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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20250989 Rt 9 / South Broadway Special Use Permit Narrative1 Narrative –Special Use Permit – Multi-Family Dwelling: Residential Only Parcel Information and History The properties which are the subject of the instant application are two currently unimproved lots on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs identifled as Tax Parcels: 178.-2- 17.11 and 178.-2-17.12 (collectively the “Property”). The Property contains a total of approximately 55.79 acres, and is bounded by the Homewood Suites and Tree House Brewery to the north, New York State Park lands to the east and south, and South Broadway to the west. The Property is currently owned by EFF-JAY REALTY LLC, who is under contract to sell it to Matrix BDC JV, LLC (the “Applicant”). The Property is located within the Gateway Commercial – Rural District (“GC-R). Even more speciflcally, the Property is in a portion of the GC-R that has additional requirements, contained in Sections 4.6(A)(5) and 4.6(B)(1)(d) of the City’s Unifled Development Ordinance (“UDO”). Further, the Property is part of the Architectural Review District, giving the Design Review Board approval authority as to the design. Finally, the Property is designated in the Comprehensive Plan (“Comp. Plan”) as Specialty Mixed Use – Park (“SP”). Overview of Proposed Development The Applicant’s vision for the Property is to develop a clustered, mixed-use development containing an extended stay hotel, multi-family residential apartments along with ground fioor nonresidential space within a portion of the residential development area (the “Proposed Development”). A sketch plan of the Proposed Development is submitted herewith. The Applicant’s goal is to provide a new opportunity for both residents and visitors to Saratoga Springs to live, visit, and work surrounded by the natural and cultural amenities in the area. Within walking distance of the Property are the Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and various local museums – which will be signiflcant beneflts and draws to the both visitors and City residents within the Proposed Development. The hotel will occupy its own single building, with flve multi-family residential building. The multi-family building that is closest to the South Broadway frontage will have ground fioor nonresidential space. The rear four multi-family residential buildings are where the special use permit will be sought for the permission to have ground-fioor residential space. The site layout will look to preserve as much greenspace and existing vegetation as possible. As noted, this site contains 57.59 acres of land. The Applicant plans to cluster the entire Proposed Development into an area of the Property that is under 17 acres in total lot 2 area – preserving over 40 acres of the existing, untouched greenspace. The majority of the parking will be screened from view at the South Broadway right of way, accomplished in a variety of manners, including: within the ground fioor of the multi-family buildings, obscured by the forward building or by vegetation - including existing or new, additional plantings. The current two-lot conflguration will be adjusted via a lot-line adjustment to allow for the hotel and multi-family/mixed use portions of the site to be on two different lots – with shared parking and other site plan elements. Multi-family residential has a maximum density of one dwelling unit per 15,000 square feet of lot area. The Applicant is proposing 128 multi-family units, which would require 1,920,000 square feet (44.08 acres) of lot area. Based upon the total lot area of the property being 57.59 acres, this leaves roughly 13.51 acres (588,495 square feet) of additional lot area to site the hotel on a separate lot. GC-R zoning only requires a 20,000 square foot minimum lot size. The purpose statement of the GC-R zoning contained in UDO Section 4.1(D)(2) identifles that the Property should provide a commercial gateway at the edge of the City and preserve the natural beauty of the area. The Applicants propose to add to the City’s request for commercial uses in this gateway by providing the hotel use and small-scale nonresidential use(s) on the ground fioor of the multi-family dwelling structure that is closest to and directly faces the South Broadway lot line. This will provide a consistent commercial façade throughout the Proposed Development. As such the following are the speciflc deflned uses in the UDO proposed by the Applicant: Hotel; Multi-family - above the ground fioor; Multi-Family Residential Only Structure; and nonresidential use(s) on the ground fioor of two of the Multi-Family structures. For ease of reference, these ground fioor nonresidential spaces and uses will hereinafter be referred to as “Commercial Use” or “Commercial Space”. The Applicant does not have any speciflc tenants inline for these spaces, but the following is a non-exhaustive list of permitted uses in the GC-R that could exist in those spaces: 1. Art Gallery 2. Art and Fitness studio 3. Animal grooming 4. Day care center 5. Eating and drinking establishment 6. Medical/dental office 7. Office 8. Personal Service establishment 9. Retail goods establishment The Applicants’ goal is to provide on-site services and uses geared towards the new City residents and visitors who will occupy the residential and hotel spaces. 