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Home My WebLink About20210062 Marion Ave.-Maple Dell PUD NOD ,rv()G4 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS MARK TO RP EY, Chair PLANNING BOARD SARA BOIVIN, Vice Chair ksCP0 TODD FABOZZI City Hall -474 Broadway RUTH HORTON LEXIE BONITATIBUS w '.: �' Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 KERRY MAYO �, Tel 518-587-3550 fax 518-580-9480 JASON DOTY 'PORAT 1 www.saratoga-springs.org S HAW NA J E N KS,Alternate CHRIS PIPIA,Alternate NOTICE OF DECISION IN CONSIDERATION OF THE REQUEST FOR AN ADVISORY OPINION BY THE CITY COUNCIL PB APP.#202 10062 MARION AVE.—MAPLE DELL PUD SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY 12866 Background The updated proposal reviewed by the Planning Board at its May 27t", 2021, meeting and the subject of this unfavorable Advisory Opinion is summarized in the following table: Stewart's Maple Dell PUD Proposal Comprehensive Zoning UDO PUD Parcel# Address Area(Acres) Current Use Plan Ordinance Proposal Stewart's,Liquor Store and 166.5-2-40 3 and 11 Maple Dell 1.23 Medical Office CC TRB GCU P/M/I 166.5-3-25 34 Marion Avenue 0.43 Vacant Land RN2 UR2 UR2 P/M/I 166.5-4-1.2 33 Marion Avenue 0.5 Gas Station RN2 TRB GCU CI 166.5-4-1.3 31 Marion Avenue 0.27 Car Wash RN2 TRB GCU CI 166.5-4-1.1 None 1.26 Vacant Land RN2 UR2 UR2 CI 153.17-2-6 15 Marion Avenue 0.48 Vacant Land RN2 UR2 UR2 CI Total Area 4.17 Vacant Land Area 2.17 Terms CC Complementary Core RN2 Residential Neighborhood 2 TRB Tourist Related Business UR2 Urban Residential 2 GCU Gateway Commercial Urban P/M/I Professional,Medical, Institutional CI Commercial Intense The Planning Board focused its review on the first two evaluation criteria listed in Section 10.2.6.I.I of the Zoning Ordinance which requires that the Planning Board establish that the proposed project is... I) Consistent with the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. 2) Consistent with the general purposes and intent of this Chapter and the intent and objectives of a PUD as expressed in this Article. Section 10.2.3 of the Zoning Ordinance establishes the objectives that any PUD proposal must adhere to and states the following regarding the Comprehensive Plan: In order to justify the establishment of a PUD as an alternative to current zoning regulation and carry out the intent of this Section, a PUD shall achieve the following objectives: I) Provide for a development pattern of mixed-uses consistent with the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. Additional PUD objectives and evaluation criteria are enumerated in the Zoning Ordinance, but the fundamental litmus test for a PUD proposal is whether it fully comports with the Comprehensive Plan. The PUD proposal includes three parcels of vacant land totaling 2.17 acres that are currently defined as Residential Neighborhood 2 (RN2) in the 2015 Comprehensive Plan. The RN2 district is characterized as follows: Residential Neighborhood-2(RN-2) The Residential Neighborhood-/and Residential Neighborhood-2 designations are characterized by single family residential uses with moderate density two-family. While a mix of housing types is present, these areas retain the basic character of single-family neighborhoods, such as front and rear yards, driveways, and garages. Small, neighborhood-scale commercial uses may currently exist to complement the residential uses. Note:RN-2 maximum density is 7 Units/Acre. Decision The RN-2 district is fundamentally a residential oriented area which recognizes that some neighborhood- scale commercial uses may currently exist. In the current PUD proposal, these existing legacy commercial uses are reflected in the TRB zoning designations for both 3 I (Car Wash) and 33 (Gas Station) Maple Avenue. During the 2015 Comprehensive Plan development process, consideration was given as to whether the RN-2 district should accommodate new commercial growth. Opposition was raised by the public during the development of the 