Hello, Collar City! This is Issue 26, dated March 15, 2019.

Hello, again! And welcome to the few dozen of you who recently found TL via Superior Merchandise Co.'s



TL



It was great to meet many of you on Wednesday at SMCo. It was very gratifying to hear about how TL has helped to inform your lives here in Troy. I hope you like your schwag.



Those of you who have not yet collected your items: I'll be at the farmers market at the Atrium tomorrow from 10 A.M. to 11 A.M., hanging out with bags and mags somewhere in the hallway-ish area that you enter from Broadway near Fourth St. That's the glassy area pictured below:

If I owe you a bag/mag and we don't connect tomorrow, I'll be in touch via email. Thanks for your patience! ! And welcome to the few dozen of you who recently found TL via Superior Merchandise Co.'s Instagram ! It's always nice (and nerve-wracking) to get an influx of subscribers.TL now has more than a hundred patrons on Patreon . These supporters, most of whom are contributing $5/month, help to keep TL free and discoverable for everyone. (Thank you, again.) The first 50 of those patrons have received or will receive a TL-branded tote bag and a fridge magnet. All the totes are claimed (sorry), but there is still time, if you subscribe at or above the $5 level, to get a fridge magnet. You can do that here . If I reach 200 patrons, I will continue to produce TL for at least another year.It was great to meet many of you on Wednesday at SMCo. It was very gratifying to hear about how TL has helped to inform your lives here in Troy. I hope you like your schwag.Those of you who have not yet collected your items:, hanging out with bags and mags somewhere in the hallway-ish area that you enter from Broadway near Fourth St. That's the glassy area pictured below:If I owe you a bag/mag and we don't connect tomorrow, I'll be in touch via email. Thanks for your patience!

In this issue: another short profile of a small, local farm; a new-old bikeway study; and a Capitaland closure. Enjoy!

: another short profile of a small, local farm; a new-old bikeway study; and a Capitaland closure. Enjoy!

Edible Uprising Farm

Nearly an acre of land next to the South Troy Dodgers field is slated to become Edible Uprising Farm, which expects to offer an array of CSA share options to the public this year, starting in June.



Colorado natives Ben Stein and Alicia Brown, the team behind the project (pictured below, gazing out at the site), had been looking to buy potential farmland in Vermont but instead settled, after a visit to the Collar City in November, on a lease arrangement at 40 Springwood Manor with property owner John Johanson, who they met through a mutual connection.



They've come to believe they're better off in Troy. The vegetable farm scene in Vermont is saturated, Brown said. Starting one there might have required them to focus on exporting specialty goods rather than feeding people locally. "This situation meant that instead of investing all our money in the land, we can invest in systems that really are good for the soil, good for the community," she said.

Right now the duo is focused on clearing brush and planning the layout of the farm, which will feature two caterpillar tunnels surrounded by intercropped beds.



Urban farming, of course, has its complications. Digging a well within city limits is verboten, Brown said, so they'll be using city water, which is treated with chlorine—not so great for the soil. They're considering how to filter the water or use holding tanks.



The duo plans to grow dozens of vegetable varieties throughout the year, said Brown, who added that they are confident the crops will flourish. Both have broken ground fresh before. "We've done soil samples and soil surveys, and this is prime agricultural soil," Brown said.



Stein and Brown expect their project to be reviewed by the city's zoning board of appeals this month, on the 26th.



You can find more information about the farm, including its CSA pricing and contact details,

Right now the duo is focused on clearing brush and planning the layout of the farm, which will feature two caterpillar tunnels surrounded by intercropped beds.Urban farming, of course, has its complications. Digging a well within city limits is verboten, Brown said, so they'll be using city water, which is treated with chlorine—not so great for the soil. They're considering how to filter the water or use holding tanks.The duo plans to grow dozens of vegetable varieties throughout the year, said Brown, who added that they are confident the crops will flourish. Both have broken ground fresh before. "We've done soil samples and soil surveys, and this is prime agricultural soil," Brown said.Stein and Brown expect their project to be reviewed by the city's zoning board of appeals this month, on the 26th.You can find more information about the farm, including its CSA pricing and contact details, on its website . CSA sizes vary; Brown and Stein estimate that this year they'll have the capacity to accommodate about 30 large shares. They've already sold about a quarter of those.

Uncle Sam Bikeway Study





Excluding the more recent (and still not quite finished) extension through downtown and South Troy, the Uncle Sam Bikeway is a 3.5-mile former rail corridor that runs between Northern Dr. and Middleburgh St. It has a trailhead at each end, plus one at Gurley Ave. Here's a map, from the study:

The "



One potential improvement: Let people get on and off the path at more spots. The route "comes very close to, but does not connect with," nearly a dozen different city streets, according to the study. It also abuts at least three municipal parks and four schools (Lansingburgh High School, Knickerbacker Middle School, Rensselaer Park Elementary School, and Catholic Central High School) without formally connecting to them. This lack of access points restricts the path's usefulness for non-recreational transportation.



