HomeMy WebLinkAbout20241000 110-114 Nelson Ave. PUD Advisory Opinion
CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS
P LANNING B OARD
City Hall - 474 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, New York 12866
Tel: 518-587-3550
www.saratoga-springs.org
CHARLES MARSHALL, Chair
MARK PINGEL, Vice Chair
KERRY MAYO
WILLIAM MCTYGUE
MICHAEL KING
TONY STELLATO
JOSEPH FERRANTE
JASON MAZZOTTI, Alternate
ALEX WHITE, Alternate
March 4, 2025
To: John Safford, Mayor
Minita Sanghvi, Commissioner of Finance
Dillon Moran, Commissioner of Accounts
Hank Kuczynski, Commissioner of DPW
Timothy Coll, Commissioner of DPS
RE: Advisory Opinion from the Planning Board to the City Council – 110 -114 Nelson PUD
Dear Mayor and Commissioners,
Pursuant to City Council action on December 17, 2024 requesting an advisory opinion from the Planning
Board, this board reviewed the proposed PUD on February 13, 2025.
Per the UDO, the Planning Board recommendation and the City Council decision must make a finding that
the following standards for a planned unit development have generally been met (13.16 G.3.f.):
i. The proposed planned unit development is consistent with the goals and objectives of the
Comprehensive Plan.
ii. The proposed planned unit development meets the purpose of a planned unit development.
iii. The proposed planned unit development will not impede the normal and orderly
development and improvement of surrounding property.
iv. There is provision for adequate utilities and infrastructure, drainage, off-street parking and
loading, pedestrian access, and all other necessary facilities.
v. There is provision for adequate vehicular ingress and egress designed to minimize traffic
congestion upon public streets. A traffic study may be required to provide evidence that the
circulation system is adequate.
vi. The location and arrangement of structures, parking areas, walks, landscape, lighting, and
other site design elements, are compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and adjacent
land uses.
The Planning Board considered the proposed PUD at their February 13, 2025 meeting and issued a
favorable advisory opinion with the following recommendations:
2
1. Section VI – Uses, Area and Bulk Standards:
a. Consider reducing the maximum building height in Zone A (55 ft.) to help protect against
the impact to the viewshed from Nelson Ave., and to avoid the building from visually
competing with the historic architecture within the adjacent racetrack.
b. Consider eliminating the requirement for a Special Use Permit for the commercial uses
in Zone A.
2. Section VII – Access and Parking: Consider adding a vehicle parking maximum not to exceed
20% of the required parking. The Board notes that the parking requirement for the project is 30
spaces and the concept plan shows 44 spaces. The vehicle maximum requirement would limit
the number of parking spaces to 36.
3. Consider requiring a restriction in the offering plan and/or bylaws of the HOA prohibiting short-
term rental of the guest cottages.
4. Consider requiring that the offering plan or bylaws specify that the HOA will maintain the
private road and sidewalk.
The Board notes the proposed public benefit of improvements to the Scott T. Johnson Recreation Center
and discussed other public benefit possibilities such as those that directly relate to the project, are
located within the same neighborhood, or that include an affordable housing component.
The Board further notes that this application is consistent with the maximum density in the
Comprehensive Plan and in the UDO (with an additional 20%), and development of the project would
eliminate the existing use of the property as a seasonal parking lot, which is a land use that is not
permitted in the UR-2 District.
This resolution was made by motion and passed 7-0 (ayes: Marshall, Pingel, McTygue, Stellato, King,
Ferrante, White) on February 13, 2025
February 27, 2025
Date filed with Accounts Dept. Chair