Town of Rotterdam Town-wide Moratorium

Neighborhood Action Group
dedicated to seeking responsible government




NAG was founded in October 2004 by residents of Masullo Estates seeking water remediation for a decades-old high water table issue. We are actively involved with town officials as we progress towards a solution.

Poor planning by the Town of Rotterdam is at the center of many problems we are encountering. As a result, we have begun a petition effort in support of a two-year, town-wide, commercial and residential building moratorium for the following reasons:

To enable a full review and update of the Comprehensive Plan to ensure responsible development, both residentially and commercially.
To ensure proper planning and zoning are adequately discussed and considered.
To solve groundwater and high water table issues that plague our area before additional development is allowed.
To ensure proper infrastructure, such as sewers and roads, are in place to enable planned projects.
To ensure schools can meet projected demands on resources.
To ensure emergency services, such as fire, police, and paramedic can meet projected demands.
To alleviate any potential health and safety concerns related to proposed development.
To ensure quality of life issues are satisfied and remain paramount to tax revenue generation.
To preserve and protect the rural character of town.
To ensure that environmental concerns are thoroughly examined to ensure that the integrity of the aquifer is maintained.
To ensure that environmental concerns are thoroughly examined to ensure wetlands, and the wildlife they support, are preserved.

Recently, the Town of Rotterdam was informed of Wal-Marts intention to build a super-center between Burdeck Street and Princetown Road, though no formal plans have been submitted yet. The problems that would be created as a result are numerous and include severe infringement on a residential neighborhood, destruction of Little League ball fields, possible hindrance to emergency services, and increased safety risk to Jefferson Elementary schoolchildren due to increased traffic flows. Basic necessary infrastructure such as sewers, roads, and sidewalks are absent or inadequate. There is a host of unique economic concerns that a Wal-Mart, in particular, introduces as well.

We are advocating for responsible development. We are not advocating a moratorium to stifle further development. We believe that adoption of a town-wide moratorium by the Town of Rotterdam, in effect standing still to carefully plan all zoning and development concerns town-wide, actually positions the Town to emerge from such better prepared and more likely to attract the type of development desired, while preserving quality of life for residents. In fact, our neighboring communities of Colonie, Malta, Clifton Park, Niskayuna, western parts of Guilderland, Ballston, and Stillwater have or are considering moratoriums.

For additional information or to find out how you can help, visit www.nag12306.org or email [email protected]