Zoning, Schmoning

The usual route for a business wanting to build on a lot not zoned for its type of use would be to request and comply with a zoning variance. But instead, the developers of the controversial plan to put a Walgreens Pharmacy and a Panera Bread Co. on Holland Avenue, near Albany’s University Heights complex, are trying to get the underlying zoning changed—from office to highway commercial, basically exempting them from further design review. Such “spot zoning” is illegal in many cities. Public comment will be taken at the Dec. 5 Common Council meeting.

Warming Up for a Heated Debate

Montreal greeted up to 10,000 representatives from 189 nations on Monday, Nov. 28, in the first global climate-change conference since the Kyoto Protocol was put into effect in February. Although it is the worldwide leader in harmful emissions, the United States refused to sign the protocol, and refused to attend the current conference. “A targets and timetables approach will not work for us,” said chief U.S. climate negotiator Harlan Watson, according to Reuters.

Out of Energy

Many school districts struggling to work within their budgets have taken aim at energy costs. While many have taken to turning down their thermostats and keeping some lights off, the Saint Paul, Minn., City School District has enacted a $25 per appliance annual fee for any staff member who wants to run an appliance, such as a coffee pot, fridge or fan. Teachers are not amused.

Oh, You’re in Trouble Now

The fiasco surrounding Sony BMG’s decision to include hidden software capable of damaging consumers’ computers (and increasing their chance of virus attack) on more than 5 million albums has caught the attention of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. While Spitzer hasn’t announced yet whether he’ll follow the lead of his Texas counterpart and sue Sony BMG, he has encouraged consumers to avoid buying any of the CDs and scolded stores for not taking them off their shelves. Spitzer also reported that his investigators were able to purchase many of the malignant discs at local stores in the last week despite a recall announcement almost a month ago.

Overheard:

“Delaware Avenue’s haunted.”

“Delaware Avenue?”

“Yeah. Something bad happened there.”

—CDTA Route 18 bus, in the midst of a discussion of haunted houses.

Overheard:“Question his manhood.”

—Ralph Nader, at a press conference Tuesday supporting Alice Green, in response to a question about how Green could convince Mayor Jerry Jennings to participate in a debate.

Roumen Dimitrov, the RPI postdoc who had to return to Bulgaria after losing his work visa over a clash with his research advisor [“Go Unpublished or Perish,” Nov. 13, 2003], reports that he is now working for the University of Sofia in Bulgaria in the department of Theoretical Physics. The Biophysical Journal paper that had been delayed by the disputes, and which Dimitrov had been told when he pulled out of his severance agreement would not be published, was published in July 2004. Dimitrov is also pleased that he has in fact received credit for the algorithms he contributed to his RPI advisor’s Web site. . . . Albany’s Women’s Building has pulled itself out of its financial troubles of two years ago [“Tough Times at the Women’s Building,” Feb. 19, 2004] and is setting its sights high. Under the interim leadership of Carmen Rau, the Holding Our Own foundation, which had originally helped finance the mortgage on the building, stepped in to help stabilize the organization. “When women’s building ran into trouble, Holding Our Own stepped forward from silent partner to a more stewardship role,” said Rau. “This is how it was supposed to work, because . . . sometimes things go wrong.” A series of town-hall meetings focused the vision, and raised nearly half the funds needed to retire the mortgage. A fund-raising campaign has also been launched to install an elevator, the office space is full and has a waiting list, and the space is in use—on a very steep sliding scale—by different groups every night of the week. Looking forward, Rau said volunteers are organizing security shifts so the building and its library can actually open its doors for several hours every day, and new collaborations are being spawned from the art show they recently mounted (pictured, up until Dec. 10). . . . The Delaware Avenue Price Chopper—the only grocery store near downtown Albany—is getting a new look. The Golub Corp., which owns the Price Chopper grocery chain, is renovating the façade to resemble the Madison Avenue Price Chopper, said Mona Golub, Price Chopper’s spokeswoman, and the interior will get a new paint job. Golub has said in the past that the Delaware Avenue store faces special challenges, including the fact that it’s less than half the size of most grocery stores built today [“Food and the City,” Feb 19, 2004]. At the same time, she reiterated the company’s commitment to keeping the store open. The Hudson/Park Neighborhood Association worked closely with the Golub Corp. on the original design of the Delaware Avenue store to make it fit better into the historic neighborhood. The latest changes to the store are taking place at the same time that a number of long-abandoned homes in that section of Hudson/Park have been bought and are also undergoing renovation.