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EDITORIAL
Two-year trial with downsized dock the way to go in Stockade

    Schenectady officials, who envisioned smooth sailing for their plan to build a 300-foot dock in the Stockade’s Riverfront Park but instead encountered serious headwinds in the form of complaints from neighborhood residents, have done what any savvy sailor would do: altered course. Their revised plan — to build a smaller dock and put it in the park, then move it if residents still object — seems reasonable enough.
    The devil will be in the details, though. How much smaller will the downsized dock be? Just to accommodate the Onrust, the replica of a 17th century Dutch sailing vessel that would be permanently docked there, it would have to be at least 60 feet. To accommodate the additional, temporary docking of boats navigating the Mohawk — the whole point of building the dock — it would obviously have to be longer. But 300 feet — the size of a football field — probably is too long. A dock that size filled to capacity with boats would bring too many people to the neighborhood all at once, as opponents fear.
    Another question: Where would the dock go if it were moved in two years? Metroplex Development Authority Chairman Ray Gillen says he envisions docks adjacent to a housing development planned for the old Alco side. Moving the dock there would certainly be acceptable as long as it remains fairly close to the Stockade. ................>>>>...................>>>>...............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00501&AppName=1

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All Sch’dy residents should have say in Stockade dock issue

    There’s a heated debate in Schenectady’s Stockade Historic District regarding the city’s proposed plan for installing a seasonal dock along the Mohawk River in Riverside Park [March 29 Gazette].
    First, let me say that Riverside Park is a city park, separate from the historic district, so all residents of Schenectady should have a say on whether the city places a dock there, especially since the dock would be placed a short walking distance from State Street, Proctors, etc. (There would be no overnight docking allowed).
    The replica of the historic Onrust ship would dock at Riverside Park — an ideal site for the vessel. Some Stockade residents are very concerned that the dock will attract after-hours’ shenanigans and cause parking problems. However, there are already year-round hijinks in the park, and there’s a large parking lot adjacent to the park that can even accommodate school buses.
    Schenectady residents who agree the Riverside Park dock plan could prove a boon to both the Stockade and the city as a whole are encouraged to let the city know by e-mailing a brief statement to that effect to prodock@hotmail.com. Please include your name(s), and address!

    ROB GAVEL
    Schenectady
The writer lives in the Stockade.

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00706&AppName=1

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Stockade needs a good cleanup, not a dock

    Re April 4 Viewpoint, “Not at our Riverside”: In response to Mr. Frank Gilmore’s opinion piece, I think his comparison of Riverside Park to Tivoli [Gardens], Boston’s public garden and New York’s Central Park is like comparing polar bears and chipmunks.
    The three parks he cites have hundreds of acres and only Tivoli has been developed commercially. In contrast, Riverside Park is tiny and it is surrounded by a residential neighborhood. The park’s space comes right up to the back doors of some houses.
    As to the April 6 letter [“All Sch’dy residents should have a say in Stockade dock issue”] complaining that we Stockaders act as though we own the parks, we are well aware of that and never discouraged others from using it as long as they are respectful of the space. But we do take pride in Riverside and its listing on the National Historic Register. We take care of it — we plant the gardens, tend the flower beds and pick up trash. Lawrence the Indian is also a city park and we take care of it also.
    And, yes, we feel ownership for the Stockade as a whole, for what would it be if not for the work and expense the individual owners have put into their buildings? But it is a constant struggle not to slip backward. Right now there is absolutely no code enforcement and we have many houses that need to be rescued. The sidewalks are ugly and dangerous. We have problems with graffiti and vandalism.
    What is the point of hoping a dock and the wonderful Onrust will bring people to our shore when the area itself is not the showpiece it could and should be? Do the proponents of the dock really believe that boaters who have seen Annapolis, Alexandria and Charleston are going to be impressed with the Stockade? Their reaction would probably be “Schenectady has this jewel and they don’t even take care of it.” Help is the kind of development we need — not a gimmick in the parks.
    East Front Street has a very good riverfront plan, which they support. Why doesn’t the council use the canal funds to help them go forward? Give us a good code enforcement office and help us continue to improve our neighborhood where it counts, on the historic buildings which we Stockaders treasure.

