What was originally viewed with a great deal of trepidation became a blessing in disguise, when ExxonMobil withdrew plans to construct a convenience mart/service station/car wash on Ushers Road. As a result of this application, our current zoning for this area came under scrutiny, and it became clear that changes were needed. Commendably, as soon as the application was withdrawn (after a great deal of public opposition voiced by the community, elected officials, and this Civic Association), the Clifton Park Town board imposed a moratorium on this type of development within the Town’s Light Industrial Zones. During the moratorium, the Town Board heard input from the Civic Association and interested residents, and, after two public hearings, adopted significant changes to the zoning code that will help ensure that only appropriate development of Ushers Road and the remainder of the Light Industrial Zone occurs in the future. We express our appreciation to Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett and the entire Town Board for their quick and meaningful action in this regard. We also want to acknowledge all of you who responded to our newsletters and e-mails and made your voice heard. Special mention goes to Jim and Gretchen Ruhl, who devoted great effort to this endeavor. It was a successful example of concerned citizens, an active Civic Association and responsive elected officials teaming up to make a positive difference in our community. You should know that this Association was the only local civic association that participated in the entire Exxon Mobil process and the zoning hearings, and addressed the various issues.

Thanks to the efforts of Jim Manuel and Ed Litvaitis, the Country Knolls Civic Association Website is up and running, at www.countryknolls.org. You should find a wealth of information on it, and we think it will showcase our community in a positive light to prospective residents. We’ll be continuing to add items and improvements, but please take the opportunity to visit it and let us know what you think. Many thanks to Ed and Jim for their hours of hard work.

On June 6, 2005, I appeared before the Clifton Park Town Board to seek town assistance in addressing a growing problem of illegal signage blighting our roadways, and, in particular, the orange, green and yellow neon signs blanketing our roads and highway off-ramps advertising special "liquidations" or "blow-outs." They have been increasing lately, usually appearing by early Saturday morning and disappearing late Sunday night – until the next weekend. The Town Board members and other Town officials present agreed that more aggressive action is needed, especially on weekends when many regular town employees are off. Supervisor Barrett has requested that Town Administrator Mike Shahen have town security officers promptly remove these signs, and that violators be prosecuted by the Building Department. If you see these signs, please report them to the Building Department, at 371-6702, from Monday through Friday, and to Town Security, at 371-6651, on weekends.

Speaking of signs, remember that off-premise "For Sale By Owner" or realtor signs (signs posted at any location, other than on the actual property being sold) are also illegal, and will be promptly removed by our entranceway monitors or the Town. Please respect this law, and keep our entranceways and intersections free of unsightly clutter. With respect to Garage Sale signs, please take them down immediately after the conclusion of the sale.

You may have noticed that the northwest corner of Burning Bush Boulevard and Ushers Road has been undergoing some aesthetic improvement of late. The Civic Association will devote about $500 to improving this important entranceway with mulch and new landscaping. Many thanks to Joy Emery for taking the landscaping on, and to Betty Thomas for arranging for the clearing and mulching, and to all our entranceway volunteers who landscape our nine entranceways.

This is our first newsletter of 2005 and thus our first membership drive of the new membership year. Your association works 365 days a year to protect and enhance the quality of life of a community we all call home. The $10 annual dues are extremely reasonable, and are put directly back into our community. Your dues subsidize our mowing and landscaping efforts, our Halloween parade, our newsletters, trail projects and other undertakings. Without your support, we could not do very much, so please take a moment to join up and send in your dues. Please give us your e-mail address as well, so we can get breaking news out to you – we promise not to share it!

Have a great summer everyone!