HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210978 St Peters Area Variance NOD \\` �l�Or;:� S f Keith Ka lan, Chair
�, � f , r% CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS Brad Gallagher,pVice Chair
� � ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Emi ly Bergmann
A : �-
� � .a �ustin Farrington
�f;.��. CITY HALL-474 BROADWAY Cheryl Grey
� � SARATOGA$PRINGS, NEw YoRi< 12866 Matthew Gutch
��������0f{qr�D ��� 518-587-3550 Gage Simpson
WWW.SARATOGA-SPRINGS.ORG �ohn Daley, alternate
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IN THE MATTER OF THE APPEAL OF
St Peter's Family Medicine
46 Congress Place
Saratoga Springs NY 12866
In the matter of the appeal from the Building Inspector's determination involving a parcel at 46
Congress Place in the City of Saratoga Springs,New York,being Tax Parcel 165.-7-1.11 on the
assessment map of said City. The applicant having applied for an area variance under the Zoning
Ordinance of said City to permit installation of a panel for existing off-premise sign at the corner of
Congress Place and Congress St. and to install an off-premise new Freestanding sign at the Congress
Place entrance within the Transect-6 (T-6)District and public notice having been duly given of a
hearing on said application held on the 6th day of December 2021 through the 28th day of February
2022.
In consideration of the balance between benefit to the applicant with detriment to the health, safety, and
welfare of the community, I move that the following area variance for the following amount of relief:
Type of Requirement DISTRICT PROPOSED RELIEF
DIMENSIONAL REQUESTED
REQUIREMENT
Freestanding off-premise Sign Not permitted Permitted 1 sign or 100%
(Congress Place)
Off Preinises Freestanding Sign Not permitted Permitted 1 sign or 100%
(South Franklin Street)
Freestanding Sign within Not permitted permitted 1 sign or 100%
prohibited 30 ft. triangle exceeding
30 inches (South Franklin
As per the submitted plans,be approved as per this Board's consideration of the following factors:
L The applicant has demonstrated this benefit cannot be achieved by other means feasible to the
applicant. The applicant was originally seeking to install a wall sign for St. Peters Family Medicine
facing Congress Plaza, install a panel for an existing off-premise sign at the corner of Congress Place
and Congress St. and to install an off-premise new freestanding sign at Congress Place entrance within
the Transect-6 (T-6) District. Upon receiving feedback from this Board and the advisory opinions
from the Design Review Commission- DRC (see Notes below),the applicant has eliminated the need
for the wall sign. The applicant has also reduced the proposed size of the off-premise freestanding sign
off South Franklin Street to reduce potential visual impacts.
2. The applicant has demonstrated that granting this variance will not create an undesirable change in
the neighborhood character or detriment to nearby properties. An overview of the neighborhood
surrounding properties was provided, and the Board finds that mass and scale of the new signs will be
appropriate within this neighborhood context and provide necessary infonnation to patients.
3. The Board finds the variance to be substantial at 100%,however substantiality is mitigated by the
necessary wayfinding information and the lack of adverse impacts on the conununity.
4. This variance will not have a significant adverse physical or environmental effect on the
neighborhood or district. The Board finds that the visual impacts of having the signs in place are
mitigated by the need for visible signs to safely guide the public to this facility.
5. The alleged difficulty may be considered self-created insofar as the applicant's desire to install off-
premise freestanding signs,but this is not necessarily fatal to the application.
Conditions:
I. The proposed freestanding off premises sign at South Franklin street must not eXceed the
proposed height of 36 inches high x 48 inches wide on a pole not exceeding 60 inches.
II. The proposed tree clearance at South Franklin Street will require (Department of Public Works
(DPW)review and approval since the proposed tree to be removed may fall within the Public
ROW.
111. The sign placement at South Franklin will require(Department of Public Safety(DPS)review
and approval since there may be visual impacts from the proposed sign location at South
Franklin Street
Notes:
• Advisory opinion received from Design Review Cormnission (DRC)January 20, 2022.
• DRC review required.
• The proposed wall sign has been eliminated based on the advisory opinions from the DRC.
It is so moved, February 28, 2022.
Adopted by the following vote:
AYES: 6 (K. Kaplan, M. Gutch, J. Farrington, E. Bergmann, John Daley, G. Simpson)
NAYES: 0
Dated: February 28, 2022
This variance shall expire 18 months following the filing date of such decision unless the necessary
building permit has been issued and actual construction begun as per 240-8.5.1.
I hereby certify the above to be a full, true and correct copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Zoning
Board of Appeals of the City of Saratoga Springs on the date above mentioned, seven members of the
Board being present.
SIGNATURE: 3/OZ/ZO22
i"^ DATE RECETVED BY ACCOUNTS
DEPT.