HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210598 Driscoll Use Variance Historical Review of Property per Applicant 8/31/2021 Zimbra
Zimbra aneisha.samuels@saratoga-springs.org
Re: ZBA Meeting invite september 13, 2021
From :JoeD <drisc@nycap.rr.com> Mon, Aug 30, 2021 06:53 PM
Subject : Re: ZBA Meeting invite september 13, 2021
To :Aneisha Samuels <aneisha.samuels@saratoga-
springs.org>
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Ms. Samuels,
Further information provided for the boards review:
169 Washington St. Was purchased by my grandfather, former finance
commissioner of Saratoga Springs, Harry Waring, in 1923. His family of 7,
including my mother who was 5 years old at the time, moved in and all grew up
there. My grandmother died in 1952, predeceased by Harry. In the settlement
of my grandmother's estate, my mother and father purchased the home and
raised their eight children in the home, including myself. In the 1980' s the
upkeep of the home became overwhelming for my father and the home fell into a
severe state of disrepair. Upon his passing in 1992 I purchased the home "as-
is" in a private sale from my mother and promised to restore it as best I
could. At the time the home was condemnable. I put as many resources as I
could afford at the time to secure the home, repair the roof, repair the 15-
foot wide by two-story hole in the west wall and brace the porches to prevent
further decay. I was unable to fund any further repairs until I retired and
had the resources to continue. In 2014 I secured a building permit and gutted
the house, updated all mechanicals, insulation, replaced the decaying plaster
and lathe and fully renovated 3 full baths, a kitchen, and repaired or
replaced the exterior porches to standards which would meet historical
district standards. When I purchased the home from my mother I made the
apparent mistake to assume the zoning of the neighborhood allowed multi-
family use since a majority of the adjacent properties already were. As Mr.
Smith identified earlier, many of the nearby properties are being used as
multi- family properties, and some are assessed by the city as such even
though they reside in the UR-2 district. In addition all the properties on
the south side of Washington St. In the 170-180 block Are listed in a UR-3
zone in the tax information on the county SDG Image Mate online, contrary to
the zoning map on the Saratoga-springs . Org web site. As you can see, the
arbitrary nature of the zoning map has led me to fund the repairs assuming
that I would get some return on my outlays by creating a second apartment.
Under the current configuration I do not believe I can sustain the property
as it should be. It was never my intention to cash in on the property for
financial gain. As you can discern from the history I intend to maintain the
property to the best of my abilities to honor my mother and grandparents,
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8/31/2021 Zimbra
hopefully with the assistance of the city of Saratoga Springs and your board.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Aug 30, 2021, at 4:34 PM, JoeD <drisc@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
> Ms. Samuels,
> I am working to gather additional information for the board and will
provide it as soon as is possible. I have a question for you though. Can you
tell me what percentage of all properties in the inner district of Saratoga
springs is zoned ur-2? I am unable to get a good sense of that from the
online zoning map. If you can't answer that can you tell me who could?
> Thank you,
> Joe Driscoll
> Sent from my iPhone
>> On Aug 25, 2021, at 10:35 AM, Aneisha Samuels <aneisha.samuels@saratoga-
springs.org> wrote:
>> Dear Applicant,
>> Please be advised that your project is on the upcoming ZBA Agenda,
scheduled for September 13, 2021. Please see the most recent Agenda
attached:
>> The public hearing on the above-noted project in the City of Saratoga
Springs will be held before the Zoning Board of Appeals at 6:30 p.m. on
Monday, September 13 at City Hall, 474 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
Please come prepared to discuss your project; you may bring additional
information to present to the Board, either as hard copies or digital copies.
It is recommended that you provide information beforehand.
>> If the Board has requested information previously, it is advised that you
provide this new information by September 03, or your item may be removed
from the Agenda.
>> Please reach out if you have questions.
» Thank you,
>> Aneisha Samuels-Sanford, MRP
>> Senior Planner
>> City Hall, Suite 32
>> 474 Broadway
>> Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
>> (518) 587-3550 ext. 2494
» **Visit our website for the new 2021 Application Forms and Fee Schedule.
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8/31/2021 Zimbra
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>> <ZBA Agenda 2021 09 13.pdf>
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