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Home My WebLink About20230358 182 Excelsior Area Variance Public Comment7/10/23, 12:29 PM Zimbra https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=16329&tz=America/New_York 1/4 From :Susan Barden <susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org> Subject :Fwd: Urgent Comments on 182 Excelsior Ave. Application for Area Variance To :Julia Destino <julia.destino@saratoga-springs.org> Zimbra julia.destino@saratoga-springs.org Fwd: Urgent Comments on 182 Excelsior Ave. Application for Area Variance Mon, Jul 10, 2023 12:23 PM Please upload to 182 Excelsior AV. Susan B. Barden, AICP Principal Planner City of Saratoga Springs 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 518-587-3550 ext. 2493 From: "Laura Rappaport" <lyrappaport@gmail.com> To: "Aneisha Samuels" <aneisha.samuels@saratoga-springs.org>, "Susan Barden" <susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org>, "Shafer Gaston" <shafergaston@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, July 10, 2023 11:43:40 AM Subject: Urgent Comments on 182 Excelsior Ave. Application for Area Variance 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. Please share with ZBA for tonight's meeting RE: 182 Excelsior Ave. Applicaon for Area Variance Laura Rappaport 22 Excelsior Spring Ave. 518-248-1391 To the ZBA: I want to start by saying up front that I formerly served on the board of Sustainable Saratoga but I termed off last year and I am no longer on that board. I also served 3 years on the planning board some years ago. I write solely as a resident, in no official capacity, represenng my family and a group of neighbors, the Excelsior Neighborhood group. That said, I’m personally prey aached to the beauty of this neighborhood, and am the closest homeowner to it on Excelsior Spring Ave. I’ve lived here 23 years. There is a property a bit closer, but it is a rental that changes tenants every year or so. 7/10/23, 12:29 PM Zimbra https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=16329&tz=America/New_York 2/4 Before I make my comments, I want to menon a couple of procedural things: Per city requirement: Has the applicaon presented to the ZBA its PO cerficate of mailing noce to neighbors? If not, regs indicate that you can’t hold this hearing tonight. The noce of the ZBA public hearing on the lawn sign in front of the building on Excelsior Ave was moved off the frontage to in front of the building and not visible to casual passersby. Addionally, in his denial of the applicaon, the city zoning & building inspector indicated that the applicaon requires an advisory opinion from the Saratoga County Planning Board. We have not heard whether they ’ve submied their opinion. We couldn’t find it in any of the online documents. So we’d like clarity on that point. And lastly, On p 8 of the applicaon under disclosures the applicant says yes to the queson whether a city officer, employee or family member has a financial interest in the applicaon. If yes a statement disclosing the name, residence and nature of the interest is required. We don’t see this included with the applicaon. Please do disclose this informaon, as required. The Excelsior Neighborhood Group does not oppose the project per se. We just want the developers to scale it back. Our biggest concern is that the proposed increase in residenal density at this intersecon will create a real safety hazard, especially with the number of pedestrians and bikers using the new trail system. We hope to be part of the conversaon and even help move toward posive outcomes for all involved. We understand the complexies of a project on this property. With that in mind, we request you deny the applicaon for the area variance, as it was denied by the City Zoning and Building Inspector in June (document dated June 29, 2023). We understand that at its last meeng, the Planning Board voted unanimously to give an advisory opinion to the ZBA to permit the variance and thus the increased density at the site. But we believe that allowing this increased density, TEN units above the Comp Plan max for this zone, sets a poor standard – and a precedent that other boards and applicants will want to follow. Our city ’s zoning regs, UDO, and comp plan were hashed out over many years of thought and deliberaon. This piecemeal approach is not good planning. Why not simply follow the regs? The area variance would create a parcel much smaller than required for the number of units proposed. It would allow for just 2228 square feet per dwelling unit, which is 772 square feet or 26% smaller than the 3000 square foot minimum required per dwelling unit in the UR-4 District. This means the developer can fit 36 dwelling units in a space the regs say can only handle 26. We implore you to keep the number of new units to the allowed 26 -- not 36. We respecully disagree with the Planning Board’s view that preserving the exisng apartment building, formerly a private mansion, is worth what essenally amounts to a 7/10/23, 12:29 PM Zimbra https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=16329&tz=America/New_York 3/4 density bonus. We note that the surrounding neighborhood is mostly single-family homes, much less densely built up. Indeed, all of Excelsior Spring Ave. is single family except for the former water boling plant, which is surrounded by open space preserved by Saratoga PLAN. Furthermore, we disagree with the Planning Board’s SEQRA Neg Dec that this mul- family development will not substanally change the character of the neighborhood. The whole community values the open space and the Spring Run Trail that runs behind the property. 36 new units on this land right next to a valued community natural resource will most definitely change the character of the neighborhood. And will absolutely have an impact on pedestrian/biker/vehicular safety on Excelsior Spring and Excelsior Avenues. Not to menon the wildlife corridor. To grant an area variance, the ZBA must “balance the benefits to the applicant and the health, safety, and welfare of the neighborhood and community.” The ZBA is not supposed to consider the economics of a project; it is not your job to make the project economically feasible for the developer. Excelsior Neighborhood Group believes that granng the area variance skews the balance in favor of the developer and away from the neighborhood and community. The UDO has some clear language about subdivisions. Arcle 15.2 states: A) All lots created during subdivision must comply with the minimum lot area and width standards of the applicable zoning district. This does not. B) Every lot created by subdivision must front on a street and must be substanally similar in shape to those lots on the same block. This proposal does not envision such a layout. So these are the reasons to deny the area variance We just want to add that while this public hearing is about the area variance, that single issue cannot -- must not -- be looked at in isolaon. We were pleased to hear the Planning Board say that the site plan sll needs work, and are hopeful that it will be redesigned to move the driveways off Excelsior Spring Ave. We will leave that part of our commentary to share with the Planning Board. However, with 36 new units, we do not understand how the traffic study indicated just 9 cars in and out twice each day. Where is the math on that? Bigger is not always beer, and this is not a good locaon for such a concentrated number of dwellings. In my 23 years on this road, I've seen traffic increase in speed, volume, and recklessness. According to traffic data, In the past 10 years, there have been 71 accidents on these 2 roads. I’ve witnessed several of them. That is cause for concern. The locaon of these units is at a very tricky spot on the road: a hill, a blind spot, a T- intersecon with only one stop sign and then another intersecon with a 4-way stop. These new units will only increase the confusion at this intersecon. 7/10/23, 12:29 PM Zimbra https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=16329&tz=America/New_York 4/4 Two large properes on Excelsior Spring are also prime for redevelopment. Number 21 or so -- the “Old Water Boling Plant.” As well as # 26 – the 4.5 acre parcel with the small white house. Both contain valuable woodland/wetlands on the opposite side of Spring Run creek from the property in queson. We recommend a full study of this corridor to avoid the silo/piecemeal approach, so it is considered as part of the whole natural resource area that it is. Thank you for your consideraon. 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