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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230233 Station Lane Site Plan Revised NarrativeWest Ave - Site Plan PROJECT NARRATIVE Revised: April 7, 2023 Second Revision: December 21, 2023 Third Revision: October 18, 2024 Fourth Revision: September 24, 2025 INTRODUCTION The West Ave Site Plan project proposes the development of a four-story building featuring commercial/retail space and multifamily rental units in the City of Saratoga Springs, New York. The basement level will provide 60 indoor vehicle parking spaces as well as 20 indoor bicycle parking spaces. The first floor of the building, with a footprint of approximately 22,956 SF, will include 2,000 SF of commercial/retail space and 19 multifamily rental units. Floors 2 through 4 will provide 61 multifamily rental units, shared amenity spaces, mechanical rooms, and circulation areas. The applicant for the proposed development is West Station LLC, 2 Moore Ave, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. EXISTING CONDITIONS Existing Land Use and Zoning The project site includes one parcel having an area of 2.00± acres located at the northwest corner of Station Lane and West Ave. The tax map identification number for the parcel is 165.-2-76.2. The parcel is zoned NC — Neighborhood Center District, as defined by the City of Saratoga Springs Unified Development Ordinance. A general overview of the surrounding land uses in the area includes urban, commercial, suburban residential, and multifamily residential uses. The proposed development is consistent with the current land uses in the surrounding area. Wetlands and Streams The project area contains NYSDEC regulated wetlands totaling 0.054± acres and 0.557± acres of associated NYSDEC 100' adjacent area. The wetlands continue offsite to the west. Soils According to maps from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of Saratoga County, the onsite soils are classified as follows: • Deerfield Loamy Fine Sand (DeA, DeB): This is a very deep, moderately well drained soil formed in glacial fluvial deposits. It is found on outwash terraces, outwash plains, outwash deltas and kame terraces. The surface runoff is negligible to low. Hydrologic Soil Group A. + Wareham Loamy Sand (Wa): This is a very deep, nearly level, poorly drained soil formed in outwash plains, it is found on glacial outwash plains, lake plains, terraces, and deltas. The permeability is rapid throughout the soil and the surface runoff is negligible or low. The soil has a slight erosion hazard. Hydrologic Soil Group A/D. • Windsor Loamy Sand (WnB): This is a very deep, excessively drained soil formed in outwash or eolian deposits. It is found on dunes, outwash plains, deltas, and outwash terraces. The surface runoff is low. Hydrologic Soil Group A. Onsite soil tests showed the presence of silt throughout the in -situ soils and a general lack of permeability. As such, the soils were modeled as Hydrologic Soil Group C for the purposes of preparing the project Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan. PROPOSED CONDITIONS The West Ave Site Plan project proposes the development of a four-story mixed used building that will provide commercial/retail space and multifamily rental units located along West Ave and Station Lane. The gross footprint area of the 15t through 4th floors of the building is approximately 91,824 SF. The basement level will provide 60 indoor parking spaces, a 20-space bicycle parking area that complies with the requirements of the City of Saratoga Springs Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a mechanical room, and access to the building stairwells and elevator. The 15t floor will provide approximately 2,000 SF of commercial/retail space, 19 apartments, a delivery drop and package room, a fitness room, and circulation areas. The second through fourth floors will consist of 61 apartments, shared amenity spaces, mechanical rooms, and circulation areas. A rooftop deck will also be provided on the 4ch floor. All of the proposed uses are permitted in the NC - Neighborhood Center district and the project is consistent with the City of Saratoga Springs Comprehensive Master Plan. The West Ave Site Plan project proposes the installation of a sidewalk along the north side of Station Lane that will link the sidewalk constructed by the adjacent Station Lane Apartments project to the sidewalk on the west side of West Ave. An internal sidewalk network will provide connections from the parking areas to the building entrances. Storefront access to the retail space from West Ave will be provided by an ADA-compliant ramp, ADA-compliant stairs, and a sidewalk along the West Ave building frontage. An outdoor seating area will be provided on the south side of the building near the intersection of West Ave and Station Lane. The project also proposes a hardscape area with park benches and a grassed and landscaped greenspace area to the north of the sidewalk on Station Lane to meet the public civic space requirements stated in Article 9.3 of the LIDO. The UDO requires 1 parking space per 500 gross square feet of floor area for retail uses. For multifamily residences in the NC District, the UDO requires a minimum of 1.5 parking spaces per residential unit. Therefore, the 2,000 SF of commercial/retail space will require 4 spaces and the 80 multifamily units will require 120 parking spaces, resulting in a total of 124 required parking spaces for the