that empties into the river. It comes from the filtration plant on RT.40. the fumes from it are bad enough. And why not preserve the history of the land. Troy has enough apartment buildings for now. Pleasantdale is a nice quiet town. – Michael R.

This beautiful, historical space must be preserved for public use, not private. – Daniel M.

Their are enough buildings that are vacant. Developers need to stop getting rid of the forest. That animals and human kind depend on to live. – Rosella R.

I am a resident and this is not what we need! – Kayla M.

Troy must preserve this beautiful stretch of indigenous and historic forest land. We have been too quick, in the past, to get rid of Troy’s treasures only to regret our actions after the damage was done. Let’s not repeat our mistakes. This wonderful forest land should not be ravaged for yet another apartment complex where the developer will undoubtedly receive a tax abatement and we taxpayers will again be footing the bill. No, my wish would be for this land to be made into a riverfront park so we can enjoy it’s quiet serenity and honor the indigenous people who cherished it before we came. – Geri deS.

One of the major appeals of the City of Troy is its historic architecture. Historic Preservation and the rehabbing of abandoned buildings is a much better use of development dollars. And keeping the green spaces green contributes immeasurably to the quality of life for Troy’s citizens. – Ingrid M.

It would seem this site is better left to public access to the Hudson – something that appears to be largely lacking in the area. – Joseph F.

I live in Troy and I believe this land parcel is important historically, ecologically and culturally to our region and that it would be a terrible idea to develop it. – Peg A.

STOP Kevin Vandenburgh and all other developers from destroying Troy’s last patch of riverfront forest forever. – Kevin L.

I care about protecting access to waterfront for everyone, particularly the First Nation inhabitants. – Sarah T.

We moved to this area because it was a little out of the city and no as populated. Traffic is crazy enough in this area. Build at the price chopper land that’s just sitting there – Dia O.

I agree as Troy needs to focus on the current blight of vacant lots and building before destroying the last river front forest. – Wayne F.

The City of Troy and local developers have a history of eradicating sites that were not only historically significant to the Indigenous Nations of the area, but also that had become places of respite and access to natural resources to the communities that live(d) in Troy (Google Diamond Rock).

To erase and destroy this land, while there are existing opportunities for developments such as the proposed project, literally about two blocks down the street with the proper infrastructure already in place (and not dip into the taxpayers pocket to set up the infrastructure a project of this magnitude would require, in addition to fixing up existing structures) – not only to bring back the beauty of this part of the city, but place those structures back on the tax roll – proves this project proposal is absolutely, ridiculous and does not serve the greater good of this community.

Not to mention, the developer who put together this proposal has a history of backing out of promises to the city of not going after tax credits, and then ultimately selling off property to other developers who then do apply for such credits and take away the possible tax revenue the city would have received from projects such as the one proposed for this site.

I fully support STOPPING this development proposal for the sake of preserving the rich history of this area, maintaining waterfront access to the community and preserving the ecology of ever vanishing, undeveloped land along the beautiful Hudson River for this and future generations to enjoy and protect.

And seriously …. does Troy realllllly need another ugly apartment development?!? – Sarah B.

I moved to this area for the small town feeling if this happens it will ruin that for a lot of people. It is rediculas that this is even being considered!! You need to listen to the people in the area! We don’t want or need this !! – Kathleen M.

As a native New Yorker I know the rich heritage we endanger when we overdevelop the land. Please preserve this area as green space. – Jan F