HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210755 269 Broadway Site Plan Public Comment Attachment to Kathleen Sonnenband Submission 269 Broadway
Risks, Uncertainties & Community Impact
Mass and Scale: A Cruise ship on Broadway. This building will have no setback and extend all the way to a narrow
sidewalk,unlike any other structure on Broadway. It will overshadow its neighbors on a very busy two-lane road,the
narrowest section of Broadway in all of Saratoga Springs.
Parking: There is limited parking. Many residences near the site will be impacted. People who park in front of their
homes will have to find parking elsewhere. People circling the block seeking those rare spots will create more traffic.
It will be much worse during the summer tourist and track season.
Traffic: This block of Broadway will be a nightmare. Delivery trucks will double park. Cars and trucks transiting
through this area will be delayed. Safety will be compromised. Current traffic challenges will worsen.
Aquifer&Water Table: This proposed building will have two levels of underground parking below the water table
using a new construction technique (for Saratoga Springs). Excavation might impact neighbors (health center, school,
bank), adjacent roads,underground utilities and sidewalks. However,without considering the water issues, last
November the Planning Board declared the project would have no environmental impact.Now they know and it's
time to address these issues before any more approvals! To protect our city resources,the Planning Board needs an
independent geo-hydrologist to review this project before final approval,not after,when it is too late.
Fragile Infrastructure: During excavation and construction,up to 2,000 truckloads of wet, dirty material will be
trucked through city streets and these trucks will pass by at least three schools. Older city pipes could be disrupted or
damaged and may take on more water from altering the water table.
Other Disruptions:Noise and vibration. Vibration due to excavation and bedrock drilling are likely to impact the
equipment and procedures performed at the adjacent health care center.Noise could negatively impact children's
hearing and disrupt learning. The SPA Catholic athletic field on Hamilton St. will not be available for students for
nearly two years as construction equipment and materials will be stored on the site. A five-story tree on public
property on the west side of Broadway which took decades to grow will be eliminated, along with other trees on
Hamilton St.
Community Opposition: Over 800 Saratoga Springs citizens have signed a petition in opposition to the proposed
project. The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is strongly opposed. Concerned Saratogians were given
limited opportunity to present the above information. This imbalance between presentations of the developer and
public rebuttal were very unfair and disappointing.
Common Sense: Stuffing this building into this site with the above risks, concerns and negative impacts does not
make sense. Land Use Committee processes are fragmented. Public information is stymied and strategic presentations
by the developer are taken at face value without comprehensive evaluation by the Planning Board or outside experts.
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