Troy

The City Council chose to back Hillside residents Thursday and reject the sale of a vacant lot where a developer proposed a $1.5 million apartment building.

Hillside residents turned out for the monthly council meeting to back Michael McDonough, a resident who wants erect a single-family home at 168 10th St. and live there.

Sequence Development of downtown Troy was to be sold the quarter-acre lot for $2,000. It planned to build a nine-unit apartment building.

The council voted 6-1 to sell the vacant lot instead to McDonough for $1,000.

"We don't need student housing," said Andrew Lynn, who lives across the street at 167 10th St.

Sequence Development owner Jeff Buell has been active in managing student rental properties in the neighborhoods surrounding the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute campus

Kaleb Winters of 1002 Peoples Ave. warned the nine-unit apartment building proposed by Sequence would worsen parking issues in the neighborhood.

Amy Halloran of 10th Street said Sequence would have to seek rezoning of the property to build the apartment units. The city recently rezoned the Hillside neighborhood to preserve its character of single- and two-family homes.

The council's decision came on the night when City Council President Carmella Mantello delivered the council's response to Mayor Patrick Madden's State of the City Speech. Madden made his speech in February.

Mantello's presentation, which was a collaborative effort by the Republicans and Democrats, emphasized supporting the city's neighborhoods and getting residents more involved with city government.

She said the council's vote to change the sale fell in line with responding to residents.

In other matters, the council voted unanimously to approve a contract with Assistant Police Chief George VanBramer, With the new contract, VanBramer will retire at the end of the month allowing Capt. Christopher Kehn to succeed him.

kcrowe@timesunion.com • 518-454-5084 • @KennethCrowe