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Home My WebLink About20190187 Allen Drive Apartments Correspondance Mr. MarkTorpey jj April r1|z, 2Olg Chair � —~ City Of Saratoga Springs UU APR 0 4 ~0y9 '1 Planning Board Dear Sir, ---_-- | am writing to voice my concern about the traffic survey conducted by Creighton Manning LLP for the proposed Allen Drive Apartment Project, CM Project No. 119-029. I did not receive notification that this item was on the Planning Boards Agenda for March 24, 2019 so I hope I am still able to comment. 1.The onsite traffic surveys were conducted during two months where my business, Sunnyside Gardens tic, is actually the slowest transaction wise. We are closed during the month of February so very little traffic is generated.The month of July is similar. It is after our spring rush but before our fall festivities. I don't think either one is a true measure of the traffic generated by my business during the busy months. Shouldn't we be looking at the maximum traffic generated by my business and what the impact will be of adding the new traffic from the project? On page 1, CM refers to a letter dated March 31, 2015 about comments by the City of Saratoga Springs and the Planning Board at that time. What were the Planning Board recommendations? CM goes on to mention that the current analysis is an updated version of that report. What did that report say about the intersection in question? Is that original report available for viewing? 2. On page 2 of their analysis, CM says that the Sunnyside Driveway is a low volume road. Could they please explain what constitutes a low volume road? How many cars per day? 3. On page 3 under paragraph titled "Data Collection", CM states that the traffic counts from the survey done on February 7, 2019 "form the basis for all traffic forecast'. Doesn't that artificially skew the results by using a month where we basically have no traffic in or out of Sunnyside GardensUc? The CM report also talks about a seasonal traffic adjustment figure of 1.143. It is important to understand that my business does not mirror the rest of Saratoga Springs with this traffic study. We actually slow down during the racing season. 4. In Table 1 on page 3, CM refers to trip generation of the new project. Is it realistic to assume that in Phase 1, 68 units are going to be placed in service but only 23 people are going to drive to work in the peak AM drive time? Where does that figure come from and can it be supported? Likewise after the completion of Phase 2, data suggests that only 61 people are going to drive to work out of 202. What about the other 141 cars that go to work perhaps not at peak time?The analysis only looks at three and half hours out of the entire day. The CM report on page 3 refers to LUC 220 for Multifamily Housing( low rise) and LUC 221 for Multifamily Housing ( mid rise )as the source for their data for traffic assessment. As I understand the project' it is going to be work force housing, completely different from multifamily housing. CM is providing an industry standard for a completely different housing project. Where can I find a definition of these industry classifications? Is that a good source of data to make such an important decision? 5. On page 4 CM indicates that there is a NYSDOT threshold of 100 trips that triggers some kind of survey. Because the intersection is going to fall below this 100 trip mark, this survey will not be needed. Could we get an explanation as to what this threshold is and what the survey would reveal? How do we know that we are below this threshold? On page 4 also in the paragraph titled ^ Future Traffic Vo|umes^' CM states that the actual traffic counts on Route 9N in this area have actually gone down. Where does that number come from? I have lived here for 37 years and that is contrary to my personal experience. CM talks about providing a conservative estimate of future traffic amounts in this area.Why are their projections considered conservative?What are they based on? CM also deals with factors that contribute to future background traffic volumes in this paragraph. Why aren't all T4 properties, along with the four mentioned, included in this projection?The Snyder property and the Sunnyside property come to mindThese two properties constitute nearly fifty acres of land so when these properties are developed they would contribute to any future traffic volume. This is, after all, where previous and current planning boards are forecasting growth for the City. 6. CM references a concept called Intersection Level of Service on Page 4 and Page 5. They reference drawings on pages 11 thru 14 for this analysis. It is very important to recognize on these drawing that the intersection being addressed in this drawing is not, I repeat, is not configured in this manner. The Sunnyside Driveway is offset from Allen Drive by thirty feet. 7. CM addresses the impact of the project on page 6. They state at the end of the first paragraph that southbound traffic exiting the Sunnyside Driveway will only experience a five second delay after full build out of the project. I can state quite emphatically the wait time currently is quite a bit longer than five seconds.Just this afternoon I had to wait 27 seconds to get out One area that CM must take a look at in more depth is the traffic that is westbound on Route 9N and turning south onto Allen Dr. Just retrieving our mail at this location is a death defying task. Cars swerve on to the right shoulder to avoid the left turning Allen Drive cars. You have to be ever ready to jump over the guard rail to safety. We are unable to exit our driveway because of the extended delays due to these turning cars. I e|so notice no mention anywhere in the analysis of the number of rear end accidents that have occurred at this intersection. This is a serious issue that absolutely needs to be addressed. Their line of sight analysis on page 8,Table 4 states that there is 1000 feet of sight line to the east but 530 feet takes you to the top of the hill. I measured it. Their analysis states that 550 feet is required so we are at the very limit already. CM includes a statement on page 7 on this subject that it is their recommendation that this intersection remain unsignalized. What are the parameters that would change this to a signalized intersection?Their recommendations all seem to be based on simulations and data pulled from manuals. Where are the actual real life counts from the intersection in question during peak times? 8. Finally,what is the role of the Planning Board in all this? I think you are here to guide the development occurring in Saratoga Springs, both current and future. I purchased my property in 1982, taking an abandoned greenhouse complex and returning it to the tax rolls. I have seen enormous change in the past 37 years in this area. My property was used as an example to rezone the Allen Drive complex. A portion of my property and my neighbors is currently zoned T4 and that was the justification for rezoning the property in question to T4. Isn't it your task to look into your crystal ball and forecast what is going to happen to this intersection in the future. My neighbor is in her sixties and I am sixty eight, and looking to the future development of my land as well. I would hate to see the treatment of this intersection inhibit such development. "No additional mitigation is warranted" is Creighton Manning's position on the Allen Drive Apartment Complex. That couldn't be further from the truth. How do we make this intersection work for everybody? Ned Chapman Owner Sunnyside Gardens lic