Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout20200735 Excelsior Avenue Apartments Narrative The LA GROUP Landscape Architecture(Si Engineering RC_ People.Purpose.Place. 40 Long Alley Saratoga Springs NY 12866 p:518-587-8100 518-587-0180 www.thelagroup.com MEMO Date: June 17,2021 To: Mark Torpey, Chair City of Saratoga Springs Planning Board From: David Carr, RLA Re: Excelsior Avenue Apartments Conformance with SEQRA Statement of Findings On Thursday April 8,2021, the City of Saratoga Springs Planning Board approved the Amended Statement of Findings for the Excelsior Park Project(PB#20200574/17.074). The proposed Excelsior Avenue Apartments is located within the Excelsior Park Project and is in conformance with the findings of the Amended Statement of Findings. The proposed mixed-use project consists of 56 workforce housing units along with 5,200 sf of commercial space for a Day Care Facility. The proposed apartments will be located in three buildings; 46 units will be located on the upper floors of the mixed-use building and 10 townhouse style apartments will be located in two clusters of five units. The mixed-use building will front on Excelsior Avenue while the townhouse units will front on Whistler Court which will be looped back to Excelsior Avenue. The project includes 97 parking spaces; 29 on-street spaces, and 68 surface spaces, 21 of those spaces will be located under the mixed-use building. The project will connect to existing municipal water and sewer systems. The proposed project complies with the Amended Statement of findings for the following reasons. Section 1. supplemental Project/SEQRA Background (2021):The 2021 Changed Conditions A. Proposed Changes to Remaining Developable Lands • The applicant is proposing 56 workforce housing units with residents utilizing no more than 30%of their income for housing. • The proposed units(56)would bring the total residential unit count to 216 which is within the total allowed of 339 (table 1.1) • The Day Care Facility is an allowed use, and the 5,200 sf of commercial use would bring the total commercial square footage of the project to 81,200 sf which is within the total allowed of 223,600 sf(table 1.2). B. Proposed Changes to Site Design • Over 60%of the project area remains undisturbed and a majority of the development area of this project is on previously disturbed areas as part of existing development. • The proposed impervious area as part of this project totals 1.3 acres which is within the total increase of 5.9 acres allowed • The proposed project includes 79 (18 on-street parking spaces on Excelsior Ave have been previously constructed)new parking spaces which is within the total increase of 546 spaces. o The parking breakdown includes 47 of the 247 surface parking spaces specified and o 21 of the 155 garage spaces specified. C. Phasing • The proposed project represents the first phase of a multi-phase project and is in conformance with the phasing plan Section 2. Changes to Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures A. Geological and Topographical Resources • The proposed project includes a drainage design that discharges to subsurface infiltration chambers and meets all current SPDES standards • The proposed project includes a SWPPP which meets all current SPDES standards. • The proposed project includes an area of disturbance of 2 acres and represents the first phase in an eight-phase development plan. B. Surface Water and Groundwater Resources • The proposed project includes 21 spaces below the proposed mixed-use building in conformance with the requirement to reduce impervious surfaces. • A stormwater Pollution prevention Plan (SWPPP)has been developed for this project meeting the most current NYS DEC guidelines. C. Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology • There are no encroachments into jurisdictional wetlands or wetland buffers as part of this project. • The proposed area of disturbance associated with this project is 2.0 acres which is within the 9.7 acres allowed, and many of the areas have been previously disturbed as part of the Phase 1 road construction and associated grading approved at that time. D. Traffic Operations • The proposed project represents the first project seeking Site Plan approval. The mitigation measures stated in the Amended Statement of Findings, notably the mitigation measures at NYS Route 50 and Veterans Way/Gick Road will be completed as a condition of Site Plan approval. The timing of the completion of these improvements will be discussed with the Planning Board during the Site Plan review process. E. Land Use, Zoning and Community Character • The proposed project is mixed-use and meets the intent of the current T-5 Zoning and 2015 Comprehensive Plan • There is no hotel component as part of this project. • The project maintains the 100-foot vegetative Northway buffer. F. Community Services • The existing project has a water consumption of 44,330 GPD. The proposed project has an estimated consumption of 13,150 GPD for a total of 57,480 GPD which is well within the maximum water consumption of 101,010 GPD stated in the Amended Statement of Findings. • The applicant is proposing many energy saving measures to reduce electricity demand. The project goal is to achieve NYSERDA Net-Zero performance by electrifying the project as much as possible and using roof mounted PV and Community solar to satisfy electron consumption from renewable sources. Energy conservation measures would include; rooftop mounted PV array, the promotion of community solar subscriptions for the residents through the rewire group, LED lighting throughout the property using vacancy sensors and daylight timers on site lighting, provision of three EV car charging stations in the parking area,the use of air source heat pumps, energy recovery ventilation in all apartments and common areas,the use of EnergyStar rated appliances, domestic hot water system conforming to EPA's WaterSense guidelines and utilizing drain waste heat recovery. • The mixed-use building also includes an extensive bike storage room on the first floor for all residents. G. Socio-economic Setting • The proposed project represents the first phase of an eight-phase project over a ten-year period. This will result in a gradual increase in population which will create less impact on the socio-economic setting. • The proposed project will not alter the Spring Run Trail and will promote bicycle usage through coordination with CDTA Cycle and an extensive indoor bicycle storage area available to residents.