HomeMy WebLinkAbout20170987 Cerrone Subdivision Van Dusen and Steves Response Ltr 11-27-17 �an Dusep
Stews
Land Surveyors
169 Haviland Road
Queensbury, NY 12804
November 27, 2017
Mark Torpey, Chair
City of Saratoga Springs Planning Board
City Hall
474 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Re: Cerrone 2-Lot Conservation Subdivision
Old Schuylerville Road
Mr. Torpey:
We offer the following on behalf of the applicant, Cerrone Builders, as responses and efforts to
further the discussion pertaining to the proposed action. Many, if not all, of these items were
brought up as discussion points during the previous Planning Board meeting.
Driveway Alignment
Aligning the driveway across from South Point Road would require grading and flattening a hill
with a utility pole on it. This alteration of the hill would be required to achieve improved site
distance to the east. Benefits from leaving the hill in tact are two-fold: (i) Greater site distance
can be achieved by aligning the driveway as proposed; and(ii) Maintaining the hill provides, or
maintains, the natural rural character along the road. Leaving the hill and having access that is
not aligned provides for a more natural presentation of the lot to Old Schuylerville Road.
• Shared Driveway
The proposed revision shows two separate driveways with a shared point of access. We believe
this achieves minimizing the number of curb cuts without encumbering the properties with
reciprocal access easements.
Phone: (518) 792-8474 Fax: (518) 792-8511 Web: www.1-survey.com
Planting Plan
Front
A planting plan has been developed for the frontage along Old Schuylerville Road. Trees that
can be kept and maintained will be protected during construction with a tree protection fence (the
detail and locations for this have been added to the plans). The proposed plantings will fill in
around the preserved trees. These new plantings will also complement native vegetation at the
northwest corner and the hill (which appears to be natural) to the east of the frontage. A 30-foot
wide conservation easement will be created along the front. There will be a split-rail wood fence
installed at the back of this easement. We anticipate this to permit the property owners to have a
well maintained property with a high-level of curb appeal while enhancing the natural rural
character of this corridor.
Rear
The proposed soil ripping and new plantings in the back part of the property will enhance the
existing buffer between the already existent wetland by taking somewhat of a core-buffer
approach. The wetland is the core habitat area. Providing proposed plantings between the back
slope of the hill and this core provides a tiered habitat. The hill provides additional physical
separation to the housing.
Though the area looks to have been filled with organic material, the topsoil appears to be native
to the area and is expected to support the proposed trees.
Hills and Slopes
As previously discussed, the majority of the site appears to have been disturbed over the past
60-years. Though it is conceivable the entire site has been impacted over that time, the largest
assortment of larger diameter trees is on the bigger hills. These have been considered throughout
the design and placement of the homes.
Development will be limited to the front side of the largest hill, which is about one-third of the
way back on the property. The greatest site disturbance will be in an area between this hill and
the 30-foot buffer from Old Schuylerville Road. The homes' presentation to the road will be
softened by maintenance of the existing vegetation and new plantings.
Conventional Looking Conservation Subdivision
We hope to be able to exhibit in our next discussion that, in this case, the project achieves the
goals of the Conservation Subdivision regardless of the configuration of property lines. There
are, however, benefits to be gained by altering the size of the buildable area. The preservation of
the buffer to the rear is complemented by pulling the principal buildable area to the top of the
hill, forcing development to the front of this. Altering the permissible location of accessory
structures to the area forward of the conservation easement supports the tiered approach to
preservation previously discussed.
Alternative House Sizes
The submitted plans show the same footprint as was originally submitted. We can show potential
differences between this footprint and alternatives. The presented footprint is believed to be a
larger style home that could be constructed, representing larger impacts than those associated
with smaller footprints.
Conservation Analysis
The question as to what the project is trying to conserve was asked. The land does not have that
much inherent conservation value, other than providing space between the wetland habitat in the
back and marginally contributing to the Old Schuylerville Road corridor's rural character. We
believe the opportunity is to enhance these spaces.
Conservation Easements
There will be three areas under conservation easements: (i0 the front, (ii} the back, and(iiia the
back of the adjoining parcel to the west.
Thank you for your consideration of this proposal and working with us toward the realization of
this development.
Sincerely,
Jason M. Tommell