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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20200483 269 Broadway Commercial Retail Sonnabend Corr 9-1-20 9/1/2020 Zimbra Zimbra jennifer.merriman@saratoga-springs.org 269 Broadway on agenda for Sept 2, 2020 Design Review Committee meeting From : Kathy S <kathleen.sonnabend@gmail.com> Mon, Aug 31, 2020 12:55 PM Subject ; 269 Broadway on agenda for Sept 2, 2020 Design Review Committee meeting To :Jennifer merriman <Jennifer.merriman@saratoga- II p springs.org> SEp n 2420 Cc : bbirge@saratoga-springs.org, susan barden ey <susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org> CAUTION: This email originated outside of the City network. Please contact IT Support if you need assistance determining if it's a threat before opening attachments or clicking any links. Dear Ms. Merriman: I sent the italicized email below to the designated individuals shortly after the April 30, 2020 Planning Board meeting. It was the first Zoom meeting and while the board thought the public would be able to comment, that feature had not been arranged or perhaps was just ineffectively communicated with the public, so there was no public comment made that night and I fear the board was left with a more positive impression of the project. My concerns remain as stated in that email below with an additional concern. I was previously unaware of how the layout of a building interplays with our city's homeless challenges. Many homeless are not comfortable staying in shelters and prefer finding what partial shelter they can, such as along the parking structure on Woodlawn Ave. or under the awning behind the Saratoga Springs Visitor Center. The Broadway facade of the proposed building with open air covered areas, and a long open covered entryway to the building entrance on the south side, offer such shelter. A different design is needed to discourage such sheltering. There should still be some setback to the building and the civic space should not be covered. I am still very concerned about the zero lot line and massive size of this building, which I believe will be taller even than 268 Broadway. Requiring helium balloons to be flown from the corners and center of the lot at the proposed height will help everyone to conceptualize this. And any traffic study will not adequately measure traffic until the pandemic is over. Dear Ms. Barden and Mr. Birge: I watched the Planning Board meeting on Zoom tonight but assume I had to register to be able to,comment? I hope you will post clear instructions so the public will be able to comment in future meetings before there are any votes on this project. As soon as possible, I urge you to require the developer to provide the suggested 3D model and fly helium balloons at the highest point of all four corners of the proposed building before https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=109743&tz=America/New_York 1/2 9/1/2020 Zimbra you fall in love with this project or get too much into the weeds on minor details. It is massive for that site and will dwarf the NBT bank building and SPA Catholic High School on either side. In addition to the massive size and zero lot line, I have a number of concerns(all pre- COVIDI9 of course): 1, Traffic Noise/Air Pollution: The proposed building will create a tunnel, especially with no setback. Broadway is already heavily trafficked, including large trucks that barrel down Broadway producing significant noise and pollution, particularly when applying their brakes coming downhill toward the pedestrian light at the NE corner of the lot and toward the traffic light at Congress Park. 2. Traffic Volume/Parking/Public Safety: Although the developer highlighted their 47 employees(including some who walk to work), there will be many other employees/visitors in the building when all the office space is fully occupied and the retail/restaurant space is open. The presentation said the building would be active from 6 am to midnight seven days a week. Parking is already a problem during the daytime hours, especially on school afternoons when parents wait in cars to pick up their children from SPA Catholic and on Sundays when St Peters is holding Mass. And the newly renovated building across the street (into which Death Wish Coffee is moving) is not yet occupied. The increased traffic on Broadway, and on Hamilton entering the parking garage, will increase risk for students and the genera/public. 3. Setback: With the Broadway frontage of the building and encouraged area of"civic space,"there should be a building setback especially given the 70+ foot height. 268 Broadway across the street is largely setback, especially on upper floors. The public sidewalk should absolutely not be encroached for the safety of the public and for the ability of DPW to clear snow. A setback of the building would allow for civic space beyond the public sidewalk and better light and air. 4. Building Height: A three or four story building wou/d give the developer more height than the buildings on either side without being so far out of scale. Will we really need so much additional retail/restaurant/office space in Saratoga in the foreseeable future? Ayco has left the office space at Congress and Broadway. After COVIDI9, many restaurants and small shops may not reopen. Larger retailers like The Gap are dosing stores and possibly going bankrupt. While this stretch of Broadway is near downtown, it is a transition area and does not need a 70+ foot building. The nearby Holiday Inn is a 2-4 story equivalent and set well back from Broadway. Sincerely, Kathleen Sonnabend 268 Broadway, #505 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 518-430-2720 https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=109743&tz=America/New_York 2/2