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Home My WebLink About20230267 78 Church Site Plan Cover Letter/NarrativeTHE LAW OFFICES OF M. ELIZABETH CORENGIS(1.V.(. April 19, 2023 Mark Torpey, Chair Planning Board of the City of Saratoga Springs 474 Broadway, City Hall Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Libby Coreno, Esq. libby@corenolaw.com Re: 78 Church Street — Site Plan Application per UDO Sections 4.4 and 13.5 Dear Chairman Torpey: Enclosed please find the applicant's submission pursuant to Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Sections 4.4 and 13.5 for review of a proposed mixed -use building at 78 Church Street in the City of Saratoga Springs. The application submission contains the following for the Board's review and consideration: 1. Application for Site Plan Review; 2. A Full Environmental Assessment Form pursuant to SEQRA; 3. Proposed site plan for project site from The LA Group; 4. Full survey of two lots which constitute the project site from Survey Associates, LLC; 5. Partial mass and scale conceptual modeling from Olsen Associates, Architects, LLC; and 6. A check for filing the fee in the amount of $15,650. ($250/unit + $400) The application is for a proposed sixty-one (61) foot building which requires an eleven (11) foot height bonus over the 50 feet maximum height set forth in Section 4.4(A). Over the course of the last several months, the applicant has been in communication with the City staff regarding the land use review process for a project seeking a height bonus in the NC Zoning District pursuant to Section 4.4 of the UDO. As a result, it is the applicant's understanding that the process will proceed in the following manner: 1. Site Plan Application: The applicant has commenced the site plan review process by filing a proposed site plan application which is subject to the final building height as determined pursuant to the process outlined in Section 4.4 of the UDO. As a result, the site plan design shall be amended following the final height determination in accordance with the Board's decision and then proceed under standard review of Section 13.5 of the UDO. The applicant's site plan application and Full EAF in order to commence the SEQRA review process based upon the information possessed to date. 2. Voluntary Height Bonus Consideration: Upon the filing of site plan application, the applicant seeks to follow the process under the new Section 4.4(B)(1) which provides for "up to 15 feet of additional building height may be granted through a voluntary bonus system." For consideration of a bonus, the applicant understands its application will be given to the Design Review Board (DRB) pursuant to Section 4.4(B)(2)(a) which "will Law Office of A Elizabeth Coreno, Esq. P.C. 63 Putnam Street, Suite 202 Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 (518) 682-6901(office) (518) 682-6902 (fax) Torpey, Mark April 19, 2023 Page 2 of 3 determine the amount of height, up to the maximum of 15 feet, that the development is eligible for. As part of the request for additional height, the applicant submit mass and scale drawings of the proposed development." In this case, the applicant has included mass and scale drawings of both the proposed development and neighborhood context for DRB's review of the proposed building at 61 feet and the maximum allowed (but not requested) of 65 feet. Determination of Height Bonus Points: Once height bonus eligibility is set by the DRB, the application returns to the Planning Board "to make a determination that the bonus action(s) proposed by the applicant meet the standards and intent of this section, the zoning district, and this Ordinance to achieve the height bonus." For purposes of this application, the applicant is submitting the following chart for consideration of the categories and points for which it is seeking the bonus pursuant to Table 4(D) in the UDO: CATEGORY POINTS POINTS PERMITTED REQUESTED HIGH PERFORMANCE I up to 5 points 3 points CONSTRUCTION I HIGH PERFORMANCE up to 5 points 3 points CONSTRUCTION 11 COMMUNITY SPACE up to 5 points 5 points 4. Continue with Review Under Sections 13.5 and 13.9: After the Planning Board has completed its determination of the final bonus points, the applicant will work to create a final, proposed building design which will then be submitted to the City for review under Section 13.9 (Architectural Review) except for height review as that shall have been determined under the prior steps. Relatedly, any material changes from the current submission to the final proposed building design which implicates the draft site plan will be modified for the final review by the Planning Board. SEQRA will also be conducted as part of the review and prior to any determination for site plan or architectural review is issued. We look forward to commencing this process with the Planning Board and respectfully request placement on the next available agenda. Kindly let me know if there are any questions or concerns regarding this submission. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Law Office of M. Elizabeth Coreno, Esq. P.C. 63 Putnam Street, Suite 202 Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 (518) 682-6901 (office) (518) 682-6902 (fax) Torpey, Mark April 19, 2023 Page 3 of 3 Sincerely, cc: Tamie Ehinger, Chair of Design Review Board Susan Barden Amanda Tucker Matthew Brobston George Olsen Amber Mathias Law Office of M. Elizabeth Coreno, Esq. P.C. 63 Putnam Street, Suite 202 Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 (518) 682-6901 (office) (518) 682-6902 (fax)