HomeMy WebLinkAbout20220690 Crescent & Jefferson Zoning Amendment Zoning MemoMEMORANDUM
TO:City of Saratoga Springs
Planning Board Members
FROM:Sara Drury, EIT
DATE:November 2, 2022
RE:Liberty Saratoga Workforce Housing
INTRODUCTION
At the October 27, 2022, Planning Board Meeting, the Board expressed concern over the density
requirements as they relate to the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and density
recommendations as they relate to the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The following discussion outlines
the UDO requirements for the existing Rural Residential (RR) zoning district, the proposed Urban
Residential 4 zoning district (UR-4), as well as the recommendations of the City’s Comprehensive Plan
for land use in the proposed Core Residential Neighborhood (CRN-2).
Our request is consistent with the existing uses and density of the surrounding properties and zoning
districts. The project site is the sole parcel located within the RR zoning district, which abuts the
Institutional Horse Track Related District (INST-HTR) to the north and east (Saratoga Casino Hotel), the
UR-4 zoning district to the West (Clubhouse Drive residential neighborhood) and the Institutional
Parkland/Recreation District (INST-PR) to the south (Hemlock Trail). Changing the project site to the
UR-4 zoning district would match the existing zone to the west. Under the current RR zoning district,
multi-family dwellings are not a permitted use (UDO Table 8-A), rendering the project infeasible. The
proposed multi-family affordable workforce housing would create a public benefit to the community by
providing a solution to the affordable housing gap identified by the City. The proposed development
has been thoughtfully designed to provide a balance between development, conservation and
community. Development will be concentrated along Bunny Lake Drive that abuts the existing highly
developed and high-traffic Saratoga Casino Hotel. Furthermore, the proposed conservation area will
provide a vegetated buffer of mature trees between the multi-family housing and multi-unit townhome
development to the west, as well as the Hemlock Trail to the south.
UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE
Rural Residential District
The project site is currently zoned Rural Residential (RR). “The RR district is intended to accommodate
low density residential development and agricultural uses in a manner that helps to preserve open
space and Saratoga Springs’ rural character areas. Low densities within the RR district are also
designed to accommodate specific features of the rural areas of the community, such as prime soils,
limiting topography/steep slopes, and lack of public infrastructure.” (UDO Article 3.1.A)
It is submitted that the project site is located in an area of the City that is not rural or agricultural in
nature. It abuts the Saratoga Casino Hotel to the north. Across Jefferson Street to the west is a
neighborhood with single-family residences and townhomes and a mobile home park.
As part of the Site Plan Review Procedure (UDO Article 13.5.F.2 and Article 16) developments within
the Rural Residential (RR) district must submit a constrained land analysis and a conservation features
analysis. The purpose of such an analysis is to protect sensitive lands defined as wetlands and
watercourses, floodplains and steep/very steep slopes. The analysis procedure requires that after
constrained lands are subtracted only 50% of the remaining lands may be developed. As demonstrated
by the calculations below, this analysis would restrict development to 11 single family dwellings.
Urban Residential 4 District
The project site is proposed to be rezoned to UR-4 Urban Residential 4. “The UR-4 Urban Residential
District is intended to accommodate a neighborhood environment characterized by a moderate to
high-density mixture of housing types including single-family, two-family and multi-family residential
uses. Limited nonresidential uses that are compatible with the character of the district or
neighborhood may also be permitted with additional approvals.” (UDO Article 3.1.F)
Noteworthy is that a conservation analysis is not required for development in the UR-4 District. As a
practical matter, the Liberty development would conserve all the constrained land on the site and a
portion of the developable land on-site, thus meeting the UDO’s conservation objectives, while
providing much needed, affordable, work force housing.
