Petition started in opposition of Radtke project in Colonie

The old Radtke Farm with Maxwell Road to the right and Winner’s Circle to the left. Photo provided

COLONIE — There is a petition started to stop a request to rezone some 23 acres of land between Wolf and Rustyville roads to allow the construction of a 158-unit apartment building and a 61-unit facility for seniors.

The project, located between Wolf and Rustyville roads to the east and west, also did include the construction of a long discussed connector road between the Winners Circle traffic circle to the north and the traffic circle on Albany Shaker road near Maxwell Road to the south. It is anticipated this road will alleviate some of the traffic at the north end of Wolf Road, one of the most congested spots in the Capital District.

The developer, Ben Radtke, whose family has owned the land for decades and used to farm it, is asking for a Planned Development District, which would allow for more density than the current Single Family Residential zoning allows — which is about 45 lots with one home per lot and possibly some set aside for storm water management.

The petition, started by Dana McLeod-Small, a Rustyville Road resident, had 83 signatures as of Monday.

“I cannot get out of my road in the morning for work and forget about driving on the weekend. I live near the beautiful park, The Crossings, which is open to everyone, not just Colonie Residents, but with all the traffic going there you cannot drive on Albany Shaker Road,” she wrote in the petitions opening salvo. “Now, think about adding 200 more residents to this mix, trying to get out of their road and drive down Albany Shaker. Residents who live here better start to wake up and fight against the injustice that is happening to our town, by these elected officials.”

The project was first introduced to the Planning Board in June, 2018, and included 204 apartments in three-three story buildings, a 61-unit facility for senior housing and 1,500 square feet of retail space.

It came back before the Planning Board in October, 2018, sans the retail and fewer market rate apartments in two buildings instead of three.

In the announcement flyer posted recently near the proposed site it says there will be “a three-story apartment building, separated by two wings connected by an arrival pavilion/pergola entry.”

It says there will still be 158 units, and it appears, from the above description, still two buildings with a common area between. There will be 251 parking spaces and access from Maxwell Road Extension, or the continuation of Maxwell Road at the traffic circle on Albany Shaker Road.

The senior housing facility would have 44 parking spots and access by Albany Shaker Road.

According to Radtke at a previous meeting, the family would run the apartment building while Brickford Senior Living, a Kansas City based company with 58 senior housing facilities, would manage the senior component.

The Planning Board took no action either time the project was before it. It is slated to be back before the board on April 9.

The online petition can be found at change.org.

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