3 Special Use Approval Required GC-R zoning identifles three of the four proposed uses as principally permitted uses: a hotel; multi-family: above the ground fioor; and commercial use. Only the multi- family: residential only use requires a special use permit (“SUP”). As such, when reviewing this application and applying the SUP standards, it is important to remember that they are not to be applied to the Proposed Development as a whole, but to solely to the four buildings that will have multi-family dwelling: residential only. Evaluation of Special Use Standards Section 13.4(E) of the UDO sets forth the six (6) approval standards that the Planning Board must consider and weigh when evaluating an application for a special use permit. Each of the six are set forth below, with the Applicants response to each standard following thereafter. 1. The special use in the speciflc location proposed is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and associated adopted land use policies, and the purpose and intent of this Ordinance. As noted above, the Property is identifled in the Comp. Plan as Specialty Mixed Use – Park (“SP”). The Comp. Plan provides the following description for the SP designation, as the purpose and intent of such designation: The Specialty Mixed Use - Park designation allows for a mix of commercial and residential uses that are complementary to the Downtown Core and Complementary Core and that do not negatively impact the rural character of the area adjacent to the Saratoga Spa State Park – a National Historic Landmark. Future growth in this area should be designed and sited as a campus-like setting to create a distinctive gateway that complements the beauty of the adjacent Spa State Park. Bicycle and pedestrian connections to the Park and adjacent uses should be provided. This designation may lend itself to support research and development, creative economy workplaces, “green and clean” technology businesses, and other low to moderate intensity uses that do not negatively impact this critical gateway to the City. By identifying in the flrst sentence of the SP purpose statement, it is clear that residential use is requested in the Comp. Plan at the Property. Further, seeing that the Proposed Development as a whole provides for a mix of commercial and residential uses, it is an ideal project in terms of conformance with the Comp. Plan. 4 Permitting the Proposed Development to include buildings with residential units on the ground fioor also fulfllls the requests in the Comp. Plan for parcels within the Country Overlay Area (i.e. the “Greenbelt”) – by allowing for the permitted residential density without increasing the developed area. Within the Comp. Plan, the Property is identifled as part of the Greenbelt. Although such designation comes with no affirmative limitations or requirements, it does recommend that new developments in the Greenbelt enhance the natural resources and open space. The clustering of the Proposed Development into the northwest corner of the Property preserves over 65% of the Property as open space – far exceeding the 10% requirement in Section 15.8 of the UDO. By allowing residential on the ground fioor, it allows for the permitted residential density to be achieved while reducing the footprint of the Proposed Development. A failure to grant a special use permit for ground fioor residential would counteract this beneflt, by necessitating a larger development footprint – thereby reducing the preserved open space - to accommodate the addition of more commercial use on site. Requiring that all the multi-family residential come with ground fioor commercial, not only requires more building space to achieve the same residential density, but also increases parking spaces to accommodate the additional commercial uses on site. Permitting ground fioor residential use at the Property is consistent with the UDO designation of Specialty Mixed Use – Park, and also supports the wishes of preserving, to the maximum extent possible, the Greenbelt. Further, it is worth noting that the Section 4.6(B)(1)(d) of the UDO provides an illustrated Conceptual Plan for the section of the GC-R that is located south of Crescent Avenue along South Broadway. A close review of this Conceptual Plan shows what is clearly a multi-building, multi-use development with a more prominent commercial façade along the South Broadway frontage. But to the rear are multiple separate structures that appear to demonstrate residential only buildings. By providing a conceptual plan that shows a multi-use development with ground fioor nonresidential along the South Broadway façade and fully residential buildings in the rear of the development, it is the Applicant’s position that such a plan is the intention and goal of the UDO drafters and adopters for the very speciflc zoning for this area of the GC-R. Granting the requested SUP would be directly in line with this perceived intent. 