HomeMy WebLinkAbout20250533 26 Finley St Site Plan Public Comment (10)Planning Board September 112025
The issue is oversaturation of government supported Facilities all located on
Adelphi/Finley Street. Adelphi/ Finley Street is a street with two names. From Rt 9
Broadway it's Adelphi Street and from RT 50 Ballston Ave it's Finley Street, one
street with two names. The entire street is less than .2 tenths of a mile and is also
the main truck route for all tractor trailers coming in and out of the city.
Currently we are already overly saturated. The county shelter across Broadway, the
Saratoga County Mental Health Center, (which by the way has been mandated to
cut their budget by 1 million dollars, and that's before the Medicaid cuts), the
homeless shelter, Rise Headquarters with their new Psychosocial Day program, AIM
residential group home for disabilities, the code blue shelter in construction, and
shelters of Saratoga's residential facility. And now the proposed 71-unit Affordable
Housing mental health residential facility with an additional office building and
playground "The Finley".
One of your board members stated when the homeless shelter closes the problem
is solved. Not true if this facility is added the problem will only increase.
Oversaturation of government supported facilities one location doesn't change. i t'
Another member of this board commented it is not the boards concern who
occupies the building. I firmly believe a planning board's main objective is to ensure
safety and knowing the occupants would be a critical priority.
The site work required at this location will be extremely expensive. The tree
removal and extensive grade variations will require large removal of earth,
installation of retaining wall and potential root damage to remaining trees. As
noted in the design review board meeting the design consultant stated their
budget was limited. This raises serious concerns. There are many other locations
around the city that would be much less costly to develop. Such as the corner lot
on Ballston Ave and new street or the corner lot on west Ave and Rt29 as
examples. These alternatives may reduce in part oversaturation.
Lastly for me we have identified through visual observation 17 federally protected
birds currently inhabiting these woods. Here is the list we've complied. Granted
they may be more but these are the ones we've confirmed.
List Of Federally Protected Birds inhabiting
26- Finley Street Wooded property
Please be advised the following list of birds are Federally
Protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty ACT (MBTA)
50 CFR 10.13
1. Eastern Phoebe
2. Northen Flicker
3. Northen Cardinal
4. Cedar Waxwing
5. Fox Sparrow
6. Purple Finch
7. Song Sparrow
8. Blue Jay
9. Blue Bird
10. Hairy Woodpecker
11. Red Wing Blackbird
12.Pileated Woodpecker
13. Nuthatch
14.Tufled Titmouse
15. Gray Catbird
16. American Robin
17. Hummingbird
The above list of Birds have been identified by actual visual
observation. This list is being shared with the Audubon Society,
and Saratoga Plan.