I couldn't keep up in the previous thread related to this - what are the negatives about expanding the community center ?

i don't want this to be political bash thread - i want it to be strictly with the issue

quote:

Originally posted by UNHOLY:
i don't want this to be political bash thread - i want it to be strictly with the issue

Bwahahahahahaha... good one.

Unholy, my objections are almost purely visceral. I find the "vision" and pace of commercial development in the town to be damn odd. The whole idea that we'll have a mini downtown Saratoga is not only unattainable but also (from my perspective) undesirable. Somehow, I see the town hall issue as linked. Maybe just that whole "halo effect" we all learned about in Psych 101, but the plan seems over-drawn, unnecessary, and largely grandiose (sp?). I'd love to have a pool but in fact I wouldn't use it any more than I do the other two that are available (the Saratoga Y's and the school's). Are there 100 people in the town who need an indoor track? If all we need are a few more craft/yoga rooms, break up the big room in the middle of the existing center, make better use of existing space in the town hall, fix up the existing library. Malta is Malta. If I wanted to live in Clifton Park or Colonie, I'd be there. Besides, I'd like to see the fantacies of the planners checked hard. So there.

i think the vision is 1 or 2 story building type development town...not city~ish at all ...like a walking type community ... i think the Ellsworth Common type project - a multi story - multi faceted, high density type establishment is against what some people envision for Malta. If this type of growth is allowed ..it might be ok for this one to exist but it opens the door for others like this to be planned for ...now all of Rte 9 looks like downtown Saratoga .....maybe that's not a bad thing - maybe it is ...it's all on what people want Malta to be.

Right now Malta has a "rural" type feel to it ....easy to get around for the most part - not a lot of congestion ...do we build it up like Saratoga with multi storied buildings for residential \ commercial use ? go BigBox like Cilfton Park and Wilton ? ...or do we do something unique and Malta our own

I personally do not use the Community Center ..but i do think its neat all the things that are offered ...i think if people think there is a need for a bigger a center then we should do it. If the current facility has out grown its use then we should expand.

I also learned how our taxes are spent (i kinda already knew this but never really focused on it)....most is the school tax (which is another rant) ...then NYS Mandate, County and then town tax ...we really don't pay that much to Malta. So to complain about Malta tax doesn't make sense ..granted ...it is worth to complain that we want to keep it as it is and not for it to increase.

Bottom line ..if the there's a need for a larger community center we should build it. Is there something else other than the Center that money should be focused on ?

quote:

Originally posted by UNHOLY:
Is there something else other than the Center that money should be focused on ?

How about a Malta school district? Put that money plus the taxes we already pay to BS towards building our own schools.

I approve of a Malta School District

Malta isn't big enough to support our own school district. Small school districts were merged into larger districts years ago to cut costs and enable more advanced subjects to be taught.

first, everyone start humming the Petula Clark song,... ok good. The whole new 'master plan' for Malta was the brain child of developers. Now they're trying to lure them in. What better way to get them to build high density, high priced dwellings in "downtown" then to offer a health club..oops, I mean an expanded "community center" within walking distance.

jp, Malta is definitely large enough for its own school. The town I grew up in has a population of around 3000 people and has its own school. So does the town next to it about four miles away. Malta has 14,000 with a projected 24,000 in another 10 years.

All of the services currently provided by our community center are usually provided by the school in a town. A school also comes with sports fields and a gymnasium or two. With a school also comes a better sense of community, local sports teams to root for, a marching band for parades, etc.

I'd say the negative for the expansion is that it appears to be a substitute for having our own school.

km, brillantly analyzed. Thank you.

PS Roy, have you lost your mind??!! We can just about afford the school district we now have. Are you going to personally sew all those band uniforms and coach the football team? I have no credentials, but will volunteer to be superintendent. Certainly, NYS Dept of Education would have no problem with that.

A new school district would kill us with school taxes. Is the Ballston Spa school district overloaded ? can they NOT accommodate the kids ?

I do agree with Roy about the sense of Community ...but i would rather not pay more tax.

Forming a new school district would require applications to the State (Ed Dept?) and elsewhere. Talking with current and former school board members, I understand NY State to be in a consolidating mode, rather than an expanding mode. I agree that many communities have benefited from schools as quasi community centers. A school, let alone a district, doesn't look likely to happen in Malta.
That's why a library, an expanded community center, or more clearly defined public spaces in a central location (notice I avoided the term "downtown") make sense to me. I think Malta would benefit from a better "sense of place" or focus point for the community. Achieving this and keeping the lid on spending (and taxes) is going to take some time.

Roy - 14,000 people does not mean 14,000 kids. Just how many kids do you think are living in the town of Malta? Anyone know?

I don't really think Malta has a rural fell. I don't see any farms. The horse farm gone. The tree farm that was on 9 just sold and I bet not to a farmer.

While I like Roy's sentiment, we are too small for a school.

The thought of a pool is great but how many people will use it. Will it need a lifeguard. Will there be classes or is it just open. Will it's hours accomadate everyone? How about insurance. If one person gets hurt will they sue the town into bankruptcy?
I like the idea of libary. They could add to the coummity center and as Roy said put the historian in there. She is full time. Not a lot of libarian's are needed at once.

The school tax issue is a nation wide problem. Is there really anything that can be done about it?

quote:

Originally posted by merry:
PS Roy, have you lost your mind??!!

Actually, yes. It's gray and wrinkled, and I'm afraid it's wandering around all by itself in the forest. If you see it, please return it to me. Thanks!

Regarding adding a Malta school, the BCBS is already overcrowded, as is Shen. Both are in need of expansion at some point in the near future. If you take the Malta area kids out and form a school here, that alleviates the congestion at those two schools. My guess is that there are at least 3000 school-aged children living in Malta, and that will probably increase by about 2000 or so if the population increase occurs as projected.

Adding a school in Malta wouldn't be the opposite of the State's direction of school consolidation. On the contrary. I would recommend consolidating Shen, BCBS, and Burnt Hills into a Southern Saratoga school system with a common administration. You can still have individual high schools, just as each school system has multiple individual elementary schools now. Then, when it's time to expand the school, build the new buildings in Malta.

Based on the NYS Census for 2000, there were 13005 peoples living in Malta. 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Doing the math, there's approximately 378 children. That is not enough to start a Malta School District. That is why under the current Education consolidation, they go to the Ballston Spa Schools.

Since the 1990 Census there have only been 1300 peoples that have moved into the Town of Malta. I doubt very highly that Malta will reach 24,000 peoples living here in 10 more years. In 20 years there have been 6,000 people that have moved into the town. Yes there are more housing developments, but people have to be able to afford to live there. With the current cost of everything in this country, Population inflation will not be as significant as you think.

Going with what you're saying, if Malta makes thier own district, you'd have to take into consideration the amount of children per class room, per grade level. K-12.

I propose a College Campus in the area of the Horse Farm at Exit 12. Keep the expansion of the Library Growing, as it will be nice to have a quiet facility to use to Study. Children, Adults, Everybody can use it.

I have a problem with how old the community center we have nowis? 8 or 9 years? who planned for the future then? the programs they offer are fine but when does pay for your own classes come into this? get dance lessons at a private studio, swing dance on rt 9, exercise at the Y,go to wt. watchers on your own, pay for a nursery school. enough is enough! the seniors are taken care of - lets end all the other stuff. maybe malta would be better off if we used the existing businesses for what they are in business for