Historic Albany's Annual Meeting Recap

Historic Albany's Annual Meeting Recap

Last week, the Cathedral of All Saints hosted Historic Albany for our annual Preservation Merit Awards and Annual Meeting. We lauded 14 projects and individuals. During the annual meeting, we elected a new slate of officers and six members began a new three year term. Three board members rolled off the board after completing their terms and four new members joined the board. 

OFFICERS ELECTED TO ANOTHER ONE YEAR TERM
Matt Malette, President
Shawn Morris, 1st Vice President
Robert Coughlin, Treasurer
Tammy Gaynor, Secretary

BOARD MEMBERS NOMINATED TO A THIRD THREE YEAR TERM
Michelle Bruck
Schuyler Bull
Robert Coughlin


BOARD MEMBERS NOMINATED TO A SECOND THREE YEAR TERM
Kori Graves
Stephen Hickey
Salvator (Jake) Capecelatro

BOARD MEMBERS NOMINATED TO A FIRST THREE YEAR TERM

Padraic Bambrick

While born and raised on Long Island, Padraic Bambrick has called Albany, more specifically the Center Square-Hudson Park Historic District, his home for the majority of the last two decades. Mr. Bambrick now lives with his partner Cara in the Grange Sard, Jr. House overlooking Washington Park. As a lobbyist, he spends his days walking the halls of another Richardsonian Romanesque building, the New York State Capitol.

He received a bachelor’s degree in history at SUNY Albany and began a career in politics at the tail end of the Pataki administration, representing non-profits such as the Bronx Zoo and Fortune-500 companies alike. He recently earned an MBA in a part-time program while working as Manager of State Government Affairs at National Grid, where he continues to work to this day.

Working at National Grid to arbitrate customer concerns and simply listening to his neighbors while walking through Center Square, Mr. Bambrick is keenly aware of the priority placed on building preservation and the need to support the natural and cultural heritage of the City of Albany. Mr. Bambrick takes pride in the history of Albany and its national and global footprint and strives to pass that sentiment on to future generations.

Elizabeth Benjamin

Liz Benjamin is Managing Director – Albany, for Marathon Strategies, a full-service communications and public affairs firm based in New York City. Prior to joining Marathon, Liz was a reporter with more than two decades of experience covering Capital Region, state and New York City government and politics. Over her career, Liz covered a wide array of complex and controversial policy debates – including in the historic preservation sphere. Her expertise includes print, TV and digital reporting and commentary. Liz began her career at the Albany Times Union, where she spent 10 years moving from covering local government and Albany City Hall to the state Capitol. While at the Capitol, she was the paper’s lead political reporter and launched Capitol Confidential, the Capitol’s first blog, which is still going strong. She then spent four years at the New York Daily News as a political blogger and columnist. For the final eight years of her journalistic career, Liz hosted “Capital Tonight,” a landmark political and policy show on Spectrum News, and edited the show’s companion blog, State of Politics.

Paige Barnum -

Paige Barnum is a Senior Planner with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). She has worked as a planner with the agency since 2018. Prior to joining OPRHP, Barnum worked in several local government offices–from Oxford, Mississippi to Los Angeles, California–focusing principally on current and historic preservation planning practice. Barnum completed her Masters in Regional Planning from Cornell University in 2017 and achieved the American Institute of Certified Planner credential from the American Planning Association in 2020. Barnum currently serves on the executive board of the Albany Public Library Board of Trustees; the executive board of the Center Square Neighborhood Association; and as a member of the City of Albany's Board of Zoning Appeals.

April Fallon

I am originally from Long Island and went to RPI for my undergraduate degree in Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Studies. I really enjoyed my time there. What I wasn't expecting was to enjoy the Capital Region so much. What can I say, I fell in love with the historic downtowns and the charming homes and scenery of the area. I started looking at listings in the area and dreaming of one day giving new life to an old house. I thought to myself "it would be so wonderful if I could help others find their dream homes" ... and so I started the journey of getting my real estate license. Just this year I bought a home built in 1884 and have been working hard to preserve it. Since becoming a realtor, I have tried to capture some of the historic homes and buildings that Albany and the capital region are so lucky to have. It has been amazing reaching so many people through social media and I can't wait to continue to give Albany's history a voice and work toward its preservation with HAF."

A FOND FAREWELL
This year we also bid a fond farewell to three board members. Matt Scheidt and Fran Altshuler have both served on the HAF board for three 3-year terms for a total of nine years. Angela Sicker has served for three years. We thank them for their committed service and dedication and wish them well!

