HomeMy WebLinkAbout20200574 Excelsior park SUP Chazen Commetns 7-8-20 THE NORTH COUNTRY OFFICE
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July 8, 2020
Bradley Birge
Administrator of Planning & Economic Development
City of Saratoga Springs
474 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Re: City Designated Planning Services for Excelsior Park SEQR Review
264 Excelsior Avenue, City of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, New York
Chazen Project#31904.01
City Project#18.056
Dear Mr. Birge:
The Chazen Companies (Chazen) have completed our review of the following materials received:
• Response to Comments, prepared by The LA Group, dated May 18, 2020.
On June 11, 2020, we provided a memorandum with our observations/comments as they relate to the Traffic
section (Chazen's Comments 13-19, dated February 26, 2019). Below are our observations/comments as they
relate to the remaining sections.
The additional information requests included in Chazen's Comments 1 and 4-8 are adequately address these
original comments. Similarly,the responses to Chazen's Comments 9-12, 20, 22, 24-40 are sufficient.Additional
comments and observations related to the remaining comments are provided below.
• Chazen Comments 2 and 21: It is acknowledged that conditions have changed substantially since the
2002 FEIS and that many of the previous concerns of the Planning Board. Notably, a significant amount
of development has occurred outside of the downtown business district, including a substantial amount
of commercial development, and said development has not materially impacted the downtown non-
residential uses. Similarly, the number of hotels in the City has continued to increase, and the Planning
Board's 2002 concern related to hotel competition is less relevant, given the current context. In
consideration of the above, we concur with the responses provided by The LA Group to Comments 2
and 21.
• Chazen Comment 3:The LA Group's response to Comment 3 does not address the comment related to
changed existing conditions, background growth, and future conditions, the LA Group's responses to
related comments, in combination with preparing the requested additional traffic studies and their
consultation with the relevant public utilities, sufficiently address this concern.
• Chazen Comment 23: The LA Group's response to Comment 23 does not include the requested
additional documentation regarding the proposed project's design changes. However, it is
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City Designated Planning Services for Excelsior Park SEQR Review
July 8,2020
Page 2 of 2
acknowledged that any concerns related to potential visual impacts will be resolved through the
project's architectural and site plan review.
Sincerely,
Norabelle Greenberger, AICP
Planner
cc: Chris Round, AICP
Z:\projects\31900-31999\31904-XX_Saratoga Springs\31904.01-Excelsior Park SEQRA Mods PB#17.074\Correspondence\2nd submittal\SENT\31904-01_SEQR Review summary 3_200702.docx