Of course, the taxpayers are paying the lawyers who are defending the town from these deadbeats. They depress the local economy. Right now, fifteen percent of every retail dollar in the Capital District is sucked into The Maul. There are no mom and pop stores in The Maul, only large chains. Traffic around The Maul is already a nightmare, let's try to imagine it getting much worse as it doubles in size.
Residents also complain of increased noise and air pollution.
As for crime, the Blotters and Dockets column in the Altamont Enterprise is always filled with incidents at Crossgates, while the parking lot is never safe at any time. They won't stop expanding. According to various newspapers, speculators have been swarming around residential properties near The Maul making offers that homeowners feel they can't refuse. Supposedly, the plan put forth by Pyramid does not expand The Maul past existing property lines, but Pyramid has a long history of casually breaking faith and ignoring the law. The Pine Bush will suffer.