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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20190604 Cluett House Bed and Breakfast Correspondance (7) 7/26/2019 Zim bra Zimbra jennifer.merriman@saratoga-springs.org 20190604 Application for SUP Cluett House PB Meeting 7/25/19 From : Gordon Boyd <gboyd9915©gmail.com> Thu, Jul 25, 2019 05:00 PM Subject : 20190604 Application for SUP Cluett House PB Meeti, f 7/25/19 ILfl7x. To :jennifer merriman <jennifermerriman@saratoga- JUL springs.org> 2 6 1019 Dear Mr. Torpey: My wife Sharon Boyd and I live at 99 State Street near the intersection of State Street and Greenfield Avenue in Saratoga Springs. We have lived here since October 1986, more than 30 years. We have raised family in this residential-noncommercial neighborhood. Only one block separates our home from Two Clement. I have personal knowledge of this house as I have been inside it from time to time, and have walked past it hundreds of times over more than 30 years of living nearby. We object to the application of Robin Lauder LLC for a special use permit for Two Clement for all of the reasons set forth in the July 22, 2019 letter of the Benequista, Harker, Ratcliff/de Wolf and Denny families as well as those reasons in the July 22, 2019 email of Sue Hensley Cushing. In regard to the application, the applicant must address specific criteria to be issued a special use permit. Notably, these criteria are in addition to the requirements of the zoning district of Urban Residential 1. In other words, the applicant must address the additional criteria by more than arguing that since this use is allowed by special use permit the use should be allowed in this case. If such an argument were sufficient there would be no need for an application or hearing at all and the additional criteria would have no meaning. Accordingly, these "boot strap" arguments should be given no weight by the Board. In regard to the criteria I make the following observations 1. The extent to which the use is in harmony with and promotes the general purposes and intent of the Comprehensive Plan and this Chapter. The applicant uses only the "boot strap" argument. The Board should give this response no weight. 2. The density, intensity and compatibility of the use with the neighborhood and character. a) Boot Strap https://m.saratoga-springs.orgthiprintmessage?id=89344&tz.=-AmericaiNew_York 174 7/26/2019 Zimbra b) Skidmore, the largest temporary living business in the City is across the street. First, the city-owned children's playground is across the street from Two Clement. A commercial enterprise bringing in five independent sets of strangers with vehicles pulling in and out of the premises does indeed increase the density and intensity of use of the neighborhood and impacts negatively on the safety of the children who are encouraged to recreate across the street. Second, to the west of the playground is the city-owned North Side Field at 5 Clement Avenue, again, a wide open space dedicated to recreation. This city property is mistakenly represented in the application as being the property of Skidmore College (See page 10 of the application.) Hence, Skidmore is not "[a]cross Clement Avenue from this Property..." Farther west along Clement Avenue are the Skidmore Field Hockey and and softball fields, again an area dedicated to the health and recreation of athletes and the attendance of fans. Third, the nearest Skidmore dorm, the temporary living facility referred to by the applicant, I believe is Sussman Village, which is, according to Google Earth Pro, .4 miles away from Two Clement Avenue, as the crow flies. Accordingly, any reliance on Skidmore, the alleged largest temporary living facility in the City, as a basis for claiming that this Bed and Breakfast will not have a negative impact on the density, intensity or is compatible with the neighborhood is ill-founded, c) A 9 unit condominium is 60 feet away. This property is indeed a condominium, that is to say, it is a building inhabited by its owners who take pride in their property and are present to address immediate and long term conditions and problems. This residential property is not an ongoing business enterprise for the housing of temporary transient visitors on vacation. Such a business enterprise as sought by the applicant will increase the intensity of use of the neighborhood and is not compatible with the owner-occupied character of this neighborhood. Ironically, the applicant, in order to attract multitudes of people to this property who will negatively impact the character of the neighborhood, advertises on Airbnb that this is a "very quiet... neighborhood." See p. 4 of attached advertisement. 