It also makes the path feel less safe. "The majority of the corridor remains in wooded areas, out of sight of development or human activity," the plan observes. "This can create a feeling of isolation and a lack of security for pedestrians and bicyclists on the Uncle Sam Bikeway, deterring people from using [it]." The plan recommends installing lights at "all access points and proper intervals." Some landscaping is also suggested: "All shrubs and groundcover should not exceed two feet in height, and lower tree canopies should be trimmed to six feet."



The plan makes a number of operational recommendations. The city should establish a "safety and security program," a maintenance program, and a code of conduct or "trail ordinance," the plan says.



If you've ridden your bike on the path at all recently, you've probably noticed it's a bit of a bumpy ride at times. The plan recommends that the city "create a long term plan to completely replace the trail’s surface within the next 5-7 years."



The final page of the report features a cost summary of the various short- and long-term improvements contemplated, which total just over $1 million. At least for now, though, it seems the city will enact only a fraction of the study's recommendations. The city will be installing new way-finding signage and intersection treatments along the trail, a city staffer said at the Transport Troy meeting in January.



Read the study in full

This week, through an open records request, I obtained from the city a years-old study of the Uncle Sam Bikeway . I'm not sure if it was ever released to the general public (until now). I requested it from the city after it was mentioned at a Transport Troy meeting in January. (The study is also mentioned in last year's " Troy Bicycle Connections Plan .")Excluding the more recent (and still not quite finished) extension through downtown and South Troy, the Uncle Sam Bikeway is a 3.5-mile former rail corridor that runs between Northern Dr. and Middleburgh St. It has a trailhead at each end, plus one at Gurley Ave. Here's a map, from the study:The " Uncle Sam Bikeway Improvement Action Plan " (2016) makes a variety of recommendations intended to improve the trail's usage, brand, and safety.One potential improvement: Let people get on and off the path at more spots. The route "comes very close to, but does not connect with," nearly a dozen different city streets, according to the study. It also abuts at least three municipal parks and four schools (Lansingburgh High School, Knickerbacker Middle School, Rensselaer Park Elementary School, and Catholic Central High School) without formally connecting to them. This lack of access points restricts the path's usefulness for non-recreational transportation.It also makes the path feel less safe. "The majority of the corridor remains in wooded areas, out of sight of development or human activity," the plan observes. "This can create a feeling of isolation and a lack of security for pedestrians and bicyclists on the Uncle Sam Bikeway, deterring people from using [it]." The plan recommends installing lights at "all access points and proper intervals." Some landscaping is also suggested: "All shrubs and groundcover should not exceed two feet in height, and lower tree canopies should be trimmed to six feet."The plan makes a number of operational recommendations. The city should establish a "safety and security program," a maintenance program, and a code of conduct or "trail ordinance," the plan says.If you've ridden your bike on the path at all recently, you've probably noticed it's a bit of a bumpy ride at times. The plan recommends that the city "create a long term plan to completely replace the trail’s surface within the next 5-7 years."The final page of the report features a cost summary of the various short- and long-term improvements contemplated, which total just over $1 million. At least for now, though, it seems the city will enact only a fraction of the study's recommendations. The city will be installing new way-finding signage and intersection treatments along the trail, a city staffer said at the Transport Troy meeting in January.Read the study in full here

This Capitaland Lot Could Be Yours



Peek said he has already fielded "a bunch of calls" about the property, which he is open to selling or leasing.



Earlier this month, Peek



"There's no such thing as taxi cab companies anymore," Peek, laughing, said (somewhat hyperbolically). "It's all done, my friend." Capitaland won't be totally shutting down, though—just focusing on medical transports "and things like that," he said.



The closure of the taxi stand coincides with the demolition of the ex-KeyBank building at Congress and Fourth streets, which will allow for the construction of a five-story, eighty-unit apartment building at that nearby site.



Capitaland, oddly enough, helped to facilitate the apartment project. Its developer, The Rosenblum Cos., purchased two city-owned lots appurtenant to the taxi lot (one of which was a dilapidated home, which the developer demolished), paved them, and transferred them to the taxi company as part of a larger deal that eventually saw the city take title to a parking lot previously held by Capitaland at the northwest corner of Ferry and Fourth streets and Rosenblum take title to a municipal parking lot next to the KeyBank site.



In case the above paragraph made your head hurt, here's a map I made at the time the deal was coming together early last year (Capitaland now owns 86 Ferry and 163 Fourth):

The multi-step deal afforded Rosenblum a larger project site while preserving city-owned, off-street parking in the area. Capitaland "did O.K. on that deal," too, Peek told me.

The Prohibition Project



I attended last night's show. The layout is pretty neat: There's a (real) bar near the entrance, then an array of mini-stages around the gallery space. Characters—including a rabbi, a politician, a hitman, a labor leader, a boxer, and a socialite—inhabit concurrent mini-pieces that periodically merge with others. You can sort of follow one character around for a bit, or float around to different happenings. Or just drink rye cocktails at the bar!

