HomeMy WebLinkAbout20240590 400 Louden Site Plan Unitarian Universalist Congregation Responses to City PB 9.23.2024
74 Warren Street, Ste. 1 Saratoga Springs, NY 12822 518-450-4030
Sent: September 24, 2024
City of Saratoga Springs
474 Broadway – Suite 32
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Attn: Susan Barden
Via Email: susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org
Re: Response to Comments, 9/19/2024 – Planning Board Workshop – Unitarian Universalist Congregation
of Saratoga Springs (UUCSS)
Dear Susan:
We are in receipt of the City’s Planning Board comments related to the proposed new church for the UUCSS.
Following are our responses for the Planning Boards consideration:
Comment 1 – The board may want a pedestrian connection to Bog Meadow Road.
Response 1 – UUCSS building committee members understand that a pedestrian connection from the
church site to Bog Meadow Road as requested by the Planning Board would provide for interconnectivity
between the church and significant residential development that is accessed by Bog Meadow Road. A
walkway on the city owned right-of-way between the church site and Bog Meadow Road would provide for
such interconnectivity and accommodate any pedestrian traffic originating from the adjacent residential
neighborhood.
As such, UUCSS is receptive to constructing a +/- 5-6-foot-wide bituminous paved path should the Planning
Board so request.
Comment 2 –A few board members feel that there is too much impervious pavement proposed and would
like to see a reduction in proposed parking. They also feel as though the provided circulation is excessive.
Response 2 – The design intent of the UUCSS site’s circulation system is to develop a safe environment for
both vehicular access and pedestrian circulation that is also visually pleasing for church patrons.
As such, the primary access drive consists of a one-way “loop-road” and drop-off at the church front door.
This allows for ease of access to the building for church attendees, especially the elderly and physically
impaired. A two-space handicap parking area is also provided proximate to the church’s front west side.
This arrival loop directs the parishioners to the front door in a landscaped environment, free of car parking,
and presents a strong visual setting for the building.
Parking, other than the two handicap spaces to the west side of the building, is all consolidated into an
adjacent area which is proposed to be visually buffered from the loop road by new tree and shrub plantings.
The buffer area is proposed to have a walkway which will convey pedestrians from the parking area to the
church front door. This safely separates pedestrian and vehicular circulation systems requiring only one
”driveway” crossing for pedestrians.
The vehicular access route is a one-way system, other than from the Louden Road entrance to the parking
lot exit connection. This route will be paved to accommodate the intended traffic. All parking bays, other
than the two handicap spaces, will have a stabilized granular surface.
As to the amount of parking to be provided, a typical Sunday Church Service at UUCSS is attended by 45-89
parishioners depending on the season of the year. One service per week occurs. This topic was reviewed by
the Planning Board during the Special Use Permit Application. While only 13-15 parking spaces are required
by the City Zoning Ordinance, a total of 40 spaces are proposed to be constructed. It is estimated by UUCSS
observations that 2.25 people per car will arrive for church services. This equates to a need for 20 to 40
parking spaces based on current church attendance per season. The remaining “future” parking spaces
illustrated on the plan will not be built until such time as demand requires to support such added parking
need. A total of 16 “future” spaces are on lands in Saratoga Springs and 9 in Wilton. At this time, during the
initial construction phase, these “future” spaces will be graded and planted with a turf surface. If needed
for special events, weddings, funerals, etc., they may function for “overflow” parking.
It should also be noted that the overall vehicular circulation system has been planned to eventually
accommodate any such “future” parking demand and development. As such, the safe separation of
pedestrian circulation systems and vehicular traffic will function for the initial construction as well as for any
future parking expansions illustrated on the site plan.
It should also be noted that the proposed stormwater management plan anticipates all hard surfaces to be
impermeable and is engineered to accommodate the entire project, including the “future” parking spaces.
Comment 3 –The board requested clarification of the building footprint and the total building square
footage.
Response 3 –The proposed building is 7,260 total square feet. The church is a two-story building, therefore,
approximately 3,630 square feet are on each floor.
The Special Use Permit approved for the project by the Planning Board included a condition limiting the
total building size to 8,000 square feet.
Comment 4 –The board requested an elevation view of the landscaping.
Response 4 –A visual rendering depicting the proposed access drive and front church elevation including
proposed landscaping is being prepared, as requested. It will either be sent to the Planning Board prior to
Thursdays meeting or presented at the meeting.
Comment 5 –The board requested a breakdown of the trees being removed vs. the quantity of trees being
planted.
Response 5 –A total of 6 mature trees are proposed to be removed in order to construct the UUCSS church
project. These are illustrated on Drawing C-0.20, “Demolition, Erosion and Sediment Control Plan,” which
includes an inventory of all major tree species on the site and those that are to be removed and those to
be retained.
Drawing C-3.10 “Planting Plan”, illustrates the proposed tree and shrub landscaping for the UUCSS. As
indicated on the drawing, a total of 38 new major trees are proposed to be planted plus numerous shrub,
perennial, and ornamental grass plant species.
Comment 6 –The board requested clear language on what will trigger the development of the potential
future parking spaces. They may require the church to come back for site plan review if/when they decide
to develop the additional parking.
Response 6 –As previously stated, a total of 40 parking spaces are proposed to be initially constructed based
on current church service attendance records and per people per car.
The remainder of the “future” 16 parking spaces within the City of Saratoga Springs portion of the site will
be graded and planted with a turf surface and not be fully developed until demand requires. If and when
UUCSS parishioners’ population grows to exceed the number of parking spaces initially built, the “future”
parking spaces will be permanently developed. The timing is speculative, in that such growth is expected to
be very slow, if any, but will be based on the need for one additional parking space per additional 2.25
parishioners.
Applying a hypothetical church parishioner growth rate of 5% per year, and an equal amount of increase in
church service attendance, and applying a growth in parking demand of one space per 2.25 service
attendees per car, results in the following 5-year hypothetical need to construct additional parking spaces:
Year Church Service Attendees @ 5% Growth/Year Parking Spaces Required (rounded)
Initial Build 45-89 20-40
Year One 47-93 21-41
Year Two 49-98 22-44
Year Three 52-103 23-46
Year Four 55-108 24-48
Year Five 58-113 26-50
Based on the above growth projection, which at 5% per year is very optimistic, the initial build of 40 spaces
plus the availability of an additional 16 graded and lawn surfaced overflow parking spaces in that portion of
the site in the City of Saratoga Springs, there are an adequate number of parking spaces to not require the
full development of the additional 16 spaces within the next 5 years. This is further justified by the variability
of church attendance that occurs based on the season of year.
Additionally, the “future” parking illustrated on the project plans that are in the Town of Wilton may not be
required for well in the future, if ever.
Development of the “future” parking spaces, when demanded, will include either the placement of a
granular surface on the parking bays or installation of a reinforced lawn surface capable of accommodating
the wheel load of a vehicle.
Thank you for your assistance. Should the Planning Board have any comments on the above or request
additional information, please advise Studio A.
Yours Truly,
S. Jeffrey Anthony, RLA, ASLA, CLARB
Vice-President
for
Studio A Landscape Architecture and Engineering, DPC
CC: Art Homberg, UUCSS