SARATOGA
Friday, October 1, 2010
14
Growth in Malta continued from Page 1 GlobalFoundries, a cutting edge computer chip factory under construction at Luther Forest Technology Park, projected to bring in approximately 1,465 new jobs to the area. “This is unprecedented,” said Bill Gomez, general manager of the Hyatt Place Hotel, which opened up beside Route 67 two years ago in anticipation of the new business opportunities GlobalFoundries presents to the region. “It’s one of the largest, if not the largest public/private growth project in the Americas. We’re here because of it, and are very bullish in our outlook.” Along with the Hyatt are new building projects such as Ellsworth Commons, a mixed residential and commercial project which will add 330 condominium units and several retail stores all on the same site off of Route 9. Several other businesses have also opened along or near Route 9, including a new Verizon Wireless store which opened on May 1 of this year, a CVS Pharmacy which relocated to a brand new building this last January, and future projects such as the expansion of the local hardware store Allerdice, set to move in to the old Northway Travel Trailer building in the near future. Also in
development are 851 units of climate controlled storage rooms in a three-story, 105,000 square foot building from Brian Hayes of Affordable Storages, being built along Route 9 by Bonacio Construction. While growth in Malta is undeniable, inevitable even, there are those who err on the side of caution, who believe we shouldn’t toss out the babe with the bathwater. “We’re going to have some growth, but let’s be smart about it,” said Malta Town Supervisor Paul Sausville. “Let’s retain our small town charm and our small town values, where everybody knows each other and everybody’s civil to each other. We don’t want to become a place where people don’t want to live.” Sausville, along with other members on the town board, are champions of smart growth, and not growth simply for growth’s sake. Projects that Sausville likes to call “high benefit, low impact projects,” that provide a clear and present benefit to the community are the main focus, he said, projects which he and other members of the town board believe Malta is ready to manage and support. Councilperson Tara Thomas, a lifelong resident of Malta, has a similar outlook when it comes to
managing smart growth in her home town. “It’s the only home I’ve ever known,” Thomas said, “and there’s a reason why we’re still living in Malta. It’s important to us that we maintain that small town charm and the quality of life that we have grown to know and love. So when we look at projects, we try to assess how they are going to fit in the community and how they are going to provide a benefit for the community.” One of the ways in which Malta is growing while trying to stick to its small town roots can be seen in the buildup of its infrastructure, including a series of roundabouts built along Route 9 and the Round Lake Bypass, designed to handle and relieve an increase in traffic without causing congestion, diverting the brunt of the flow away from Malta’s downtown area. “We’ve made it very clear that we want a walk-able community,” Thomas said. “We want residents to gather in the downtown to dine, to visit the retail and community spaces and things of that nature.” Another project in negotiations is the arrival of a new Hannaford grocery store, along with a Park and Ride bus route for residents to take advantage of. “This seems to be, in my mind, a win-win for everybody,” said Sausville of the Park and Ride bus route. “The town wins if we can have this Park and Ride site at the Hannaford Plaza, and they win because of those folks who will be shopping on both ends of their trip. If they park their car there, there’s a chance that they’ll get that loaf of bread at the grocery store, or their spouse dropping them off is going to do some shopping for the evening meal. And if we can take some commuters off the Northway by getting them on a bus as they travel to work, I think that’s a good thing.” With an ever-watchful eye on the horizon, Sausville and Thomas are just two of many who believe the key to Malta’s success is to smartly grow and adapt to their new environment, all the while never losing sight of what makes the town of Malta attractive to its residents. “[Malta has] changed, but it hasn’t changed. It’s just grown better,” Sausville said. “Kind of like a good wine, I think. Over time, I really believe we’ve grown for the better.”
TODAY
“There’s a reason why we’re still living in Malta. It’s important to us that we maintain that small town charm and the quality of life that we have grown to know and love.” Tara M. Thomas Malta Town Councilwoman
Mark Bolles • Saratoga Today
New buisnesses such as Verizon Wireless, CVS, Hyatt Place, and Allerdice (expanding into the Northway Travel Trailers building) have come to downtown Malta