The impact in Albany of the US Supreme Court’s Decision in Tyler V Hennepin County by Sam Wells

Back on May 25th, the US Supreme Court made a ruling in the Tyler V. Hennepin County case that has had severe ripple effects on state tax foreclosure systems, national land bank efforts, and consequently historic preservation efforts across at least a dozen states including New York. Below is a brief description of the case from the Center for Community Progress (a national leader in the fight against blight and vacant buildings):

“In the case, 94-year-old Geraldine Tyler stopped paying taxes on her condominium after moving to assisted living. Hennepin County, Minnesota repeatedly warned Ms. Tyler that she could lose her property and offered payment plans and resources to assist her. The property also had unresolved liens in the form of mortgage and HOA fees. After more than five years of not paying property taxes (during which she accrued $15,000 in unpaid taxes, interest, and fees) the County foreclosed on and took possession of the property, sold it at auction roughly fifteen months later for $40,000, and retained the excess $25,000 from the sale. The Supreme Court ruled that by allowing the County to keep the surplus from the property sale, Minnesota law violates the “takings clause” of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The Court has now made clear that state tax foreclosure processes must provide an opportunity for property owners to recover any “excess value” in their property that might exist beyond the amount of unpaid taxes, interest, fees, and costs at the conclusion of the foreclosure. Minnesota will have to amend its statute to provide that opportunity, which may require it to subject all properties to a public auction at the conclusion of the tax foreclosure or to appraise or otherwise value the property and then include a mechanism to return excess amounts, if any, to the property owner.”

There are many different forms of tax foreclosure across the nation (you can read the Center for Community Progress’s report on those systems here). What’s important to know is that municipalities and counties across New York State (including Albany County) utilize a very similar form of tax foreclosure, which the US Supreme Court just ruled as unconstitutional. When a property owner in the City of Albany fails to pay their taxes, they can have their property seized by Albany County, who in turn gives the property over to the Albany County Land Bank for sale to a new owner. Any proceeds from that sale are kept by the Land Bank, who often uses the proceeds to fund their operations. This form of tax foreclosure has been an important tool for municipalities and land banks across the State, allowing localities to acquire control over problematic properties without significant legal constraints and to utilize the excess value from certain sales to subsidize properties that are “upside-down” or “underwater” and need more money in repairs than they are worth on the open market. Here in Albany, the Albany County Land Bank has used the “excess value” from the sale of properties in Colonie and Loudonville to subsidize the rehabilitation of historic properties in neighborhoods such as Albany’s South End. That practice is now practically impossible thanks to the US Supreme Court’s ruling.

The New York State Legislature reacted to the news by placing a one year moratorium on all tax foreclosures across the State (Senate Bill S7549A, Assembly Bill A7763) back in June. While a temporary pause on foreclosures until a better system is worked out may sound like a good thing, it can have a disastrous effect on properties that are currently in the tax foreclosure pipeline. As Assemblywoman Pat Fahy noted for the Times Union when she voted against the moratorium,

”I am concerned that any delays in proceedings could end up to leading to more demolitions, which have been a problem in Albany”.

Currently, Albany County has fallen behind on conducting tax foreclosures, which normally is a 3-4 year process. If you stopped paying your property taxes in 2017 you still own your property. This backlog is due in large part to the 2 years of moratoriums New York State placed on foreclosures in response to the pandemic beginning in 2020. The foreclosure procedure itself is a legal process that can take up to a year to proceed through the court system, which meant that as Albany County was moving forward with its first foreclosures since the pandemic this summer, the State Legislature stopped those in their tracks when they imposed a one year moratorium. What’s even more upsetting about this moratorium is that most of the vacant buildings sold by the Albany County Land Bank would not be subject to the Supreme Court’s ruling, as the sale prices are often lower than what the owed taxes were in the first place.  This bill has not yet been signed by the Governor, who has until the end of the calendar year to sign it, veto it, or edit it through a chapter amendment process.

As Pay Fahy was alluding to in her comments, continued deterioration with no maintenance will eventually lead to buildings falling further and further into disrepair, which will at some point lead to emergency demolitions. Buildings that do make it through this extended foreclosure process will likely  have suffered from significant deterioration, making it more expensive and difficult to rehab and save, consequently limiting the pool of people the Land Bank will have to choose from who have the knowledge and money to save these buildings. Vacant buildings do not fix themselves, and localities are often hamstrung by property owner’s rights and slow-moving court systems in trying to gain control over these properties to stop the deterioration. The tax foreclosure process was one of our best tools in solving for not only the physical condition of the property, but also the legal ownership of the property. There are also significant implications on the long term health and sustainability of the State’s Land Banks, as they all rely significantly on property sales to fund their operations.

