The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About20210174 269 Broadway Mixed Use Public Comment (2) Zimbra amber.upton@saratoga-springs.org Fwd: Comments for Aug. 4, 2021 DRC meeting From :Amanda Tucker <amanda.tucker@saratoga-springs.org> Tue, Aug 03, 2021 10:44 AM Subject : Fwd: Comments for Aug. 4, 2021 DRC meeting To :Amber Upton <amber.upton@saratoga-springs.org> Cc : susan barden <susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org> 269 Broadway - DRC and PB. Thanks! **Visit our website for the new 2021 Application Forms and Fee Schedule. Amanda Tucker, RA Senior Planner City Hall, Suite 32 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 587-3550 ext. 2517 From: "Kathy S" <kathleen.sonnabend@gmail.com> To: "amanda tucker" <amanda.tucker@saratoga-springs.org> Cc: "susan barden" <susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org> Sent: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 10:21:05 AM Subject: Comments for Aug. 4, 2021 DRC meeting 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. To staff and members of the DRC: The July 29th Planning Board review of the 19 Washington Street project was an eye-opener.The contrast between the transparency and detailed analysis of the parking needs of that project and the total lack of analysis and transparency for the 269 Broadway project is astounding. It took some effort to find the official square footage of the 269 Broadway proJ ect. I found it in the EAF Section D.1.g.iii filed on March 16, 2021. The total area to be heated and cooled is 148,673 sq. ft. Assuming this includes the two-level underground garage, the office/retail space will be approximately 114,000 sq. ft. This matches the applicant's statement at July 15, 20921 Planning Board meeting estimating 19,000 sq. ft. per floor. The widely accepted industry standard for parking spaces is one for every 150-300 sq.ft. of a project, depending on the intensity of the tenant businesses. It ranges from 150 sq. ft. for high intensity businesses lil<e dentist ofFices and call centers to 300 sq.ft.for lower intensity businesses like law offices. This means the 269 Broadway building will require 380—760 parking spots in addition to the 24 spots currently used on the vacant lot. Other than the top two floors planned for Prime Holdings,we don't know the characteristics of the yet to be determined tenants for the lower four floors or of all the tenants over the life of this building, so assuming the lower end of that estimate would be foolhardy. Only 70 parking spots are planned for the two-level underground garage, leaving the need for many hundreds more parking spots on Hamilton, Broadway and nearby neighborhood streets. It is a disaster in the making for trafFic, parking and public safety for the neighborhood and for visitors accessing downtown Saratoga Springs. Even worse,this property has never been excavated to the depth required for the proposed underground garage. In fact, a tenant of the previous building on this site believes there was no basement. And the EAF Section E.2.d states the average depth of the water table is just 12 feet. How does that work without flooding this project,the basements of surrounding buildings and undermine the streets of Broadway and Hamilton? Every problem this project poses can be permanently solved by significantly cutting bacl< its size. For decades, a 4,000 sq. ft. building sat on that lot,with one story well set back from Broadway and two stories on the Hamilton side (due to the significant slope of the lot) with a surface parking lot covering the back half of the lot. According to city records, it appears that this site has always been occupied by a single home or small professional ofFice. A zero-lot line building this massive cannot be accommodated on this deep, narrow sloping lot. I trust that the DRC will make an enlightened recommendation against this project. RespectFully, Kathleen Sonnabend Saratoga springs Confidentiality/Privilege Notice: This e-mail communication and any files transmitted with it contain privileged and confidential information from the City of Saratoga Springs and are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to which it has been addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or taking any other action with respect to the contents of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please delete it and notify the sender by return e-mail. Thank you for your cooperation.