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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20241018 NYS Route 29 Prime Station Lane UDO Project Review1 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS – UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE PROJECT REVIEW Project Information Project Name / App#: Station Park Subdivision and Site Plan Parcel No.: 165-2-70; 165-2-18, 165-2-19 Zoning District: NC Neighborhood Center District (Transect Zone 5) The NC Neighborhood Center District is intended to accommodate a wide variety of residential and nonresidential uses in a moderate intensity mixed-use environment. This district also focuses on providing quality streetscape amenities and civic spaces to enhance pedestrian activity. Proposed Use: Multifamily, Townhouses, and Hotel Date of Review: March 31, 2025 UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE COMPLIANCE REVIEW Key Requirement Info Provided Compliant Comment Yes No Yes No Commercial Mixed-Use Districts Dimensional Standards (4.4) *Includes NC (T-5) District *Applies to Multifamily Buildings and Hotel Build-to Zone Table 4-C Front ROW >40’ 0’ to 12’ BTZ X X Public ROW abutting Hotel include proposed Station Park Avenue and NYS Route 29. Hotel is >12’ to lot line abutting NYS Route 29. Table 4-C Build-out abutting public ROW 70% (does not apply to SF, SF-A, 2F, TH) X X Applies to Lots #1, #6, #8, and #9 Lot #1 (<70% build-out on Station Park Ave and Station Lane) Lot #6 (Station Park Ave - approx. 252’ façade length, lot line length 371.43’, 67.8%) (NYS Rt 29 – entirety of building line outside BTZ) 2 Key Required Info Provided Compliant Comments Yes No Yes No Table 4-C Interior side 0’ min. X X Table 4-C Rear 0’ min. X X Public Civic Space 4-D/9.3 Public civic space required for developments of 20,000 sf 5% min lot area Per Sheet C-3, the applicant has stated their intent to enhance park or nature trails North of the site. Additional details are needed. Discretion of Planning Board. Per 9.3.D.8., civic space may be located off the subject site but within the same block and combined with other existing public civic space located on that block. The Planning Board must find that combining the required public civic space with existing space creates a more usable area of the public. No reduction in the amount of area required is allowed. Bulk Table 4-C Minimum building height 24’ min X X Table 4-C Maximum building height 1.1x width of ROW or 50’ (whichever is less) X X ROW width (Station Park Ave) of 76’ x 1.1 = 83.6’ 50’ < 83.6’ Multi-Family Building #1: 48’ building height, 53.63’ exposed average height noncompliant Multi-Family Building #2: 48’ building height, 53.16’ exposed average height noncompliant Hotel: 42’ building height, 49.06’ exposed average height compliant (Per Civil Site Plan, Sheet C-4) Per 21.4.D, maximum building height is measure from grade. Per Article 21.4.G, grade is the average of the finished ground level of each wall of a building measured vertically along the façade and averaged. Table 4-C Optional corner lot element 25% max X Unknown if applicant plans to include corner lot elements in design. Needs to be confirmed by applicant or through review of building renderings. Table 4-D Development bonus Discretion of Design Review Board Applicant noted the potential to use a development bonus to address building height (Sheet C-4). Residential Mixed-Use Districts Dimensional Standards (4.3) – includes UN District * Permitted single-family, single-family attached, two-family, and townhouse dwellings are not subject to these standards [Commercial Mixed-Use Districts Dimensional Standards] but rather subject to the standards of the UN District for such dwelling types. Bulk Table 4-A Min lot area, min lot width, max building coverage None X Table 4-A Maximum Impervious Surface 75% Applicant has indicated that 35% of the project area is impervious. This is an overall calculation and is not broken down per lot. Several individual lots appear to exceed the maximum. Table 4-A Maximum Building Height 40’ X Townhouse height not included on Sheet C-4. Setbacks Table 4-A Min. Front setback Build-to zone of 12’ to 18’ X X 3 Table 4-A Min. Build-Out 50% X X Key Required Info Provided Compliant Comments Yes No Yes No Table 4-A Min. interior side setback 5’ X X We suggest the applicant verify side setbacks. The side setbacks associated with the following townhouses appear to be noncompliant: 7, 12, 13, 18, 19, 25, 30, 34, 35, 40, 41, and 46. Table 4-A Min. rear setback 24’ X X We suggest the applicant verify rear setbacks. The following lots appear to be noncompliant: 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, and 13 Design Standards Single-family, single-family attached, two-family, and townhouse dwellings are not subject to these standards [Commercial Mixed-Use Districts Design Standards] but rather subject to the design standards by dwelling type of Article 8 (4.4.C.1.c). a.i. Windows, entrances, porches, or other architectural features are required on all street-facing facades to avoid the appearance of blank walls. X Renderings needed to confirm. a.ii. Facades must be designed with consistent materials and treatments that wrap around all facades. There must be a unifying architectural theme for the entire development, utilizing a common vocabulary of architectural forms, elements, materials, or colors in the entire structure. X Renderings needed to confirm. a.iii. Building facades abutting a street or abutting the City Trail System must be articulated through the use of architectural elements to break up blank walls and add visual interest. X Renderings needed to confirm. a.iv. A minimum transparency of 10% applies to any facade facing a street or abutting the City Trail System, and is calculated on the basis of the entire area of the facade. X Renderings needed to confirm. a.v. A minimum separation of 15 feet between townhouse dwellings within a larger development that contains multiple townhouse dwellings. However, where the front or rear wall of the townhouse development faces the front or rear wall of another townhouse development, the minimum required separation between such developments must be 30 feet. Driveways and parking areas may be located within this minimum separation area. X X <15’ between Townhouses 12 – 13, 18 – 19, 34 – 35, and 40 – 41. a.vi. Development is subject to the public civic space requirements of Section 9.3. Addressed above. a.vii. Where private open space for residents is maintained along the City Trail System, any fencing that delineates the private open space from public space must be open fencing of at least 60% open design and no more than six feet in height. Privacy fencing is prohibited. N/A. Fencing does not appear to be proposed along the multi-use path. b. Prohibited Building Materials X Need further information. 4 Key Required Info Provided Compliant Comment Yes No Yes No Commercial Mixed-Use Districts Design Standards (Table 4-E) *Applies to Multi-Family Buildings and Hotel Building Orientation 1 All buildings must be oriented toward a primary street X X Defer grading review to City Engineer. 2 All public entrances must include direct pedestrian connections between street facing doors to adjacent sidewalks. X X 3 Ground floor entrances into individual residential units must be between 2’ and 7’ above sidewalk grade. 4 Garage doors must not be located on the front of buildings, but rather must face the side or rear of the property. X X Building Form and Façade Design 5 Building facades that abut a public right- of-way (excluding alleys) must not contain blank wall areas that exceed 30 linear feet, measured per story parallel to the street. X Renderings needed to confirm. 6 Facades must be divided into multiple “modules,” expressed through significant architectural changes such as a change in materials, a change in pattern elements such as fenestration, columns or pilasters, or a change in building setback through recesses or projections. For buildings 150’ in length or greater, such modules may be no wider than 50 feet. X Renderings needed to confirm. 7 Facades must express a traditional visual distinction between the ground floor and upper stories through architectural features or detailing, change in materials, or a change in pattern elements such as fenestration. Where existing adjacent buildings contain such horizontal features or datum lines distinguishing the ground floor from upper stories, new building facades must match the heights of such features to create visual continuity along the face of a block. X Renderings needed to confirm. 8 Design elements for public entrances X Renderings needed to confirm. 9 Commercial storefronts must include traditional pedestrian-oriented elements such as display windows, knee walls, transoms and cornices. N/A 10 The ground floor of a building facade abutting a public right-of-way (excluding alleys) must maintain a minimum transparency of 50%, measured between two feet and ten feet in height. X Renderings needed to confirm. 11 The upper floors of a building facade abutting a public right-of-way (excluding alleys) must maintain a minimum transparency of 15% of the wall area of the story. X Renderings needed to confirm. 12 The ground floor of a building facade abutting a rear parking area that contains a public entrance must maintain a minimum transparency of 20%, measured between two and ten feet in height. X Renderings needed to confirm. 5 Key Required Info Provided Compliant Comments Yes No Yes No 13 All architectural openings, including windows, doorways, arches, porch framing, etc. must maintain a height equal to or greater than their width to emphasize the verticality of such elements. X Renderings needed to confirm. 14 Window shutters, whether functional or used as a decorative element, must be used consistently across the building facade, and must be proportioned so as to cover the window opening when closed. X Renderings needed to confirm. 