HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210062 Stewarts Marion Avenue- Maple Dell PUD SS Letter Sustainable Educate.
Adr�ocate.
� Act.
March 30, Zo2i
Board of Directors Mr. MarkTorpey, Chair
Robin Ambrosino Saratoga Springs Planning Board
City Hall
Whitney Davis 4�4 Broadway
Amy Durland Saratoga Springs, NY i2866
Anne Ernst
Laura Faulk RE: #zozsoo6z MARION AVE—MAPLE DELL PUD
Louise Golub
Dear Mr. Torpey and Members of the Planning Board,
Dianna Goodwin
Laura Rappaport Sustainable Saratoga reviewed the Marian Ave—Maple Dell PUD application,for which
Richard Romano Your Board is providing an advisory opinion to the City Council on this zoning map and
zoning text amendment.
Ann Samuelson
Rachelle Thomas In our view the application is seriously flawed and significantly inconsistent with the ZoiS
Comprehensive Plan.
i. The a�plication contradicts the provisions of the Comprehensive Plan addressing the
� Conservation Development District(CDD).
. , „ „
• The applicant s 2.4 acre residential area east of the utility corridor of the
proposed PUD clearly lies within the CDD, as depicted on the Future Land Use Map
in the Comprehensive Plan.
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• PUDs are not permitted in the CDD: Policy#3�4�3 on page 48 of the Comprehensive
III�I��,��`�� Plan states: "Continue to prohibit the establishments of Planned Unit
,�1�'�1�;�1�j1�11
1,��►� ��� 11� Developments in the Conservation Development District".
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_��� ��y' • In addition,the applicant's proposed residential density far exceeds the
�� ��� Comprehensive Plan's CDD cap of o.5 units per acre and the limit of"low density"
single family homes.
�� 2. The"intense commercial"proposed uses along Marion Avenue are not permitted in the
� o0 0o Comprehensive Plan's RN-2 categorx.
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• The Comprehensive Plan s Future Land Use map designates the entire area
����� immediately east of Marion Avenue as Residential Neighborhood -2.This area is
� "characterized by single family neighborhoods."The Comp Plan further indicates
that"small neighborhood-scale commercial uses may currently exist to
`�� ' complementthe residential uses".The applicant's proposed 2.5 acres of"intense
�. ��� commercial"uses along Marion area are inconsistent with this Comprehensive Plan
description. The applicant proposes no residential uses in this area,the proposed
commercial uses are not"small neighborhood scale,"and they are not designed to
complementthe existing residential uses.
// Sustainable Saratoga � PO Box 454,Saratoga Springs,NY 12866 � www.sustainablesaratoga.org
We also note that the entire area of this PUD east of Marion Avenue is within the City's SEQRA Critical
Environmental Area.This means that a critical analysis of potential adverse impacts on the Loughberry
Lake watershed must be undertaken. Such analysis appears missing from this application.
In our view,the proposed application is clearly not in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan. On the
SEQRA form the applicant claims the PUD application is in compliance without providing any
justification. Because of this inaccurate statement,the application does not include any proposed
amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. Such amendments would be necessary if this application
were to proceed.
We ask that the City respect the integrity of the adopted Comprehensive Plan. The entire area east of
the utility corridor is designated by the Comprehensive Plan as the"Country Overlay Area,"the City's
designated "Greenbelt".The City must not allow land uses in the Greenbelt that would violate the clear
guidance of the Comprehensive Plan and further do not comply with provisions to protect our City's
drinking water supply.
Sincerely,
c�°��°.�—
Wendy Mahaney, Executive Director
Sustainable Saratoga
cc: Mayor I<elly
Commissioner Dalton
Commissioner Franck
Commissioner Madigan
Commissioner Scirocco
Principal Planner Susan Barden
/j Sustainable Saratoga � PO Box 454,Saratoga Springs,NY 12866 � www.sustainablesaratoga.org 2