HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210755 269 Broadway Site Plan Advisory from Open Space Advisory Committee 2.14.22 To: Mark Torpey, Chair, Planning Board &Susan Barden, Principal Planner
From: Tom Denny, Chair, Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC)
Re: proposed project at 269 Broadway
Date: February 14, 2022
The OSAC reviewed and discussed the plans for 269 Broadway at our last meeting and I am writing to
share OSAC recommendations regarding the design of the civic space south of the proposed building.
The OSAC takes no position on whether the Planning Board should approve the project as a whole, nor
do we have any recommendations regarding the building itself. Our highest priority recommendation is
that the Planning Board work with the applicant to ensure that a pedestrian/bicycle path, linking
Broadway to Hamilton, be included in the design of the civic space.
The public value of such a connecting path at this location would be extremely high. It would help
to implement the goals of several adopted city plans—Complete Streets; Saratoga Greenbelt Trail; the
Open Space Plan, Rec Master Plan, etc. All these envision the development of interconnected
"complete streets" infrastructure that will enable the safe movement of bicycles and pedestrians
through town. Many stakeholders have made the case that this proposed network will contribute to the
economic vitality of our commercial core and to the health and enjoyment of residents and tourists.
The intersection of Congress St. and Broadway is a particularly challenging point in the City's plans
to develop a safe bike path downtown to link the Downtown Connector along High Rock to Congress
Park and then on to Railroad Run and the State Park. (And eventually, via a proposed extension of the
Zim Smith Trail and the entire Empire Trail.) The civic space at 269 Broadway probably offers the best
solution to some of these challenges. Several features of 269 Broadway would make it a particularly
desirable and cost-effective link in the downtown sections of the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail network: the
safe crossing of Broadway at the on-demand pedestrian crossing light in front of 269;the applicant's
generous intention to set aside the south frontage as civic space, as drawn into their plans; and the light
traffic volume on Hamilton, Williams, and South Federal, which likely makes this "back route"to
Railroad Run both safer and less expensive to develop than one along Congress St.
Connectivity has emerged as one of the keystone goals and values for Saratoga's open space
planning. Throughout the Open Space Advisory Committee's recent work to produce the 2021 Natural
Resource Inventory(NRI) and our current work on an update of the City's Open Space Plan, public input
has repeatedly emphasized the importance residents place on trail connectivity. We heard this in NRI
stakeholder interviews in 2018 and in our broadly circulated 2020 Open Space Survey. (Trail
connectivity was also a key finding in the 2019 Rec Master Plan.) In the Conclusions section of the NRI,
the consultants highlighted connectivity more broadly(connectivity of trails, habitat, water resources,
etc) as one of three main concepts that should shape Saratoga's natural resource and open space
conservation.
Recommendations:
• The 269 Broadway project should incorporate a pedestrian/bike path through the civic space on
the south side to link Broadway to Hamilton. (The experts on the Complete Streets Advisory Board
should be consulted regarding dimensions and specifications.)
• This path should be publicly accessible in perpetuity (through an easement?)
• Maintenance of the civic space, including this path, should be the responsibility of the owner.
• On another note, in keeping with the vision of the City's Urban &Community Forest Master
Plan, the tree plantings should be large-growing shade trees wherever space allows.