15 Buildings must be designed with consistent building materials and treatments that wrap around all facades visible from a public street. Where material or color treatments change, there should be a significant change in surface plane of a minimum of six inches in difference. Differing materials are encouraged to terminate at inside corners. X Renderings needed to confirm. 16 Mechanical equipment and structural components such as vents must be located and screened to minimize visibility. X Renderings needed to confirm. Roof Design 17 Roof forms may include symmetrical pitched roofs or flat roofs with cornice treatments. Slopes of pitched roofs may not be less than 5:12, except that porch roofs may be sheds with pitches not less than 3:12. X Renderings needed to verify. 18 Rooflines of 100’ in length or more must be varied through the use of architectural design elements such as dormers, gables, or projected wall features. Such elements of variation may be no wider than 50’. X Renderings needed to verify. 19 Reflective roof surfaces that produce glare are prohibited, except for cool roofs intended to radiate absorbed or non- reflected solar energy and reduce heat transfer to the building. X Renderings needed to verify. 20 Where parapet walls are used, they must feature three-dimensional cornice treatments or other shadow-creating details along their tops. X Renderings needed to verify. Site Design 21 Sites must be designed to ensure safe pedestrian and bicycle access from the public ROW and within the development. Interconnected sidewalks and midblock crossings included on site plan. Unsure where bike storage pods are located. Abundance of on-street parking may cause conflict with bicyclists (open car doors in path of cyclists, little buffer between bicyclists and motorists). 22 A cohesive visual character must be maintained through the use of coordinated hardscape and landscape treatments. 23 Off-street parking and traffic flow must not interfere with the flow of pedestrian travel or detract from aesthetic character. X X 24 Vehicular access to parking and service areas must be provided from an alley wherever possible. X X Uses (4.2) 4.2 / Article 8 Multi-Family – Residential Structure Only Special Use X Multifamily use requires a special use permit Townhouse Permitted Use Hotel Permitted Use 6 Key Requirement Info Provided Compliant Comments Yes No Yes No Off-Street Parking and Loading (10) 10.2 Parking location Residential Uses – driveway/off-street spaces cannot project over the sidewalk or ROW Non-residential Uses – Behind front building line X X 2 spaces appear to be in front of the hotel’s front building line. Table 10-B Number of accessible spaces 2% of total X X 750 * 2% = 15 ADA spaces required Provided: 18 4 in surface lots, 4 at hotel, 2 on private drive, 8 in subgrade parking garage Per 10.3.B, each accessible parking space must be marked with ADA-compliant signage and any other applicable standards of the ADA. 10.3.C.2 Access All parking facilities must have an internal pedestrian circulation system that allows passage between parking areas and use served. X X Site includes interconnected sidewalks and mid-block crosswalks along the proposed Station Park Avenue. The Planning Board may want to require the addition of a walkway between the southern end of the playground lot to the adjacent sidewalk and crossing. 10.3.C.5 Turnaround Turnaround space min. depth and width of 9’, must be designated with signs stating “No Parking” and painted to indicate parking. X X Dead-end parking lots on site: Surface lot behind townhouses #1 – 6, hotel surface lot, surface lot adjacent to playground, subgrade parking facility. Turnaround with min. depth and width of 9’ included for all dead-end parking lots. Applicant must include appropriate striping and signage in these areas. 10.3.G / Section 9.4 Lighting Townhouse developments the maximum allowable footcandle at any lot line is one footcandle; correlated color temperature (CCT) at or below 3,000°K; Full cut-off; Max height 20’ Applicant to confirm max footcandle measurement at lot line behind Townhouses #1 – 6 and #25 – 30. May want to consider including a back shield on fixture (LP-C-SL3-HS). LP-A, LP-B, LP-D have acorn lens – applicant to confirm if fixture is dark sky compliant/full cut-off. Applicant to confirm if any building mounted/wallpack lighting proposed. 2200 color temperature (LP-A, LP-B) Applicant to confirm color temperature of LP-C. 10.3.H / Article 11 Landscaping Lots with >4 spaces, drainage must be connected to a public stormwater if located within 500’ of an available public storm sewer system. Defer to City Engineer to confirm. 