3. Safe and efficient pedestrian, vehicular access and circulation and parking. As there would be increased traffic with multiple out-of-town guests all with vehicles staying at this property, pedestrian safety will be compromised. There is no sidewalk on the Clement side of this property which has a curb cut and driveway to Two Clement. Additionally, there is no sidewalk directly across the street adjoining the children's playground. The proposed project negatively impacts on pedestrian safety. (The applicant refers in the application to the sidewalk of the east side of the property, on State Street, but neglects to mention the absence of sidewalk on the north side of the applicant's property across the street from the children's playground.) https://m.saratoga-springs,org/h/printmessageM=893448(tz=AmericaiNew_York 2/4 7/26/2019 Zimbra Further, the addition of proposed parking on the property itself necessitates the destruction of green space, replacing this space with macadam. This significant transformation impacts negatively on the esthetics of the neighborhood and increases water run off into the neighborhood. Like the others who noted this phenomenon, even without this additional impermeable material I have observed water coming from the east side of the property spilling onto State Street. 4. Existing and future demand on infrastructure, public facilities and service. As noted above, creating additional parking will increase run off. I have personally observed significant flooding at the corner of Clement and State, where this applicant's property is located, during spring melt and intense storms. Water can extend the width of Clement in front of this property, and often this street resembles a lake when the Skidmore run-off is added to that from Clement Avenue, which has no public drainage capability whatsoever.. Additional run off will most definitely negatively impact on the infrastructure and public facilities. Additionally, conversion of this single-family home into a commercial enterprise with five separate and independent groups of people with vehicles being present will negatively impact on public facilities associated with water usage and waste disposal. 5. Environmental and natural resources of the site and neighboring lands, including potential erosion and flooding or excessive light, noise or vibration. The applicant states that the site is large enough to be self- contained so there will be no effect, a dubious conclusion unsupported by the facts.. Nonetheless, in its advertisement for rental of this property on Airbnb, the applicant underscores the beauty of the 100 foot porch, which the applicant describes as "ideal for entertaining" thereby encouraging its out of town guests to use this outdoor facility to congregate for socializing, consumption of alcohol and music not only during the day but also in the evening. After all, the guests at this facility will be on vacation without the need to get up the next day to go to work as most of the permanent residents of the neighborhood must do. Hence, the applicant has already demonstrated that use of the porch is part and parcel of the experience. This will encourage late night gatherings fueled by alcohol increasing the noise in the neighborhood. This would not be an an occasional graduation or birthday party at a local residence but has the potential for being an ongoing disruption on a daily/nightly basis for perhaps 6 months out of the year. 6. The long term economic viability of the site, neighboring property and district. This area is trending toward being one of the most desirable residential areas in the city with the construction of some of the finest homes around. This trend began more than 30 years ago and is ongoing with older, smaller homes being replaced with newer, larger https://m.saratoga-springs.orgihiprintrnessage?id.89344&tz=America/New_York 3/4 7/26/2019 Zimbra homes. This is a desirable residential area and should not be subjected to the negative impacts outlined in the submissions from the neioghbors The neighborhood is economically viable and self- sustaining and does not need the "infusion" of an income-producing property that is inconsistent with the owner-occupied neighborhood. Granted, the site itself was on the market for a long time but that was because the previous owner was asking too high a price. Also granted is the fact that in other neighborhoods larger homes have been converted into B&Bs but all but two of the examples cited by the applicant are on Union Avenue and Springwater is one block north of Union Avenue, virtually facing onto the parking lot and dumpster of the Springwater Bistro located at 139 Union Avenue. That area has been semi-commercial for decades and Union Avenue is a four lane boulevard that constitutes one of the busiest and main thoroughfares in the city, providing access to the Saratoga Race Course, Empire State College and the National Museum of Racing. The Union Avenue neighborhood simply cannot be compared to the residential neighborhood which the applicant seeks to commercialize. The Batch eller Mansion is also in a different type of neighborhood from the one at issue. Immediately adjoining that property to the west is a commercial enterprise, McNeary Real Estate and to the west of that commercial building is a Stewarts Shop. None of the applicant's examples support their argument. Indeed, these examples undermine the applicant's arguments. In sum, the applicant has failed to adequately justify the issuance of a special use permit to allow converting this single-family home into a commercial enterprise in this neighborhood. We would respectfully request that this application for a permanent special use permit be denied. Gordon Boyd and Sharon Boyd 99 State Street Gordon Boyd 518-441-8815 https://m.saratoga-springs.org/h/printmessage?id=893448,U=AmericaiNew_York 4/4