5 2. The proposed special use will not endanger the public health, safety, or welfare. Permitting ground fioor residential use at the Property that would not increase endangerment of public health, safety or welfare. In fact, there is nothing about the Proposed Development as a whole that would serve to endanger public health, safety or welfare. But when solely focused on the ground fioor residential use, such use cannot be said to increase any of those elements above any permitted use, as multi-family residential is already principally permitted in the zone, so long as it is only above the ground fioor. There is nothing inherently more dangerous to the public about having residential uses on the ground fioor versus only on the upper fioors. 3. The density, intensity and compatibility of the use with the neighborhood and community character. The density and intensity of the Proposed Development is far less than the other uses within the special corridor of the GC-R which runs south of Crescent along the east side of South Broadway. The parcels of Saratoga Honda, Tree House Brewing Company and Homewood Suites that lie north of the Property have a far greater density and intensity of use when compared to the Proposed Project, as the Proposed Development seeks to preserve 65% of the Property as open space and undisturbed woodlands. Although exact numbers are not available, it is clear from an overhead view of current development, none of the northernly neighbors come close to this value. Further, as noted above, permitting ground fioor residential only helps to increase this value by reducing the amount of the Property that would otherwise be needed to facilitate additional commercial usage. As to compatibility, although there are no residential uses on any of the lots which are immediate neighbors to the Property, this is a result of residential uses not being permitted in this location under the prior 2012 Zoning Code. Since the adoption of that 2012 code, the Comp. Plan and UDO have both been adopted – each of which set forth that residential uses are permitted in this location. As such, the Applicant’s request to add ground fioor residential is in line with the community character sought to be achieved by the legislative changes adopted in the UDO and the Comp. Plan. 4. Safe and efficient pedestrian and vehicular access, circulation and parking. The Proposed Development as a whole will have safe and efficient pedestrian and vehicular access, circulation and parking. By permitting ground fioor residential, efficiency will be increased. There will be less parking needed, as a large portion of the otherwise required commercial use will be removed. Further, by keeping the commercial uses to the front of the site, there will be less need to provide parking spaces for commercial uses to the rear of the site, and allow for any users coming to the Property solely for commercial 6 purposes to stay to the front. This will make for a safer site environment for the residents, as commercial users who may be coming to the Property for the flrst time will not need to navigate through the entire site to reach their destination. Therefore, permitting the Proposed Development to have ground fioor residential will actually increases the safety and efficiency at the site for pedestrians and vehicles versus not permitting it. 5. Existing and future demand on infrastructure, public facilities and services. Allowing for ground fioor residential use will not have any signiflcant increase on infrastructure, public facilities or services. By virtue of granting a special use permit on this Application, it will not increase the permitted density of the residential use within the Proposed Development. As such, it will not increase demands on sewer or water service. In fact, it might only serve to reduce demands as some commercial users will be removed. Along the same vein, it will not increase demand on schools with additional residences, as the same density could have been achieved regardless of whether there is residential on the ground fioor. 6. The environmental and natural resources of the site and neighboring lands including any potential erosion, fiooding or excessive light, noise, vibration and the like. The environmental and natural resources on the Property will be preserved to the greatest extent possible by the Proposed Development. The most signiflcant environmental resource on the Property are the DEC jurisdictional wetlands. The Proposed Development does not seek to cross or disturb the wetlands in any manner, and in fact will refrain from disturbing any lands within the 100 foot buffer of such wetlands. As already discussed herein, allowing for ground fioor residential serves only to further reduce any impact on the wetlands or other natural resources. By allowing residences on the ground fioor, it permits the same density of residential use within a smaller number of buildings – thereby reducing the overall area of the Proposed Development. It also will help to preserve more green space by not requiring additional parking for the higher intensity commercial use that would otherwise be required on the ground fioor.