10.5.F. EV charging stations (>30 parking spaces) 5% EV-ready or 2% EV-installed X X 750 required spaces * 5% = 37.5 spaces 750 * 2% = 15 spaces EV spaces provided: 30 22 in surface lots, 8 in subgrade garage per underground parking plan 7 Key Requirement Info Provided Compliant Comments Yes No Yes No Table 10-C Parking spaces per use(s) Dwelling – Multi- Family/Townhouse (1.5 per du in NC) Hotel – 1.5 per room # of vehicle parking spaces cannot exceed 120% of required minimum unless waived by the Planning Board X X 46 Townhouses + 184 units Bldg #1 + 160 units Bldg #2 = 390 dwelling units 390 du * 1.5 =585 110 hotel rooms * 1.5 = 165 Total required: 750 Applicant includes maintenance building in calculation. It has been excluded here assuming the building is an accessory use. Spaces Provided: 751 (mix of on-street, surface lot, garage, and subgrade spaces) Corrections Needed -Mislabeled number of parking spaces in northern Building #1 surface parking lot (labeled 10, 9 → actual 11, 10) -Mislabeled street parking west of Building #2 (labeled 17 → actual 15) *Please indicate which Townhouse Units include 2-car garages on Sheet C-2 Table 10-C Bicycle spaces per use(s) Dwelling – Multi- Family/Townhouse (1 per 4 du) Hotel – N/A After the first 25 required bicycle parking spaces are provided, any additional bicycle parking spaces are required at a 50% reduction. X X 46 Townhouses + 184 units Bldg #1 + 160 units Bldg #2 = 390 dwelling units 390 du / 4 = 97.5 bicycle spaces First 25 bike spaces + (remaining 72.5 * 50% = 36.25 spaces) = 61.25, round up to 62 required bicycle spaces Provided: (2 pods of 8 bikes = 16) + (4 pod pf 20 = 80) = 96 bicycle spaces This cannot be verify but is mentioned by the applicant on Sheet C-2. Table 10-C Long-term bicycle spaces per use(s) Dwelling – Multi- Family/ Townhouse (80%) Hotel – N/A X Applicant needs to verify. Do pods mentioned in notes allow for long parking periods and provide safe and weatherproof storage? 10.6 On-street parking For nonresidential uses – new on-street spaces may count toward required off- street parking but must be located along the corner, side or front lot line. X X New on-street parking spaces are provided along the proposed Station Park Avenue which is adjacent to the front/side lot lines of the proposed townhouses, multi-family building, and hotel 10.7 Bicycle Parking Standards Design, Location Bicycle parking racks must permit the bicycle frame and one wheel to be locked to the rack and support the bicycle in a stable position. Structures that require a user- supplied locking device must be designed to accommodate U- shaped locking devices. X Unsure location of bike racks. Proposed bike rack does not appear effectively accommodate U-locks as the design supports the front wheel only with the frame unsecured. Image from Belsen Outdoors. Link 10.8 # Off-street Loading Spaces 1 space min for >50 dwelling units 1 space min for 10,000 – 100,000 sf GFA commercial use X X Loading spaces provided: in front of hotel, 2 spaces along west side of multifamily buildings, within northern multifamily lot adjacent to Building #1, within southern multifamily lot adjacent to Building #2 8 Key Requirement Info Provided Compliant Comments Yes No Yes No Landscape (11) The Planning Board, during review of the landscape plan, may allow exceptions to on-site landscape standards if such exceptions meet some or all of the standards outlined in 11.3 of the code. Table 11-A Plant diversity requirements 50+ plants – max # of one species (15%), min # of species (15) X X Number of species and % of each appear to follow plant diversity requirement 11.4 Site landscape *Does not apply to townhouse dwellings; does not apply where parking lot is located in front of the structure and abuts a street. Setback areas include min 1 broadleaf tree or 2 ornamental trees and 5 shrubs for every 30 linear feet of setback area when structure is setback 10’ or more from a front or corner side lot line. X X Approx. 287’ front lot line along Station Park Ave for hotel Approx. 845’ front lot line along Station Park Ave for Multi-Family Buildings Hotel: 287/30 = 9.5 (9.5 trees + 47.5 shrubs) Provided in setback area – 7 trees, >48 shrubs Multifamily: 845/30= 28 (28 trees + 140 shrubs) Provided in setback area – no trees (trees provided in the ROW and elsewhere on site, not in front setback area), >140 shrubs 11.5 Parking lot landscape When parking lot abuts a street. Min. 1 shrubs of every 3 linear feet of landscaped area, Min. 1 tree per 40 linear feet X X Roughly 10 shrubs within 18’ of landscaped area in hotel lot adjacent to proposed road. 11.6 Parking lot interior landscape (>15 spaces) 1 island with 1 broadleaf tree for every 10 parking spaces min. Double islands require 2 trees. Min. 10% of total parking lot area. Rows of parking spaces must terminate in a landscape area X X Hotel lot – 99 spaces, roughly 1 single island and 2 double islands (at end of double row) = 5 total Required landscaped islands: ~ 10 Playground lot – 28 spaces, no islands Required: 2-3 landscaped islands Applicant to confirm % of landscaped area in hotel parking lot 11.7 Buffer yardr Required where multi-family dwelling abuts a townhouse dwelling Interior side/rear setback 10’ in width, fencing, 1 trees for every 30 linear feet, 1 shrubs for every 3 linear feet of landscaped area X X Between Townhouses #1 – 6 and Building #1. Approx 90 linear feet of landscaped area – 3 trees provided (compliant), <30 shrubs (not compliant) Between Multifamily buildings and Townhouses #31 – 46 + playground and lot. Approx. 