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Home My WebLink About2025-1 UDO Text Amendment- Commercial Mixed-Use District Development BonusCite of Saratoga 5pring!5 OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF ACCOUNTS -67f Broadway City Hall Dillon Moran COL�IISSIONER Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 Telephone 518-58 7-3550 August 6, 2025 Mr. Mark Pingel, Chair C/O Saratoga Springs Planning Board 47 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 RE: Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) — Commercial Mixed -Use Districts Development Bonus Dear Mark: Stacy Connors DEPUTY" COATMISSION ER Pursuant to the City Council Meeting of Tuesday, August 5, 2025, enclosed is the proposed Merit for Review to the Unified Development Ordinance. This proposal requests to amend the Commercial Mixed -Use Districts Development Bonus b.2.a., which would allow for the Code Administrators determination to replace the Planning Board's Review The City Council respectfully requests the Design Review Board to review these materials and issue an advisory opinion. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. Sincerely, Barbara Brindisi City of Saratoga Springs Accounts Department Office Supervisor 474 Broadway — Suite 14 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Enclosure B. Commercial Mixed -Use Districts Development Bonus In order to exceed the maximum building height listed in Table 4-C, a proposed development must meet additional standards listed in this section. 1. Height Bonus Up to 15 feet of additional building height may be granted through a voluntary bonus system. To obtain a development bonus, one or more actions in Table 4-D are required. 2. Application of Bonus Points Bonuses for additional height are subject to the process of this section, and earned and applied as indicated in Table 4-D. Upon confirmation of eligibility by the Code Administrator, tThe Design Review Board will determine the amount of height, up to the maximum of 15 feet, that the development is eligible for. As part of the request for additional height, the applicant must submit mass and scale drawings of the proposed development. gib. For items 1 and 2 of Table 4-D for affordable housing, the additional height is the full bonus amount (15 feet). d-c. d. For items 3 through 7 of Table 4-D, the additional building height is awarded by a point system. Acquired points may be used to increase building height by 1 foot for each point earned, up to the maximum height bonus the Design Review Board has approved, up to the maximum of 15 feet. OGA Co 1 1 SARATOGA COUNTY PLANNING BOARD TOM L. LEWIS, CHAIRMAN 50 WEST HIGH ST, BALLSTON SPA, NY 12020 August 27, 2025 Chuck Marshall, DPW Commissioner City of Saratoga Springs City Hall 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 JASON KEMPER, DIRECTOR 518.884.4705 (P) 518.884.4780 (F) Sent via email to: chuck.marshall@saratoga-springs.org, Barbara.Brindisi@saratoga-springs.org Re: SCPB Referral Review #25-148 - Zoning (UDO) Text Amendment - UDO Commercial Mixed -Use District The City is proposing to establish the City's Code Administrator as the entity that determines elgibility of a height bonus is allowed in the City;s Commercial Mixed -Use District before the Design Review Board determines the amount of height, up to 15 ft., the development is eligible for. Location: Tax Map #: N/A Received from the City of Saratoga Springs City Board on 8/6/20225. Reviewed by the Saratoga County Planning Board on August 21, 2025. Decision: Approve. Please contact the Saratoga County Planning Board if you have any questions regarding this matter. Sincerely, A�� 4je"L� Kimberly Lambert, Senior Planner Authorized Agent for Saratoga County DISCLAIMER: Recommendations made by the Saratoga County Planning Board on referrals and subdivisions are based upon the receipt and review of a "full statement of such proposed action" provided directly to SCPB by the municipal referring agency as stated under General Municipal Law section 239. A determination of action is rendered by the SCPB based upon the completeness and accuracy of information presented by its staff. The SCPB cannot be accountable for a decision rendered through incomplete or inaccurate information received as part of the complete statement. CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS PLANNING BOARD City Hall - 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 Tel: 518-587-3550 www.saratoga-springs.org October 24, 2025 To: John Safford, Mayor Minita Sanghvi, Commissioner of Finance Dillon Moran, Commissioner of Accounts Chuck Marshall, Commissioner of DPW Timothy Coll, Commissioner of DPS MARK PINGEL, Chair JOSEPH FERRANTE, Vice Chair KERRY MAYO WILLIAM MCTYGUE MICHAEL KING TONY STELLATO ALEX WHITE JENNIFER JOHNSON, Alternate RE: Advisory Opinion from the Planning Board to the City Council — UDO Text Amendment for Height Bonus Dear Mayor and Commissioners, Pursuant to City Council action on August 5, 2025 determining merit for review and requesting an advisory opinion from the Planning Board, Design Review Board, and Saratoga County Planning Board. The Planning Board considered the proposed LIDO text amendment at their October 16, 2025 meeting and issued an unfavorable advisory opinion with the following comments: While we agree that the proposed change will improve the approval process for height bonus approval, the Planning Board does not recommend that the LIDO change as presented be adopted by the City Council for the following reasons: The City grants a full 15' height bonus based on providing affordable housing as part of the development. An energy efficient development is eligible for up to a 10' height bonus. Civic and community space can provide smaller height bonuses. NYS, however, will soon require energy efficient construction for all new development, so retaining the energy efficiency option would effectively make the 10' height bonus automatic, providing no benefit to the City. The proposed change is relatively small and addresses a potential overlap between Design Review Board and Planning Board responsibility. Before committing to the time and expense of making this change, we recommend that the amendment be tabled, and the Planning staff be given the action to propose additional modifications to the height bonus portion of the LIDO that would provide concrete benefits to the City when a height bonus is granted. In the meantime, the Planning Board and the Design Review Board have a good working relationship and can work through any possible responsibility overlaps. We would also like to respectfully suggest that the City Council consider putting a regular LIDO review schedule in place, at a minimum yearly, to allow the LIDO to continue to improve as needed changes are found. This resolution was made by motion and passed 6-0 (ayes: Pingel, Ferrante, Mayo, King, White, Johnson). October 24, 2025 Date filed with Accounts Dept. Chair Page 1 of 1 Tamie Ehinger, Chair Rob DuBoff, Vice Chair Chris Bennett Leslie DiCarlo Jeff Gritsavage Geoff Wood Karen Cavotta CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS D ESIGN R EVIEW B OARD ❖ City Hall - 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 Tel: 518-587-3550 x.2515 fax: 518-580-9480 www.saratoga-springs.org ADVISORY OPINION In consideration of the Request for an Advisory Opinion by the City Council PB App #2025-1 UDO Text Amendment- Commercial Mixed-Use District Development Bonus Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 Consideration of advisory opinion to the City Council for a proposed UDO text amendment to the process for determination of compliance with development bonus action., within the City of Saratoga Springs. Following discussion on this matter on September 24, 2025, the Design Review Board offers the following with respect to the City Council:  Favorable Opinion Considerations: DRB issue a favorable advisory opinion on the proposed text amendment B.2.b. with the suggested change from "Code Administrator" to "Zoning Officer" will determine that the bonus action proposed by the applicant meets the standards and intent to achieve the height bonus. Also, recommend that the City Council consider tabling the proposed amendment to a future date to allow Planning staff an opportunity to review the current bonus actions for possible changes to the incentives for height bonus. Record of vote: motion to approve made by T Ehinger, seconded by R DuBoff : passed 5-0 In favor: TEhinger, CBennett, RDuBoff, G Wood, A Dockum As a result of this decision, the applicant:  may proceed with the proposed project as approved Please contact the Building Department to verify permit requirements. ___________________ Chair Received by Accounts cc: Building Department Accounts Dept. Applicant/Agent