development. The LIDO allows for a reduced number of parking spaces when shared parking demands are accounted for. The required parking for mixed -use developments is first calculated for each individual use included in the proposed development. After the initial parking requirements are calculated, the shared parking calculations are then determined by using Table 10-D of the LIDO. For the West Ave Site Plan project, it pg. 2 f �_ �� was determined that 124 parking spaces are needed to meet the peak parking demand during the 6pm- Midnight timeframe on weekdays. The project proposes 60 interior basement -level parking spaces, 56 exterior parking spaces in the parking lot behind the building, and 8 street parking spaces along the north side of Station Lane. The total number of parking spaces to be provided is 124 spaces, which meets the requirements of the UDO. ZONING VARIANCES After a review of the project plans, City planning staff identified two (2) area variances as being needed to allow for the proposed development. Both variances were granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals on November 20, 2023. PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE Driveways & Access The development will include one new curb cut along Station Lane. Existing vegetation along the north side of Station Lane will be cleared to improve sight distances at the proposed driveway. Preliminary Stormwater Management Drainage Plans Stormwater will be managed on -site using green infrastructure run-off reduction practices and stormwater management facilities. Stormwater management practices have been addressed in the project specific Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) included with this submission. Stormwater control practices have been designed and will be implemented in accordance with all NYSDEC technical standards and the City of Saratoga Springs guidelines. The stormwater management systems and appurtenances have been designed and will be constructed in accordance with all local, state, and federal requirements and are proposed to be operated and maintained by the Owner. Preliminary Sewer and Water Plans The total anticipated water and sewage (wastewater) average daily demands for the project is estimated to be 12,960 gallons per day (gpd) based on the following: Retail Space (2,000 ftz) x (0.1 gpd/ ftz) x (0.8) = 160 gpd Multifamily (80 Units) x (200 gpd/ Unit) x (0.8) = 12,800 gpd TOTAL = 12,960 gpd There is an existing water main along the south side of Station Lane and another along the west side of West Ave. The development proposes one new 6" service connection to the 12" watermain along West Ave to meet the anticipated domestic and fire protection demands of the building. Since the water main is located close to the curb on the west side of West Ave, the disturbance required to make the service connection, and any impacts to traffic on West Ave, are anticipated to be minimal. pg. 3 There is an existing gravity sanitary sewer main that discharges to an existing pump station on Station Lane. The development proposes a 6" lateral connection to the existing Station Lane gravity sanitary sewer main. The gravity main in Station Lane is deeper than the gravity main located in West Ave. However, it is anticipated that the proposed connection to the Station Lane gravity main will result in less disturbance than would a connection to the West Ave gravity main due to the proximity of the two pipes in relation to the project parcel. Station Lane carries a lower volume of traffic and the gravity main is located on the north (project side) of the right-of-way, while West Ave carries a higher volume of traffic and the gravity main is located in the eastern portion of the right-of-way. The existing pump station was identified to have capacity deficiencies as outlined by Bergmann Associates in an Engineer's Report dated August 16, 2017. At the time of the Bergmann Associates report, four projects were proposed along Station Lane. One of the projects did not advance, however the remaining three projects continued. The Intrada Development and Station Lane Apartments development have been completed. The required upgrades to the pump station to meet the anticipated flows generated by the three projects were completed in 2019 by the owner of the nearby Intrada Development. The proponents of the Intrada Development, Station Lane Apartments development, and the West Ave Site Plan project agreed to provide a cost sharing proportionate to the contributing flows for the upgrades to the existing pump station. The applicant for the West Ave Site Plan project is committed to providing the appropriate funds per the cost sharing agreement for the upgrades upon the project being granted site plan approval by the City of Saratoga Springs Planning Board, SUMMARY The West Ave Site Plan project is proposed in accordance with the NC zoning district requirements and the City of Saratoga Springs Comprehensive Master Plan. The project is anticipated to meet the current multifamily and retail needs in the area, and is not anticipated to have an adverse impact on surrounding property owners or businesses. The development will uphold the City's vision by working with existing land features, employing existing guidelines, and appropriately enhancing the West Ave corridor in the City of Saratoga Springs. The applicant and the applicant's engineer look forward to advancing this project with the City of Saratoga Springs. pg. 4