600’ linear feet of landscaped area – No trees in the setback area adjacent to multifamily building (noncompliant, however there are 30+ between the buildings and townhouses within the ROW); >200 shrubs in setback (compliant) Key Requirement Info Provided Compliant Comments 9 Yes No Yes No 11.8 Street trees 1 per 40 linear feet lot frontage along street in tree belt X X TREE BELT - That part of the street or highway not covered by sidewalk or other paving, lying between the property line and that portion of the street or highway usually used for vehicular traffic (Urban and Community Forest Master Plan) Proposed Station Park Avenue is approx. 1,217’ in length. 1217/40 = ~30 trees x 2 sides of street = 60 trees. Provided: >60 trees along ROW All trees planted within the tree belt and anywhere within the right-of-way require approval of the Department of Public Works. 11.9 Tree preservation Applies to multi- family dwellings and non- residential uses Existing significant trees to be preserved to the maximum extent feasible. Applicant has indicated that 671 significant trees exist on site, and 52 of those trees will be preserved. Tree survey and preservation and replacement plan required. Existing significant trees preserved on a site that are of good health are credited towards fulfillment of the landscape requirements of this Ordinance with the exception of required parking lot islands. Every significant tree that is preserved within a required landscape area is credited as two required trees. A tree may only be credited once. 11.9.D. 11.9 Construction Protection Defer to City Engineer. Construction and tree protection must comply with the following: -ANSI A300 (Part 5)-2012: Management of Trees and Shrubs During Site Planning, Site Development, and Construction, most current edition. -International Society of Arboriculture - Best Management Practices (BMP) - Managing Trees During Construction, most current edition. Public Improvements (15) 15.3 Natural land characteristics Areas unsuitable for development Defer to City Engineer. 15.3 Natural land characteristics Preservation of natural features Defer to City Engineer. 15.6 Infrastructure improvements Sanitary sewer (Chapter 231) Defer to City Engineer. 15.6 Infrastructure improvements Water supply (Chapter 231) Defer to City Engineer. 15.7 Utilities Easements for public utilities If utilities are to be dedicated to the City, executed easements to the City and LOC associated with proposed work is required. 15.8 Open space preservation and recreation land Offering of min. 10% of subject parcel(s) for recreational use. X Need additional information. Combination of land and fee in lieu is permitted. Key Requirement Info Provided Compliant Comments 10 Yes No Yes No Stormwater Management (17) 17.4 Basic SWPPP required for residential development disturbing 1 to 5 acres Disturbance plan shows over 5 acres of total disturbance but not more than 5 acres at any one time (max disturbance at one time ~4.8 acres). Item deferred to City Engineer. 17.4 Full SWPPP required for residential development disturbing more than 5 acres 17.4 Basic SWPPP required for nonresidential and mixed-use development disturbing .25 to .49 acre 17.4 Full SWPPP required for nonresidential and mixed-use development disturbing .5 to .99 acre 17.4 Full SWPPP required for nonresidential and mixed-use development disturbing 1 acre or more Public Realm (18) 18.3 New blocks must not exceed 1,000’ in length unless approved by DPW. X X Block length <1,000’ in length 18.4A Complete Streets Plan set needs to be reviewed against the City’s Complete Streets Plan. 18.5 Sidewalk and multi-use path requirements Plan needs to be reviewed against the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail Plan, Complete Streets Plan, and any other relevant plans/policies. Project includes installation of sidewalks. Must be reviewed against City engineering standards and be approved by DPW. 18.7 Bicycle lane design requirements X Bike lanes are not proposed as part of this project. Can be required by the Planning Board based on the Complete Streets Plan 18.8.A. ROW types x x Park Station Avenue to be classified. Likely Local Street: Neighborhood Two-Lane Divided Street. 18.8.B. ROW dimensional requirements X X Proposed street complies with the Local Street: Neighborhood Two-Lane Divided Street dimensional requirements. Note: proposed street excludes a center lane (10’ width). Other Comments: Planning Board may want to require cross access and maintenance agreements be executed between the various proposed parcels on the project site.