HomeMy WebLinkAbout20200483 269 Broadway Mixed Use Public Comment (2) Garol Obloy
268 Broadway, Suite 309
Saratoga Springs, New York 12866
July 1$, 2021
Mark Torpey, Chair
City of Saratoga Springs Planning Board
City Hall —474 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, New York 12866
Dear Mr. Torpey
Thank you for allowing time for public comment at last week's Planning Board (PB) meeting. It is
good to be back to pre-COVID public meetings with everyone in the same room.
The intent of this letter is to recap the discussion regarding the proposed 269 Project and to
encourage the PB to thoroughly examine the environmental consequences of this project.
The project architect spent a great deal of time on "eye wash" issues: building materials, water
catching flower boxes, civic space, etc. The EAF is a document seeking information regarding
safety, traffic, impact on populations in the area, noise, lighting, parking, aquifer, water.
Hopefully, your deliberations going forward will dig deep into those questions.
The traffic study presented is incomplete since the impact on the Broadway side of the building
is not addressed. A complete traffic study must include Broadway between Circular and
Congress. The involvement of the City Public Safety and Public Works Departments is essential
to a traffic study. No algorithm, with hypothetical assumptions can gage the reality of what is
happening on the streets. Please take the time to look at the exhibits the Park Place Committee
has provided showing real-life situations and danger to public safety.
Zoning for the property may not require a developer to provide parking, but common sense does
dictate that an additional 200 to 300 hundred people on .52 acres of land must have some
reasonable accommodation for parking. Finding a parking space on Broadway or Hamilton
Street during the hours of approximately 9:00 am and 6:00 pm is nearly impossible during a
typical work week. Individuals doing business in 269 will certainly require parking.
Accommodations for deliveries also warrant attention. Please examine Exhibit 3A in the
document provided by the Park Place Committee. This exhibit provides a real picture of the
issues regarding every day deliveries. Deliveries for the 269 Broadway Project WILL come off of
Broadway. That is the address of the building which dictates the traffic flow. The pedestrian flow
will be dictated by the sidewalk from Broadway to the main entrance on the south side of the
building. UPS, USPS, FedEx and Amazon will be parking on Broadway to deliver to the main
lobby.
The EAF question regarding presence of an aquifer is brief seeking no additional information.
The EAF is used statewide. Not every city across the state is located on an aquifer as is
Saratoga Springs. The fact that the project will be over a principal aquafer with a water table of
Telephone: 518-587-4540 E-mail: cobloy@nycap.rr.com
only 12 feet and plans for a two-story garage warrants scrutiny. The City Public Works
Department should be consulted regarding the potential and historical problems that can occur
and have occurred when excavating with the confluence of these conditions. Ask the neighbors
surraunding Skidmore what happened when the initial construction of the new campus was
started in the 1960's. Or when the railroad tracks were moved on Clinton Street.
I am not aware of any information forth coming or sought regarding the noise factor af the heat
pump. Unless the technology has improved tremendously, heat pumps are traditionally very
noisy. The PB and the public deserves more information regarding the noise factar of this
equipment. The heat pump situated on top of the building with a capacity to address the needs
of an approximately 52,000 square foot building may pose an unacceptable noise factor. More
information regarding the noise factor of this equipment is needed.
Finally, I go back to a safety issue I posed in my letter to the PB on October 14, 2020.
"l was completely chagrined while listening in to the "sketch"presentation of the proposal several
weeks ago when not one of the Planning Board members questioned the safety of having a
hidden "civic space"adjacent to the sidewalk. A lovely idea but totally not well thought out. Take
a walk on Broadway at this location especially in the evening. There are two groups of people that
would most potentially be intrigued to use this hidden space, teenagers and street people. There
is plenty of civic space in this neighborhood, 97 acres of open space in Congress Park."
Hidden civic space provided right off the street can only draw problems. Ask the people in the
neighboring buildings, on the street and those who may be located in the building if they will use
this space. I am skeptical of the reason to have two civic spaces on this property. An
explanation related to the placement of the building and slope of the property is warranted.
Thank you for the opportunity to address the PB. I look forward to the work and decisions of
both Land Use Boards as this project goes forward. Opposition to the development of the 269
parcel of land is not what drives my concerns. I know it will be developed. However, I am
opposed to compounding situations that are already out of hand and creating new problems.
Maintaining the integrity of this unique historical city is very important to me. I am certain it is
important you also, having dedicated yourself to serve on the PB.
Sincerely
c�e a
�r
Carol Obloy
cc: Susan Barden, Principal Planner
�er Upton, Administrative Assistant
Telephone: 518-587-4540 E-mail: cobloy@nycap.rr.com