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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20250456 65 Phila St Area Variance Public Comment (7)Outlook Online Form Submittal: Land Use Board Agenda Public Comment From noreply@civicplus.com <noreply@civicplus.com> Date Mon 7/14/2025 1:27 PM To Mark Graham <Mark.Graham@saratoga-springs.org> Land Use Board Agenda Public Comment SUBMIT COMMENTS REGARDING CITY PROJECTS Thank you for submitting your comments. Your feedback will be forwarded to the City's Planning Department and Land Use Board members. NOTE: Comments submitted later than 12:00 noon on the day before the Land Use Board meeting may not be reviewed prior to their meeting. All comments will be added to the project file in the Planning Department. Land Use Board Zoning Board of Appeals Name Leslie LeBon Email Address llebon@yahoo.com Business Name Field not completed. Address 14 Lafayette Street City Saratoga Springs State NY Zip Code 12866 Phone Number 9492353661 Project Name 65 Phila Street Request for Area Variance Project Number 20250456 Project Address 65 Phila Street Comments Please see attached letter from me. Attach Photo (optional)Zoning Bd - Variance.pdf Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. 7/14/25, 1:28 PM Mail - Mark Graham - Outlook https://outlook.office365.com/mail/inbox/id/AAQkAGIxYTcxODdiLTE4ZmUtNDdlMy05MTNlLTA4ZjY5NTFhMDAzMQAQAGHpHGSrvttIp%2BKUZQxZLj…1/1 July 14, 2025 Saratoga Springs Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing 65 Phila St - Variance for exceeding Lot Coverage Dear Board Members: My name is Leslie LeBon and I am a resident and homeowner at 14 Lafayette St directly North of the applicant property. I am also an architect and served 7 years as a Design Review Board member for the City of Laguna Beach CA. I have a lot of experience with and understand how to evaluate criteria for variance requests. I want to object again to the proposed variance request to exceed lot coverage for a two story garage and addition. Please note that the proposed garage is not one and a half stories as the applicants have written on the application. I'm not objecting to improving the property, I'm objecting to the proposed improvements that actually can be achieved by reducing the square footage without exceeding the lot coverage. Based on the zoning evaluation criteria you, as board members, must justify your opposition to the decision made by the Zoning Administrator that is required to enforce the Zoning Ordinances. The following zoning evaluation criteria explains how there are no qualified reasons for approval: 1. Exceeding lot coverage and building the only two story garage in the neighborhood will create a major impact and be a detriment to all of the nearby single family properties at 12, 14, 18, and 20 Lafayette Street and 69 Phila Street. Some neighborhoods with larger lots outside of this neighborhood certainly have charming carriage houses built over 100 years ago, but these now are primarily apartments or subdivided houses. Additionally, much of Phila St lost its charm years ago when many of the properties were allowed to exceed their lot coverages prior to current zoning ordinances. The submitted application shows historic maps with various additions to the main building at 65 Phila, but NONE of these maps over the years show anything like the proposed additions that would cover so much land and nearly the entire width of the property. 2. The benefit sought by the applicant can be achieved by reducing the two story garage to a single story, which will reduce the footprint by 110 sf. By further reducing the square footage of the addition, it will bring the project into compliance. 3. The requested area variance is a substantial increase to the lot coverage by over 27% (not 11% shown on the application) and beyond the allowable 41% coverage. 4. The proposed excessive lot coverage will have an adverse impact on the physical and environmental conditions in the neighborhood. My property and my immediate neighbors homes and backyards along Lafayette St will have a two story building near it, blocking needed southern and western sun exposures. The garage building is too close to the few remaining historic (Saratoga DRB’s word) trees in the neighborhood and on my property and construction will destroy them. We need our trees. Furthermore, the increased building pads along with the proposed massive driveway leaves little to no green space on this lot. Rain runoff and snow accumulation will be a considerable problem for the neighborhood and City. 5. The alleged difficulty is indeed self-created, The applicant’s architect also admitted this. Reducing the applicant’s program will reduce the square footage and thus meet the reasonable lot coverage requirements. As someone that is well versed in zoning ordinance evaluation criteria, I cannot see how the Board can justify the excessive lot coverage without disregarding the zoning ordinances. Because a buyer is willing to purchase the property and comply with the seller's purchase covenants this is not a reason to give carte blanche to the proposed building program as applied for. Thank you for your time. Leslie LeBon - Owner 14 Lafayette St.