2015 Comprehensive Plan regarding the expansion of new commercial uses into residential neighborhoods especially those characterized by single-family homes (e.g. UR2 zones). The 2015 Comprehensive Plan incorporates the principle— based on extensive public input—that commercially designated areas in RN-2 (and RN-I) should not expand beyond existing areas. The draft UDO maintains the exact same geographic footprint (proximate to Marion Avenue/Maple Dell) for the newly designated Commercial Gateway Urban (GCU) as compared with the current Tourist Related Business (TRB) zone to maintain consistency with the 2015 Comprehensive Plan and limit the expansion of new commercial areas within the RN-2 district. The proposed PUD is seeking to expand commercial activities in the Marion Ave/Maple Dell area by converting three vacant parcels of land (total = 2.17 acres)within the RN-2 district from residential zoning (UR2) to Commercial Intense (CI: 2 parcels) and Professional, Medical, Institutional (P/M/l: I parcel). The Planning Board finds that this PUD application is therefore inconsistent with the 2015 Comprehensive Plan and unanimously issues an unfavorable advisory opinion. Additional Considerations • It is worth noting that the GCU zone proposed in the UDO expands the types of uses (compared with the current TRB zone) and would allow for a medical office and liquor store to be code compliant. These two current uses are only allowed now by way of a use variance under the existing Zoning Ordinance. • The City Council may wish to consider how future residential development could play out in this area. There are many possibilities that can be pursued on the three vacant land parcels: I) Three single-family homes could be built on the three vacant parcels. 2) The UR2 residential zone also allows for Neighborhood B&B, Neighborhood Rooming House, Senior Housing, Senior Assisted Care Facility, Private School and Religious Institution which could be developed on any/all of the three remaining vacant parcels. 3) The three vacant parcels (totaling 2.17 acres) could theoretically be subdivided into 15 residential units (UR2 minimum lot size is 6,600 sq. ft.). This is consistent with the RN-2 district which allows for a maximum of 7 units/acre. • The proposed project does present a number of potential improvements to the area that should be recognized as follows: I) Improve pedestrian connectivity and safety in this highly trafficked area by installing sidewalks, curbing, lighting and crosswalk striping. 2) Relocating the existing Stewart's and liquor store from Maple Dell to Marion Avenue may reduce traffic volumes and improve pedestrian safety along Maple Dell which is a smaller neighborhood street. 3) A redesign of the commercial uses along Marion Avenue provides an opportunity for the building layout to comply with the existing Gateway architectural standards. • Lastly, the City Council is responsible for addressing SEQRA for all zoning map amendments and shall consider that this area is defined as a Critical Environmental Area (CEA). This is the only area in the city designated as a CEA and specific procedures need to be followed when assessing the potential impacts to Loughberry Lake. An aerial image (Saratoga County Tax Map) of the Maple Dell area is attached for your reference. Respectfully submitted, Planning Board Motion to issue an unfavorable advisory opinion to the City Council on the requested PUD — passed 6-0 (Torpey, Boivin, Horton, Fabozzi, Bonitatibus, Mayo). June 2, 2021 - /v(az-K_ cil------H7-----7 Chair cc: Accounts Dept. 1531'7712;35 S +dt r r.+v r e t 4r I qJ s�_d'J-L-d c IP ill•iii , fir--w- * 1 'v Aiiiiiilk , - -- M17-1-01 ,__4, 0 153'..-2-4 ":a.**11., '' ,., .1 - :41MA:Eggii i3.17-1-1/ ? 4* ', %., )."` -V " 53.,17-1-1 ..1 , 15 _11'.; `-5' a r to '�' � t r �r � � - . . IP-44—'1"""' �` '54.1.7-1-12.2 41J101. _ 4,, 'i- is ,k ,}, w�,� _di MF-,2-5' 4 , , it,,• „- ,, 153_:;:,[7-1-plit . 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