Editing Brunswick, New York (section)

====Expanding development and Brunswick Smart Growth====
[[File:BrunswickDevelopment.JPG|thumb|Proposed development of Highland Creek, on McChesney Avenue Extension, one of a number of proposed developments to raise concern in the town]]
[[File:BrunswickSmartGrowthSign.jpg|thumb|Lawn signs used to promote Brunswick Smart Growth]]
In early 2005, [[Wal-Mart]] indicated intentions to build a [[Walmart#Walmart Supercenter|Supercenter]] near its current site on [[NY Route 7|Hoosick Road]] (Route 7),<ref>{{cite web|title=State Environmental Quality Review Act Draft Scoping Document for Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) |publisher=APD Engineering, PLLC and the Brunswick Town Board |date=March 10, 2005 |access-date=September 7, 2009 |url=http://brunswicksmartgrowth.org/documents/wal-mart_draft_scope_deis_2-28_05.pdf  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012032627/http://www.brunswicksmartgrowth.org/documents/wal-mart_draft_scope_deis_2-28_05.pdf |archive-date=October 12, 2008 }}</ref> which sparked outcry from a significant portion of the town population.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wal-Mart again stirs foes and support |last=O'Brien |first=Tim |newspaper=[[Times Union (Albany)]] |pages=D1 |url=http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6335422 |date=May 1, 2005 |access-date=September 7, 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Additionally, in late 2006, the town saw proposals for five large housing developments that would have added 1387 new homes to a town that was only seeing an average of 43 new homes per year.<ref name = TUSG>{{cite news |title=Big plans split small town |last=O'Brien |first=Tim |newspaper=[[Times Union (Albany)]] |url=http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6365662 |date=October 29, 2006 |access-date=August 25, 2009 |page=C1 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> These proposals, along with other development plans, brought about much opposition, mainly from an organization called Brunswick Smart Growth, Inc., which began a campaign against [[Smart growth|rapid and excessive development]].<ref name=TUSG/>

One of the main issues coming from Brunswick Smart Growth and town residents was concerns regarding overdevelopment of the town in a short period of time; their argument was for "sustainable and positive growth".<ref name=bsg>{{cite web |title=Brunswick Smart Growth: Mission |publisher=Brunswick Smart Growth |access-date=September 7, 2009 |url=http://brunswicksmartgrowth.org/}}</ref> Many cited the arguable overdevelopment of [[Clifton Park, New York|Clifton Park]], a town located roughly {{convert|14|mi|km}} to the northeast.<ref>{{cite web|title=Highland Creek Planned Development District (PDD) Application: Stenographic Minutes of Public Hearing |last=Fitzgerald |first=Deborah M. (stenographer) |publisher=Brunswick Town Board |url=http://www.brunswicksmartgrowth.org/documents/Transcript_Highland_Creek_Hearing_122905.htm |date=December 29, 2005 |access-date=September 7, 2009 |pages=25, 95  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905135429/http://www.brunswicksmartgrowth.org/documents/Transcript_Highland_Creek_Hearing_122905.htm |archive-date=September 5, 2008 }}</ref> Brunswick Smart Growth became noticeable after many residents placed signs on their lawns.

All of these proposed developments were planned to be [[Zoning|rezoned]] to waive the usual requirement that each house sit on at least {{convert|1|acre|ha}} of land.<ref name = TUSG/> Additionally, some town residents were upset about the fact that one of the developments, Highland Creek, was made possible by the sale of {{convert|210.3|acre|ha}} of land by town supervisor Philip Herrington and his brother Kenneth, a Rensselaer County legislator.<ref name = TUSG/> It is notable that the Herrington brothers are successful [[dairy farm]]ers; they own the largest dairy farm in Rensselaer County,<ref>{{cite web |title=Legislator Kenneth Herrington |publisher=Rensselaer County Legislature |url=http://www.rensselaercounty.org/Biographies/Herrington%20Biography.htm |access-date=September 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519074816/http://www.rensselaercounty.org/Biographies/Herrington%20Biography.htm |archive-date=May 19, 2009  }}</ref> and they also own a significant amount of [[arable land|farmland]] in the town.  The land of the proposed Highland Creek development sits on former farmland.<ref name = TUSG/>

The issue went so far as two [[lawsuit]]s against the town. The first was brought about in October 2006 by Brunswick Smart Growth and a few individual town residents. It claimed that one, the town did not offer enough hearings regarding the planned Highland Creek development,<ref name=sue1>{{cite news |title=Brunswick sued over subdivision |last=O'Brien |first=Tim |newspaper=[[Times Union (Albany)]] |url=http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6363051 |date=October 13, 2006 |access-date=September 7, 2009 |pages=B7 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and two, that the land on which Highland Creek would be built had not been properly rezoned for the development (it was zoned for agriculture and never rezoned to allow a residential development).<ref name=sue2>{{cite news |title=Suit against town of Brunswick is still active |author=No author attributed |newspaper=[[Times Union (Albany)]] |date=April 4, 2007 |access-date=September 7, 2009 |pages=B4 |url=http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6452111 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The suit was eventually dismissed by Rensselaer County Supreme Court Judge Christian F. Hummel.<ref name=sue2/>

A second suit was filed, this time in the [[New York State Supreme Court|State Supreme Court]], in November 2007, again by Brunswick Smart Growth and a few individuals. This time, the suit focused on insufficiencies in the town's comprehensive plan. If the comprehensive plan were deemed inadequate, two proposed developments that had already received approval would lose their approval.<ref name=sue3>{{cite news |title=Town sued over comprehensive plan |first=Kenneth C. II |last=Crowe |newspaper=[[Times Union (Albany)]] |url=http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6428883 |date=November 17, 2007 |access-date=September 7, 2009 |pages=D8 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> This suit was dismissed in August 2009.<ref name=sue4>{{cite news |title=Brunswick citizen lawsuit dismissed |first=Kenneth C. II |last=Crowe |newspaper=[[Times Union (Albany)]] |url=http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=8444619 |date=August 4, 2009 |access-date=September 7, 2009 |pages=B4 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The town reportedly spent more than $38,000 in legal fees during the two lawsuits.<ref name=sue3/>

The planned Wal-mart Supercenter was scrapped in 2007, instead the current Wal-mart received an upgrade;<ref>{{cite news |title=Fears of a Field of Bad Dreams |last=Churchill |first=Chriss |newspaper=[[Times Union (Albany)]] |url=http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=8333304 |date=July 11, 2009 |access-date=September 7, 2009 |pages=B8 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and none of the planned developments have yet been built, though this could have much to do with the [[late-2000s recession]].