    SUSANNA R. SHERWOOD
    Schenectady

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00502&AppName=1

SCHENECTADY

Stockade voters oppose dock proposal

BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter



    Stockade residents voted 2-to-1 against the city’s proposal to install a seasonal dock at Riverside Park during a special meeting Thursday night at the First Reformed Church on North Church Street.
    The total represents tallies from two separate votes — one involving Stockade Association members, who voted 55 against and 39 in favor of the dock; and the other involving residents who are not members of the association, who voted 31 against and two for the dock. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting.
    The Stockade Association, which sponsored the meeting, will send the results to the City Council.
    City Council President Gary McCarthy, who attended the meeting, said he is not sure of the vote’s significance. “It shows a divided community,” he said.
    The City Council is expected to take up the dock issue in June or July, after it receives reports from several state agencies. The agencies are reviewing a draft environmental impact statement on the project sent to them by Zoning Officer Steven Strichman. Strichman submitted the long-form statement shortly after the city named itself lead agency on the project.
    Strichman said the project is a Type I action under the State Environmental Quality Review law. A Type I action requires the city to identify and mitigate significant environmental impacts related to the project.
    A majority of Stockade residents Thursday night said the dock would hurt the character of the neighborhood, a designated historic district. “I am against this dock. I am not saying this because I am against progress, but I am against this dock,” said association member Connie Colangelo. Her husband, Marty, said a dock would increase traffic and noise. ..............>>>>...............>>>>................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01301&AppName=1

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Sch’dy council must remove emotion from Stockade dock vote

    It’s time to bring a bit of understanding into the Stockade dock controversy.
    The suggestion of installing a temporary summer dock got a very negative vote at an April 22 neighborhood meeting. Tempers have fl ared strongly, and sometimes unpleasantly, around the issue. We may or may not resolve the controversy amicably, but the heat needs to be turned down.
    The vote that night attracted many people who had not previously joined the [Stockade] Association to vote on other issues. Of the 31 non-member votes that were tabulated separately, 29 voted “no.” No wonder the total vote was so negative.
    The antagonists got out their voters. No one was nearly so active seeking out positive voters, and little was heard from people who love the river and use it for recreation; nor from the Canal Corp. nor from school or tour groups. The vote did not seem to be truly representative of neighborhood interests.
    In 2005, after a lengthy discussion with [city Zoning Offi cer] Steve Strichman, who presented the idea at the recent meeting, the Association board voted unanimously to explore the idea. They explored it and then dropped it because no money was available, not because of controversy. Money is reportedly available now.
    There are problems with the current plan: The dock’s size, how it is serviced and protected, winter storage, maintenance costs, etc., are issues that need study. Those whose houses border the spot where the dock is proposed may well be negatively affected, but no thought seems to have been given to owners’ concerns. Unfortunately the controversy festered and tempers fl ared for weeks before the meeting. None of us handled the issue well. Trust is lacking all around.
    The City Council will make the fi nal decision. With care, they will seek facts and develop good answers to problems with the dock. If they can’t, they should vote it down. It needs thoughtful consideration, not shouting and divisive anger.

