HomeMy WebLinkAbout20240614 Lexington Road Subdivision Area Variances Public Comment (3)October 8,2024
My name is Julia Anderson and I reside at 8 Bemis Heights Drive.I have lived in my house for
over thirty years and love not only it,but my neighbors,neighborhood and the proximity to all
that makes Saratoga Springs great.I call it,“the epicenter of my five-minute universe,”as
almost everything I need can be found,within that time frame,from my home.
When the Curtos first introduced themselves to us,via an introductory letter,I was excited about
having a retired couple develop a “family compound”of sorts,comprising 4-6 homes.I knew
the previous owner and developer of this 20+acre parcel,Irving Metzger,had tried to sell this
property numerous times,albeit unsuccessfully.No developers,contractors,or builders in our
area (Witt,Bonacio,etc.),ever considered the purchase.Such a large parcel of land,with
prime city location,proximity to the racetrack,Northway,and big box stores at exit 15,appears
to be a lucrative endeavor.But this never came to fruition.They evidently knew they could
never really properly develop the property,due to the vast amount of wetlands,number of traffic
concerns,and fire code constraints.
I have several concerns regarding this proposed project:
1)Increased traffic within the neighborhood.
Traffic already increases significantly during the summer months,with the proximity to
the racetrack.Most summer “weekends”now extend to Wednesdays through Mondays,
where the roadways are so congested with additional vehicles,that vast sections of our
streets qualify more as one way rather than a generous two way.This impacts us by:
a)putting children at risk who walk,bike ride,scooter,etc.,around their homes;
b)endangering people who regularly walk and cycle the neighborhood,as they are
forced to do so in the middle of the street;
c)delaying emergency vehicles that are unable to navigate the streets heading to
their emergency call-out;
d)allowing non-resident,seasonal drivers who fail to respect speed limits,road
conditions and/or stop signs,to endanger both pedestrians and other drivers.
2)Increased bottle neck trying to leave the neighborhood.
Making a left-hand turn onto Lake Avenue can take 1-3 minutes per car,especially
during peak travel times.The summer months amplify this issue.Attempting to make a
right-hand turn has increasingly worsened as well.Adding an additional 16-30+vehicles
year round to this mix creates a much worse,and dangerous,scenario.
3)Possible violation of current fire codes D102,D103,and D107.
a)(D107)The existing neighborhood is already approximately 65 homes with only one
entrance/exit.This proposed new “subdivision”would share this same entrance/exit,
thereby increasing its usage by approximately 80 homes;
b)(D102,D103)The proposed “subdivision”has inadequate plans for fire apparatus
access.
4)Existence of ACOE wetlands.
There are myriad underground springs that lie beneath this neighborhood,especially
concentrated in the “back of the neighborhood”areas of Lexington Rd,Concord Dr,and
Bemis Heights Dr.When houses were built in the early 2000s (#4 Bemis Heights Dr and
#31 Concord Dr),surrounding neighbors immediately noticed a change in the ground
water levels on their properties (e.g.,an increase/decrease in basement flooding,
standing water in low areas of yards).The home at #4 Bemis Heights Dr had to be built
higher than the surrounding homes,due to the existence of a spring that runs under its
foundation.Many homes have sump pumps that run continuously.
Additional digging and movement of soil will only further impact the existing system of
underground springs and water reservoirs.
5)Impact on existing wildlife.
Currently,there are wild turkeys,deer,foxes,coyotes,rabbits,skunks,opossums,
groundhogs and beavers,as well as copious varieties of birds who make the wooded
wetland acreage behind Bemis Heights Drive their home.This new project will
permanently displace this wildlife.
Putting a new road,ROW,and 15 homes on fewer than five acres of land raises serious
questions for me as well.These include:
1)Lot size
Currently,the average established lot size of the existing homes is approximately ⅓
acre,with deep setbacks and wide side yards.How will these proposed lot sizes
compare to existing lots (excluding lots #15,16)?According to the site map,it appears
the proposed lot sizes average approximately HALF the size of the existing ones.
2)Home size
How will the square footage of new homes be affected by a much smaller lot size?
According to the ZBA application,page 6,consideration #2,“The proposed subdivision will be
single family homes of equal footprint and gross floor area,on slightly smaller lots…”.The
definition of “slightly”is not the same as that of “half.”
3)Price point of these new single family homes
Will these homes,which will be placed on significantly smaller lots,be set at price points
above or below the price range for an investor,or a home buyer?There are
already several homes in the established part of the neighborhood that are full time
rentals with absentee,and in some cases,negligent,landlords.Setting price points that
encourage these “investment’buyers”will drive down the property values for us
existing owner-occupied homes.
4)Basement or Slab foundations
With the decreased lot size and wetland issues,will these homes have full basements,
partial,or be set on slabs?It's important to determine this key difference as it will
certainly affect the price point.
5)Who will be doing the building
Do the property owner and developer plan to be the home builder,or will they be selling
the lots undeveloped for the new owners to find their own contractor?
6)What kind of home design/style
Will these new home designs be comparable to what already exists thus,“preserving the
neighborhood’s character”(see ZBA application pg 6,consideration #2),or be of more
‘updated’styles,making it glaringly obvious they are new construction?
7)Will the owners of lots 15 and 16 be able to subdivide in the future?
According to the ZBA application,page 7,consideration #5,lot #15 “will be restricted
from any further development.”This restriction needs to be guaranteed.
Will the owners of the 3+acres of lot #16 be restricted from further development as
well?
Putting 15 single family homes (the bulk of this proposed project),plus a roadway and ROW on
already fragile land,squeezed between an existing neighborhood,wetlands and a major
highway,with only 1 entrance/exit that would be shared with approximately 65 other homes,is
too much for too little an area.The negative impact of increased vehicular traffic and current fire
code violations are issues that require serious attention and consideration.
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my concerns and questions.I look forward
to witnessing a thorough presentation and in-depth Q&A at the Planning Board meeting on
Thursday,Oct 10,2024.I hope the board members carefully weigh all aspects of this proposed
project before rendering a decision that will permanently impact this neighborhood.
Respectfully yours,
Julia Anderson
8 Bemis Heights Dr.
518-584-7418