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Home My WebLink About20210717 189 South Broadway Site Plan Public Comment (2) Jacqueline Graap 46 Kennedy Drive Southampton, NY 11968 917.363.4243 September l, 2021 Saratoga Springs City Hall Planning Board 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 RE: PB Project#20210717 — 189 South Broadway Stephen P. Either—The Springs Motel Dear Planning Board Review Committee: I am a Skidmore graduate Class of'86 and annual Travers attendee, notto mention every 5-year college reunion weekend guest. Since graduating, Pve lived in the Algonquin, Skidmore Apts., & Regent St. Apts.; worked at five different restaurants, including Siro's; and have stayed at numerous hotels, motels, and Holiday Inns, from the Adelphi to the Downtowner and the RIP Van Dam (RIP). I am a frequent business traveler to the Hilton Conference Center for the Association of Fire Districts of NYS. I have several classmates who own businesses and friends who work and live in Saratoga. This year's trip included the three days lunch package at The Porch as well as Friday night tickets to SPAC for Dead& Co., a show, which incidentally went off without a hitch to a packed facility of 25,000 walking Dead-heads, herded peacefully through the grounds, gates, and seating areas. Excellent show by the band and Live Nation. I love Saratoga Springs. I had my annual reservation at The Springs Motel for the "3 Bedroom suite" since early January 2020. Like many others, (Attachment-BBB Complaints), I tried to cancel that reservation but was advised no refunds were being issued and accepted to commit to Travers weekend 2021. After several failed attempts to reconfirm my arrangements, I spoke with Bill, Melvin, & Mike (same guy) who assured me I had my suite. My group of 4 arrived an hour before 3:00 check in; called the #taped to the closed of�ce and no one answered. We waited in the sweltering 92-degree heat after a six—(6) hour drive for someone, anyone to show up and let us in. Other guests staying in other rooms had their keys taped to their doors. The also unique 3-bedroom house next door to my unique 3-bedroom suite was booked by the 25 + years return guest veterans like me. We found our suite OPEN and assumed because other guests had access to their accommodations, that ours should certainly be ready. Upon entry I found dust balls out of the gate racing across the living room floor; the corner stocked with cases of Clorox bleach and gallons of laundry detergent; some extra flat screen tvs. Clearly the quarters were not prepared for guests for the next four days (or the last month). The 3 bedrooms were likewise being used for storage 1) for extra flooring; 2)piles of laundered folded sheets; 3)piles of folded blankets and bedspread covers. The refrigerator had dirty handprints on the handle and the interior was also dirty with leftover food. The bathroom was unappealing and dirty with no towels. Clearly we could not and would not be able to stay there. Jacqueline Graap 46 Kennedy Drive Southampton, NY 11968 917.363.4243 I rang the number again and was screamed at by Mr. Ethier for entering my reserved $1300 accommodations! I was told check-in was changed to 4:00 PM! and that someone from housekeeping would be there to let us in and clean our room at 4:00. No one came; neither Ethier, nor housekeeping. We sat and waited. When we reached out again after waiting...he nastily said on the phone after 2.5 hours of waiting to "just go in, the door is open... you already went in and we can't clean now because of covid". We were lucky to get two rooms across the street. I had to let my daughter share a room with her male friend which I did not want to da I had to share my room with my male friend, which I did not want to do. The whole experience was unacceptable and Mr. Ethier revealed a vile and disgusting display of lack of hospitality from a hotel/motel owner whose namesake "The Springs" represents the very city people came to see. Research the reviews of the guests and their horrific comments about their experiences and how they are responded to with visceral rhetoric. (Attachment—Springs Traveler Reviews) I am seeking reimbursement from the Springs Motel for the $1,300, and additional cost for the new accommodations in total, $1,600 for now. I am confident that I can win a small claims suit for $3,000 if I do not receive timely reimbursement. My Run Happy experience was muddied by this insensitive, greedy, business owner who displays clinical signs of sociopathy in person, on the phone, and in his responses to unhappy clients. I learned that the owner Stephen P. Ethier and/or his Blue Enterprises are running the business into the ground to develop a condominium comple�shopping center. Habitat for Humanity? His habitat is not�t for the rodents that scurried through the McDonalds Alley he is trying to acquire through rezoning. Mr. Ethier actually blocks McDonalds Alley with stolen shopping carts and/or corrugated piping to prevent vehicles from using the public passageway. In the event of a FIRE or EMS emergency, the apparatus would not be able to travel through the overgrown and blocked alleyway delaying response time in what could be a life-threatening situation. I am certain the City of Saratoga Springs takes more pride in the development of the city than this sorry excuse for a businessman. Let alone a humanitarian. Imagine all these irate travelers as contractors, subcontractors, plumbers, electricians, and building materials suppliers that will have to deal with this type of behavior, writing, calling, or showing up to public meetings to complain. Please take these factors into consideration at your September 2nd, 2021, Planning Board Workshop when reviewing the application for 189 South Broadway. Truly yours, /s/ Jacqueline Graap Jacqueline Graap 46 Kennedy Drive Southampton, NY 11968 917.363.4243 ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jacqueline Abramoff Graap <'�a�raa�(a��mail.com> Date: Tue, Aug 31, 2021 at 11:52 AM Subject: 3- Bedroom Suite Refund+ Damages To: The Springs Motel <sprin sg motel(a�yahoo.com> Due to your failure to honor our reservation that was made and paid in full in January 2020 for the 2020 Travers week that was canceled and held by you for the 2021 Travers week from 8/26-8/30 for four nights I would like to receive my refund of$1,276 thatyou and/or Blue Enterprises kept. In addition, the accommodations we were lucky enough to get due to your failure to honor our reservation on the busiest weekend of the year, we did incur an additional cost of$324 for our rooms and are seeking reimbursement. Please let's not escalate this any further than it has to go for the aggravation and illness I endured due to your lack of service and hospitality and process a refund to me immediately in the amount of$1,600.00 to: JACQUELINE GRAAP NORTH SEA FIRE DISTRICT 149 NOYAC ROAD SOUTHAMPTON, NY 11968 I may be reached at 631-283-0710 during the day, or 917-363-4243. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Jacqueline Graap