    ROBERT M. BRIBER
    Schenectady

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00903&AppName=1

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SCHENECTADY
Riverside Park dock edges near final vote
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    The plan to put a dock in Riverside Park is still alive and well, and may soon come before the City Council for a fi nal vote.
    “It’s looking like we’re going to approve it,” said Councilwoman Barbara Blanchard. “Even with Peggy King’s no.”
    Councilwoman Margaret King, who lives in the Stockade neighborhood where the park is located, said she will likely vote against the dock. She said she simply can’t approve it when so many of her neighbors, who would live near the dock, are opposed to it.
    “I’m probably going to oppose it,” she said. “It’s probably going to be with the majority of my neighbors, to be a good neighbor to them. To people who live right down there, it can be noisy at times. It is a concern.”
    The council may vote on an environmental review of the project late next month. That’s the fi nal step before it can get a permit for the work.
    In the meantime, Zoning Offi cer Steven Strichman has presented the plans to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which would issue the permit. In an informal review, DEC approved the dock’s location, which is at the heart of the controversy surrounding the project.
    Some residents in the historic Stockade district have argued that a dock would draw crowds to the park.
    They also voiced fears that boaters would come ashore, drink heavily and party in the narrow strip of parkland between the river and the nearby residential streets.
    But supporters say the dock would bring in boaters who want to tour the historic neighborhood and then continue on down the river.
    They also say the city can’t afford to neglect its waterfront, which could lead to economic development in the nearby Alco brownfi elds.
    King said a dock would be “kind of neat” because it could offer activities for local boaters.
    While the dock would not include a boat launch, residents could carry kayaks and canoes to the river, using the dock to reach the water.....................>>>>.....................>>>>....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01103&AppName=1

Another typical idiotic City Hall proposal that the residents don't want. Who cares about the public when they have to vote incumbent DEM anyway? With Stratton's $13 MILLION deficit they keeping wasting precious time on unpopular measures. Get down to brass tacks and slash bloated City spending.  

     Peggy King is a well known double talker and is only voting against the dock because they don't need her vote. This will be approved 6-1 with token opposition. Ba-Ba Blanchard will only act when it is a full blown disaster? Then it's too late. There is no parking and no place for the alleged tourists to spend money.  Hopefully King, Stratton and Allen will all leave next year. They have done enough damage.

They can build the Onrust's dock in Rotterdam.  I'd be glad to have it in our town.

That makes more sense than the Stockade with its parking and crime issues.

As much as I would like to have it (Onrust) in Rotterdam,  I have no problem with the Stockade proposal.
The Stockade needs something to revitalize it .. it has gotten rather "worn around the edges" lately.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

As much as I would like to have it (Onrust) in Rotterdam,  I have no problem with the Stockade proposal.
The Stockade needs something to revitalize it .. it has gotten rather "worn around the edges" lately.

eventually even the Coloseum fell apart.......

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SCHENECTADY
Confusion may kill Onrust dock plan
Official told state that grant wouldn’t be needed
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    A miscommunication has left the Onrust without a future home.
    The replica of the fi rst decked ship built in North America was to spend its summers docked near the Stockade, the oldest historic district in the state.
    But Zoning Officer Steven Strichman told Stockade residents Thursday that the plans to build a dock in the Stockade’s Riverside Park have been scuttled. The proposal had been controversial, with some neighborhood residents in favor and some against.
    Strichman told the association that the city had dropped its plans because the Onrust was going to Scotia instead.
    “We don’t have a match. We don’t have the Onrust,” he said. “It’s going to be in Scotia.”
    The dock was to be built with a state grant that required matching funds from the city. The state had agreed to accept the presence of the Onrust in lieu of money.
    But the news about the dock surprised Don Rittner, Onrust organizer and historian.
    He said he had planned to do nothing more than bring the Onrust to Scotia for special events.
    “There’s no agreement between us and Scotia,” he said. “Steve’s jumping the gun.”
    Strichman cited a Daily Gazette story that described the plans for docks in Scotia. The plans included space for the Onrust. But Rittner said those plans never included the Onrust’s permanent presence. ...................>>>>....................................>>>>...............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00900&AppName=1

Bring the Onrust to Rotterdam  .. we will find a home for it in the new park to be built along the Mohawk in Rotterdam Jct.

Quoted from senders

eventually even the Coloseum fell apart.......

A huge victory for the residents of the Stockade. No one wanted it. And opps-no State funding-lol. Blame the State for City Hall incompetence. Scotia is the best site.

Supposed to have state money spent for this?

Uh, does anyone know the state is in a major financial crisis????????????    The state doesn't have enough money for absolute necessities and this story mentions spending state money on this boat?