"One chance to get it right" brings Malta debate

      Managing the growth that is certain to arrive with the opening of the massive Global Foundries plant in the Saratoga County town of Malta is on the minds of many townspeople, officials and developers these days, and much of the debate hinges on a push to change existing downtown zoning laws that would scale back development there. Developers, on the other hand, say that doing so will lead to the sprawl that most people want to avoid, according to a story in the Albany Times Union.

      A local coalition called "No More Sprawlta" has been formed to oppose zoning changes in the town of about 15,000 people that is sure to grow dramatically with the opening of the computer chip foundry beginning in 2012. The proposed changes would not allow for a major new development being proposed for the town's center which would resemble many large projects in nearby Saratoga Springs, but would be well out of scale with existing structures in Malta. Thus an unusual debate has shaped up with developers and others wanting larger development downtown, and officials seeking to limit it.

      Town board member Maggie Ruisi is quoted as saying, "Most people want to see the downtown downsized...A lot of people moved here because they wanted to be close to Clifton Park and Saratoga, but they didn't want to live there."

      Read the full Times Union article at: