HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230216 118 Woodlawn Special Use Permit Public Comment (8)June 18th, 2023
Re: Project 20230216, 118 Woodlawn Special Use Permit
Dear Members of the Planning Board,
I was unable to attend last Thursday evening’s meeting at which the Special Use
Permit application for the properties at 118 and 121-125 Woodlawn Avenue was
presented. I did sign the petition against the granting of that permit. I watched the
recording of the meeting on the City’s website and would like to bring up a few
additional points, as well as emphasize some that were already touched on by my
neighbors.
First, in his presentation, the applicant stated that they had received no objections from
the neighbors and surrounding community, apart from what was submitted earlier that
day (I assume referring to the petition). The reason there were no objections received
was because we, the neighbors, had NO knowledge of the plans for these properties,
until we were notified a few days prior to the hearing from the homeowner who lives in
the property immediately adjacent to the church. The signs that were placed in front of
the church and car park provided no specifics, no contact details nor resources to find
out any information. I searched the internet and came up with nothing about the plans
or proposal, only basic information about the LLC registration.
Second, It is critically important to consider with this application the proposed use for
the lots adjacent to the car park, owned by the same entity. It is realistic to think that
the acquisition of contiguous lots would be intended for related purposes. Once a
Special Use Permit is granted for the church building to be used as a bar and
restaurant, with parking in the lot across the street, a precedent has now been set in
our residential neighborhood (Mr. Turkheimer called it “zone breaking” at the Thursday
meeting). If for example, the next permit requested is for an outdoor beer garden or
similar on those adjacent lots, now we would have outdoor alcohol consumption and
possibly smoking, or live music, or events, and people would be crossing the road to
and from the main part of the club, and the lower end of our Woodlawn Avenue area
neighborhood would be permanently transformed. Please request from the developer
their plans for the adjacent lot/s to be considered in conjunction with this proposal.
Third, no-one addressed the practicality of dumpsters being kept in the carpark across
Woodlawn Avenue from the proposed main club building. In food and bar service
establishments, staff utilize the dumpsters frequently. They would presumably be
crossing Woodlawn Avenue on foot, carrying garbage, not just during operating hours,
but before and afterwards during prep and clean up as well. This should be considered
when looking at traffic issues.
Fourth, it is unrealistic to suggest that the neighboring properties will have no impact
from kitchen smells, noise, light, etc. I have had extensive experience occupying an
apartment adjacent to a restaurant, and food smells are unavoidable despite proper
exhaust equipment.
Lastly I want to re-emphasize and expand on some points and questions that were
brought up during Thursday’s meeting:
A gated carpark with 22 spots reserved for members does not address where staff and
guests of those members will park, when the club is designed to accommodate
upwards of one hundred people at a time, regardless of the number of members. How
many staff are expected to be on site to run the club for the proposed seven day a
week, three meal a day 8 am to 11pm open schedule?
The suggested solution that club visitors use the existing parking garage further down
Woodlawn Avenue is not practical, as it is on the other side on Van Dam Street, which
was well established in the meeting to be hazardous at minimum to cross.
Van Dam Street clearly separates and delineates our residential neighborhood from the
downtown commercial district of Saratoga Springs. The pre-existing business on the
north side of Van Dam Street is the Regal Barbershop, which operates quietly and
provides a valued service to the local community (for example, my child can walk
himself there and have a haircut), and is only open during business hours. It is an
entirely different type and size of entity to what is being proposed here - a private club
that has proposed no positive contribution to, nor outcome for our neighborhood
community.
Thank you for your consideration of our community’s concerns with this project.
Yours sincerely,
Erica Altman.
162 Woodlawn Avenue
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866