While the US Supreme Court did not go as far as some feared in upending the tax foreclosure process utilized by Minnesota and New York, it still has caused ripple effects that we have not yet fully realized and raised questions as to what comes next. As Community Progress noted in their response,

“Most people understand property taxes are a necessary part of the social contract that shapes and strengthens our communities. Indeed, most local governments report that almost all owners pay their property taxes on time.

The problem is what happens when a property owner can’t—or won’t—pay their fair share and walks away from the property. As the notices, warnings, and fines pile up and the property slides into delinquency and towards tax foreclosure, we ask a very important question: What is the most fair and equitable way to balance the interests of the property owner who has walked away from their obligations, with the interests of the community?”

#WhereinAlbany The Albany Public Library: Pine Hills and Howe Branches

This year, the Albany Public Library (APL) is commemorating its 100th anniversary across all seven of its branches. Accordingly, the focus of this week’s #WhereinAlbany blog post will cover specific branches of the APL. This post touches on the history of the Howe and Pine Hills branches and how they have served the City of Albany throughout the years. The next blog will focus on different branches, with each blog following historic and contemporary themes such as socioeconomic inequality, city architecture, and the general importance of public libraries.

The expansion of public libraries in the United States can be attributed to a plethora of different factors which were oftentimes dependent on local circumstances. Generally, the development of public libraries coincided with the expansion of public education during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The growth of educational infrastructure was a key reform championed by Progressive Era advocates. During the late nineteenth century, rapid urbanization and the growth of an influential middle/working class caused an increased demand for educational activities. Furthermore, the rise of a wealthy, business-owning class led to high levels of philanthropic activities, of which a large portion of the funds were directed to public libraries. Increasingly complex institutions, urbanization, and industrialization led to a societal shift that encouraged the development of public resources. 

Equally as important is the role of city, state, and federal governments in instituting free libraries. Many public libraries were initially constructed as “social libraries” and extensions of schools acting as corporations. These libraries heavily relied on paid memberships and donors to continue operating. As members of these social libraries lost interest in their endeavors, the community often turned to local or town governments, thus transforming the collection into a free library. 

Howe branch of the albany public library - front entrance (taken 7/20/23)

Howe branch’s refurbished arched windows (taken 7/20/23)

Howe branch’s fireplace mantle in the children’s room (taken 7/20/23)

This is the case for the Howe Branch, which was first established in 1891 by School No. 1 principle John A Howe. Two years later, the school was converted into a free library and changed locations to the corner of Bassett and S. Pearl Street. The library, however, was not incorporated as a branch of the APL until 1929. As the oldest continually operating library in the City of Albany, the Howe Branch has been an instrumental resource for the South End neighborhood. Notably, the Branch has historically been popular with young people in the neighborhood. During times of depression, when lack of funding restricted other activities, the library tended to be a popular meeting place for the local teenage population. 

In 2008, the Albany Public Library began to implement an improvement plan across all of its branches. The Howe Branch underwent a series of renovations during the improvement plan which aimed to not only improve the library’s services but also to preserve the building’s historic features. The Howe Library was originally designed by local architect Howard Rogers. The building style chosen was Georgian Revival, with the primary materials used being Harvard Brick and Indiana limestone. Most of the building’s renovations tend to focus on the building’s interior design. The children’s fireplace mantle, which features tiles depicting the story of Rip Van Winkle, is a major example of this. Plaster walls were painted to period-accurate colors, original bookshelves were restored to working condition, and turned oak columns were preserved at the entrance. The preservation of the building's large arched windows is one of the most important aspects of the renovation. This facet allows natural light to flood into the building, increasing energy efficiency. The project received the Preservation Merit Award from the Historic Albany Foundation and the Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects. 

The improvement plan was not purely aesthetic, and the Howe branch received new software and an expanded collection to tailor to the neighborhood’s needs. For example, cultural material such as Spanish language learning was added to the branch’s collection alongside African American material. Due to the building’s proximity to Schuyler Mansion, the branch was also given extra material on the American War of Independence. Likewise, the Pine Hills branch also received valuable renovations. Both buildings are LEED-certified, meaning that the branches operate sustainably whilst avoiding inefficient energy usage. 

Pine Hills

The Public Library system has served the Pine Hills neighborhood since 1900, though the branch has changed locations multiple times since then. The first free library in Pine Hills was located on Ontario Street, close to its intersection with Madison Avenue. Located below is an excerpt from a newspaper on April 1st, 1920, showing the Pine Hills branch advertising its updated hours. From 1952 to 1991, the branch was situated at 1000 Madison Avenue. This Colonial Revival style building was constructed in 1899 and was originally home to Henry C. Dumary, who was president of the Helderberg Cement Company. A series of families cycled through the home until 1951 when Sal Levi, vice president of the Mohawk Brush Company, sold the property. It was then that the Albany Public Library renovated the structure for usage. The house features clapboard siding with a brick base, which is characteristic of homes in the area. In addition, the structure has stained glass windows and a Queen Anne tower.

