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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230008 Duplainville Site Plan Public Comment Freie4/19/23, 10:47 AM Zimbra https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=C:-12343&tz=America/New_York 1/3 From :Susan Barden <susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org> Subject :Fwd: Duplainville project To :Julia Destino <julia.destino@saratoga-springs.org> Zimbra julia.destino@saratoga-springs.org Fwd: Duplainville project Tue, Apr 18, 2023 12:14 PM Please upload the following email in the Duplainville Rd. SPR app. Thanks! Susan B. Barden, AICP Principal Planner City of Saratoga Springs 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 518-587-3550 ext. 2493 From: "John Freie" <thefreie@gmail.com> To: "Susan Barden" <susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org> Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 10:10:25 AM Subject: Duplainville project CAUTION: This email originated outside of the City network. Please contact IT Support if you need assistance determining if it's a threat before opening attachments or clicking any links. Dear Ms. Barden: I'm not sure my first attempt to send this to the Planning Board made it through as my email gave me a strange response after I thought that I had sent it. I thought I'd try a different method just to make sure. If you received it twice just delete one of them. Jack Freie I am writing in response to the Planning Board’s decision to approve the Duplainville Road/Soleno project at your meeting of March 23rd. After viewing the video of the meeting I was shocked at the Board’s failure to recognize that we have a vibrant neighborhood with a unique character that will be undermined if the present Munter development project is allowed to continue as proposed. Perhaps the most insulting (and clueless) statement was made by one Board member: this is “not a residential neighborhood.” 4/19/23, 10:47 AM Zimbra https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=C:-12343&tz=America/New_York 2/3 You are simply wrong. The Adams Road residential neighborhood is comprised of nine homes on Adams directly affected by the project. Our homes range in value from $500,000 to $750,000. But more important than the economic value of our homes is the character of the neighborhood that has organically developed. Those who live here include the young with small children as well as older couples—some of us work full-time, some part- time, and some are retired. We care about each other. We watch each others’ homes when neighbors are away, we water their plants, shovel each other ’s sidewalks and driveways, offer help when neighbors are ill, babysit when needed, share tools and ideas about a range of subjects. We even have monthly social gatherings where we enjoy each others’ company. One of the important things we all enjoy about our neighborhood is its rural character, a result of the wooded area owned by Munter as well as the protected Balston Spa watershed (not mentioned in any of the project documents) directly behind most of our properties. But more than that our neighborhood is unique in that it has a rural ambience yet it is in the city and near SPAC and convenient shopping areas. In the coming days many of my neighbors will be writing to you about specific concerns they have about the proposed project. This will include my immediate neighbors as well as a number of people who live on Rip Van Lane who are also concerned about the project. I apologize for the lateness in the process for this to occur, but we were unaware that this was being proposed. No one in our area was informed about it. Although Mr. Munter said at the March 23rd meeting that he “reached out as much as we possible can” this is simply not true. Other than Mr. Safran who lives one-quarter a mile away from the project and is only tangentially affected by it, no one directly affected was informed that it was happening. I am disappointed by the Board for not even questioning the failure to properly inform relevant homeowners about a project that will potentially destroy the character of our “residential neighborhood.” (Yes, there is a residential neighborhood here!). Our neighborhood will be meeting with Mr. Munter prior to the April 27th Board meeting to discuss our concerns and hopefully arrive at some compromises. Regardless of the outcome of that meeting I implore the Board to listen to the concerns of the people directly affected by the proposed project and take those concerns into account before making a final decision. Cordially, Jack Freie 80 Adams Road 4/19/23, 10:47 AM Zimbra https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=C:-12343&tz=America/New_York 3/3 Confidentiality/Privilege Notice: This e-mail communication and any files transmitted with it contain privileged and confidential information from the City of Saratoga Springs and are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to which it has been addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or taking any other action with respect to the contents of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please delete it and notify the sender by return e-mail. Thank you for your cooperation.