The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About20200383 Faden Mixed Use County Referral 7-17-20 �� u �� a� �<,� '�'1'-'''��,,. r�'f�°�� '�� .., ��.�,. ''�G�`� SAI�A'I'O�A �OiJI�1T'Y PL,�11�I�ING �OA1�I) �'a� �-� �� c�r��`-C�' TOM L. LEWIS JASON KEMPER `� z �- - ;� �i� �'HAIRMAN I3IRECTOR � �'�-;� �-.�17 3��.,r��t `"�rr«r July 17, 2020 Susan Barden, Associate Planner City of Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs City Hall 474 Broadway � Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 RE: SCP� lteferral Review #20-71-Special Use Permit and Site Plan Revie�v- Faden Enterp�ises, Inc. A m�ed-use development (retail, restaurant, dwelling units in two bldgs.) in the T-5 Zoning District which requires a Special Use Permit. The site plan consists of one building w/2,2'75 s.f. retail space and 2,000 sf of restaurant on lst floor and a combined 35 multi-family units on the 2nd, 3rd 8s 4th floors. The second four-floor building proposes 1,150 sf of retail and 21 multi-family units. Location: West Avenue and Station Lane (NW) in proximity to Church Street (NYS Rt. 9N) and Washington Street (NYS 29) 165.-2-76.2 T-5 Zoning District Received from the City of Saratoga Springs Planning Board on July l, 2020. Reviewed by the Saratoga County Planning Board on July 16, 2020 Decision: No Significant Countywide or Intercommunity Impact Comment: Both proposed structures of mixed use (restaurant, retail, residential) are serviced by public water and sanitary sewer, surface parking (112 spaces required), subsurface stormwater storage and an on-site stormwater management basin located on a 1.99-acre vacant parcel with 0.019 acres of DEC wetlands. Because of the mixed use aspect of the development, the City's T-5 District allows for shared parking of spaces among uses that will utilize parking at different times of the day. T-5 zoning permits a 30% shared parking calculation at the city planning board's discretion; therefore, of the 112 parking stalls required in aggregate up to 36 could be designated as shared spaces. The project is designed with 100 parking stalls. Parallel parking is permitted and designed for use on Station Lane, but not on West Avenue. It is our thought that the city should in some way monitor or routinely inspect how well the shared parking aspect of the project works in both daytime and evening to determine if there is a need to create more spaces. If this provision does not function 50 WEST HIGH STREET (518)884-4705 PHONE BALLSTON SPA,NY 12020 (518)884-4780 FAX -1- well, it will be the owner's tenants -both residential and retail/restaurant-who will self-police andd voice that problem. The primary site design features for the location/siting of a building on lands within the T-5 Zoning District are frontage buildouts and the establishment of a build-to line. The former of these is well met by both buildings being located and built out along the street frontages of West Avenue and Station Lane. Both buildings also meet the build- to requirement of building placement within from 0-12 feet of the property/ROW line. This design negates the need for any variance(s) and creates a streetscaping in conformance with recent new construction at both ends of West Avenue (from Church Street to Grand Avenue, even down to Airosmith's new office building). There was discussion, however, among the Board regarding just how close the rear elevations of both buildings are to their respective sidewalks and streets. As proposed, it appears that the roughly five to six feet provided between the West Avenue ROW and the rear elevation of the building allows very little room for grass and landscaping as both visual and physical buffer. Additionally, there is not much useable area for snow storage in winter months, with the potential to create limited or untimely access to sidewalks. The same is true to a lesser degree (but not much) on the Station Lane streetscape. We would encourage the City Planning Board and staff to look closely at the visual and physical impacts of the proposed placements with particular consideration of the same as relates to existing, more recent West Avenue buildings. �{f�t�Y �� }tP ,�� .�,d'' r°�.r_'„*°.�� .,� ...r',<`.,,.✓r,.r�'r,;r �.—�� t � g„�x��'�.� r Michael Valentine, Senior Planner Authorized Agent for Saratoga County DISCLAIMER: Recommendations made by the Saratoga County Planning Board on referrals and subdivisions are based upon the receipt and review of a"full statement of such proposed action"provided directly to SCPB by the municipal referring agency as stated under General Municipal Law section 239. A determination of action is rendered by the SCPB based upon the completeness and accuracy of information presented by its staff. The SCPB cannot be accountable for a decision rendered through incomplete or inaccurate information received as part of the complete statement. -�-