In 1991 the Pine Hills branch was then relocated to 517 Western Avenue, a brick Art Deco building that previously served as offices for the New York Telephone company. 1000 Madison has since been renovated into offices for the College of Saint Rose. The library remains at 517 Western today and continues to be an invaluable public resource for the Pine Hills community. 

1000 Madison ave inventory sheet - provided by cultural resource information system

1000 madison ave inventory sheet - provided by cultural resource information system

Pine hills blurb Apr 1, 1920 - The Argus (image provided by the new york state library)

Howe branch renovations apr 19, 2010 - capital neighbors (image provided by the albany public library)

By Liam Kelley

Albany Public Library Website

Michael Kevane, William A. Sundstrom: The Development of Public Libraries in the United States, 1870-1930: A Quantitative Assessment

1000 Madison Ave Inventory Sheet link

Waite, Diana S. Albany Architecture. New York: Mount Ida Press, 1993.

Albany City Directories: 1899 - 1992

Program, Events and Outreach Manager Position

POSITION: Program, Events and Outreach Manager 

TYPE: FULL TIME, HOURLY 

LOCATION: ALBANY, NEW YORK  

OVERVIEW 

Historic Albany Foundation (HAF) is a nearly 50 year old membership-based non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and protect buildings in Albany that have architectural, historic, or civic significance.  We do this through advocacy, education, technical services and the operation of an architectural salvage parts warehouse and tool lending library.

Currently, HAF is seeking a detail oriented, outgoing and motivated individual to fill the position of Program, Events and Outreach Manager.  This full time (40 hours per week) hourly position.   

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Program, Events and Outreach Manager position encompass all communications including social media, web updates and weekly e-newsletter,  as well as oversight of public education programming, some special event coordination, and the Tool Lending Library.  This position reports to the Executive Director and works collaboratively with all staff members, volunteers and board members,

CLASSIFICATION

This position is classified as non-exempt for the purposes of the Fair Labor Standards and the New York State Minimum Wage Act.

QUALIFICATIONS

An ideal candidate for this manager position must possess exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills, exemplary writing skills, be highly organized and detail and deadline oriented, and be able to balance multiple competing priorities. Familiarity with software such as Squarespace, Canva, MailChimp, ticketing software such as Eventbrite, event / auction software such as Accelevents, and donor databases such as Donor Tools are critical, in addition to proficiency with Facebook and Instagram.  Experience with volunteer and intern management is preferred.  An interest in preservation, architecture and history is not essential but would be welcome.  A bachelor's degree and previous employment at a non profit organization is also preferred.

Responsibilities 

PROGRAMS  

Assist with the creation, coordination and promotion of tours, lectures, and other educational programs related to Albany’s architecture, history, or civic activities including identifying presenters, docents, and tour guides, along with appropriate venues and locations.  These duties are in conjunction with HAF’s Program Committee.

EVENTS

Assist in the coordination, management, planning and promotion of annual special events in conjunction with other staff and volunteers.  These events include Built, Feast, Preservation Merit Awards, and the Bender Lecture.   This position serves as part of the event planning committees.

OUTREACH 

nage and update HAF’s website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media  accounts to reflect all current fundraising efforts, events and programs, the creation of the weekly e-newsletter in conjunction with all other staff members, and maintaining a social media calendar for promotional purposes.  This position also serves as the main point-of-contact for HAF events and general inquiry phone calls and  emails, including managing the “info@” email address. 

TOOL LIBRARY

HAF operates a successful volunteer-run Tool Lending Library, with this position as the central point of contact.  This position oversees the recruitment, training and scheduling of volunteers, oversees the inventory, overall operations and outreach and promotion, including monitoring the program’s annual budget.

VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS

This position manages and oversees the recruitment of volunteers and interns.  HAF has enjoyed the opportunity to employ interns each semester from local colleges and universities for a variety of projects and events.  HAF has a database of volunteers to call on for projects, events and programs.

OTHER 

Provide organizational and administrative support to the office as needed. 

Participate in evening or weekend meetings, programs, events, public hearings, neighborhood association meetings, and/or occasional Warehouse operations coverage. 

Performing any other duties and responsibilities which may be assigned.  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color,  religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender. 

HOURLY RATE OF PAY: $22 per hour. Benefits  including accrued paid time off (PTO), national holidays, and health insurance is available. 

TO APPLY: Please EMAIL cover letter and resume to Pamela Howard, Executive Director at  phoward@historic-albany.org with “Manager” in the subject line. This position will remain  open until filled.