Supporting Calculations – RR District
Constrained land for the subject property is as follows:
On-site NYSDEC/ACOE regulated wetland = 9.09+/- acres
The permitted residential density for the development as a whole, in the RR district, is calculated as
follows (UDO Article 16.9):
Subtract the constrained land from the total parcel area to determine developable land.
o Project parcel (SBL 179.00-5-8) = 30.28+/- acres
o Total constrained land = 9.09+/- acres
o Total developable land = 21.19+/- acres
Once the total developable land is determined, in the RR District, a minimum of 50% of the
developable land must be conserved as well (UDO Article 16.8).
o Total developable land = 21.19+/- acres
o 50% developable land for conservation = 10.60+/- acres
Divide the developable acreage by the minimum lot size for a single-family dwelling of the
zoning district. Fractions of less than one-half are disregarded and fractions of one-half or more
are rounded up. This determines the total number of lots allowed within the development.
o Total developable land = 21.19+/- acres
o Minimum single-family lot size in RR district = 2 acres
o Total number of lots allowed within the development = 11 lots
Given the above density requirements, the 215-apartment unit project would not be feasible.
Furthermore, as stated in the introduction, multi-family dwellings are not an approved use within the
RR zoning district (UDO Table 8-A), rendering the project infeasible in the RR district regardless of the
density requirements.
Supporting Calculations - Urban Residential 4 District
Although not required per the UDO for the UR-4 zoning district, the Applicant proposes to place
19.88+/- acres into a conservation easement. The conservation easement would include the 9.09+/-
acres of constrained land, as defined above, and the 10.60+/- acres of developable land.
Table 3-A of the UDO outlines in the UR-4 district the minimum lot area for residential uses is 3,000sf
per dwelling units (du), resulting in a minimum lot area of 14.81+/- acres for the 215 proposed units
which is below the 30.28+/- acre parcel area. Also of note, the 14.81+/- acres is less than the
21.19+/- acres of developable land on-site. Conversely, the 3,000sf/du can also be applied to
calculate a maximum density allowed on the property. At 30.28+/- acres and a density of 3,000sf/du
the maximum allowable number of units for the property would be 439 du, well exceeding the
proposed 215 du by over 100%. Furthermore, if the calculation were to factor in only the 21.19+/-
acres of developable land outlined by the RR district requirements, the density would allow for a
maximum of 307 du, exceeding the proposed 215 du by approximately 40%.
Given the above information, the project design would meet the UDO density requirements outlined
for the UR-4 zoning district without requiring a density variance. As discussed, at the October 27, 2022,
Planning Board meeting, if the project achieves the rezone from the RR zoning district to the UR-4
zoning district, a sunset clause can be included in the site plan approval. The clause would allow the
project site to revert back to the RR zoning district, from UR-4, if a building permit application has not
been made to the City within a predetermined number of years.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Core Residential Neighborhood 2
The City Council proposes to amend the Comprehensive Plan to revise the project site category from
Residential Neighborhood-1 (RN-1) and Equine and Related Facilities (EQ) land use designations to
Core Residential Neighborhood 2 (CRN-2). The CRN-2 designation provides a transition from the
Downtown Core and Complementary Core to the predominantly residential neighborhood areas and
represent the historic residential village. The area is primarily residential use, with single, two-family
and multi-family allowed. The area is intended to be highly walkable and should be accessible by transit
and a range of multi-modal options. The guidance provides a maximum density within the CRN-2
designation of 15 units/acre.
Using the 30.28+/- total parcel area and the 15 units/acre guidance the maximum allowable units on
the project site would be 454. Given the density recommendations for the CRN-2 designation, the
project design would be achievable with the 215- apartment units. Furthermore, the proposed use and
design aligns with the recommendations and goals of the CRN-2 district.
The Applicant acknowledges that if the project site is rezoned to UR-4, the comprehensive plan is
amended by the City Council to CRN-2, and after the predetermined number of years the sunset clause
takes effect, the City zoning map will not follow the direction set forth in the Comprehensive Plan. As
such, the City Council would need to amend the Comprehensive Plan at that time to revert the project
site back to the RN-1 designation.
CONCLUSION
Given the information provided above regarding the City UDO for the RR and UR-4 zoning districts as
well as the City Comprehensive Plan for the CRN-2 designation, we are in agreement with the City that
the project site would not meet the density requirements outlined in the RR zoning district. As such,
the project is pursuing a zone change and the City Council has initiated a Comprehensive Plan
Amendment. We are asking that, given this information and all preceding documents submitted to the
Planning Board, the Planning Board issue an advisory opinion recommending the City Council issue a
negative declaration under SEQR, rezone the property to UR-4 and modify the Comprehensive Plan
map to the CRN-2 land use category.
SED