After the show, I spoke briefly with director Brenna Geffers. She also directed TFT's La Ronde, another immersive performance, staged at Frear House, last year. For The Prohibition Project, Geffers said the space itself—part of a former shirt factory—helped to inspire the work's content.



As for choreographing this sort of thing, "It just comes down to a sense of timing," Geffers said. "Everyone has their own track. So they know they do this, they do that, they can't be late here, because this is gonna start." The actors wrote their own parts, TFT artistic director David Girard said in brief remarks at the performance's conclusion.



The company will present 100 Years, a new dark comedy by Richard Dresser, in late May. The performance's location has not yet been announced. Tickets will go on sale next month.

Troy Foundry Theatre's The Prohibition Project, a commission with Die-Cast of Philadelphia , performed at Collar Works at Hudson Arthaus apartments on River St., is headed into its final three performances: tonight, tomorrow night, and Sunday afternoon. You can buy tickets here I attended last night's show. The layout is pretty neat: There's a (real) bar near the entrance, then an array of mini-stages around the gallery space. Characters—including a rabbi, a politician, a hitman, a labor leader, a boxer, and a socialite—inhabit concurrent mini-pieces that periodically merge with others. You can sort of follow one character around for a bit, or float around to different happenings. Or just drink rye cocktails at the bar!After the show, I spoke briefly with director Brenna Geffers. She also directed TFT's La Ronde, another immersive performance, staged at Frear House, last year. For The Prohibition Project, Geffers said the space itself—part of a former shirt factory—helped to inspire the work's content.As for choreographing this sort of thing, "It just comes down to a sense of timing," Geffers said. "Everyone has their own track. So they know they do this, they do that, they can't be late here, because this is gonna start." The actors wrote their own parts, TFT artistic director David Girard said in brief remarks at the performance's conclusion.The company will present 100 Years, a new dark comedy by Richard Dresser, in late May. The performance's location has not yet been announced. Tickets will go on sale next month. The Capitaland Taxi hub at the corner of Fourth and Ferry streets has closed permanently, owner Bret Peek told me in a brief phone interview on Thursday. When I visited the site this week, there was a "for rent" sign in the window and an absence of vehicles in the lot.Peek said he has already fielded "a bunch of calls" about the property, which he is open to selling or leasing.Earlier this month, Peek told the Times Union that he had closed Capitaland offices in Schenectady and Saratoga Springs and planned "to shift its Albany operations to its office in Colonie." The article explored the impact of ride-hailing services on the taxi business."There's no such thing as taxi cab companies anymore," Peek, laughing, said (somewhat hyperbolically). "It's all done, my friend." Capitaland won't be totally shutting down, though—just focusing on medical transports "and things like that," he said.The closure of the taxi stand coincides with the demolition of the ex-KeyBank building at Congress and Fourth streets, which will allow for the construction of a five-story, eighty-unit apartment building at that nearby site.Capitaland, oddly enough, helped to facilitate the apartment project. Its developer, The Rosenblum Cos., purchased two city-owned lots appurtenant to the taxi lot (one of which was a dilapidated home, which the developer demolished), paved them, and transferred them to the taxi company as part of a larger deal that eventually saw the city take title to a parking lot previously held by Capitaland at the northwest corner of Ferry and Fourth streets and Rosenblum take title to a municipal parking lot next to the KeyBank site.In case the above paragraph made your head hurt, here's a map I made at the time the deal was coming together early last year (Capitaland now owns 86 Ferry and 163 Fourth):The multi-step deal afforded Rosenblum a larger project site while preserving city-owned, off-street parking in the area. Capitaland "did O.K. on that deal," too, Peek told me.

The Return of NIP

This week, the city clerk's office announced that the city council will again offer Neighborhood Improvement Program funding this year. Details:

Proposed projects should enhance public spaces through painting, public art, signage, maintenance of parks and trails, plantings, or other improvements. The maximum award amount is $1000 per project. Materials and supplies should be purchased from local businesses in Rensselaer County to the greatest extent possible. Payments will be made by check directly to vendors. Direct payments or reimbursements to individuals will not be approved. Funding will be distributed equally across the city to the extent possible based on an evaluation of the proposed projects.



The 2019 application and guidelines can be found online, on the Troy City Council Facebook page, or at the City Clerk’s Office, 433 River Street, 5th Floor, Troy, NY 12180. Questions should be submitted in writing via e-mail to cityclerk@troyny.gov. The City Clerk must receive all NIP applications by 4:30 PM on Monday, April 15, 2019. The City Council expects to approve funding on May 2, 2018.

Last year's projects, mapped here, included new planters downtown, a sign marking the only remaining bell foundry building in the city, and a new trail sign in Frear Park.



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