HomeMy WebLinkAbout20240682 25 New St. Subdivision Public Comment (11)Outlook
Online Form Submittal: Land Use Board Agenda Public Comment
From noreply@civicplus.com <noreply@civicplus.com>
Date Mon 11/24/2025 7:41 PM
To Mark Graham <Mark.Graham@saratoga-springs.org>; Susan Barden <Susan.Barden@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 Planning Board
Name Alexandria White
Email Address awhite@skidmore.edu
Business Name Field not completed.
Address 2 Joseph Street
City Saratoga Springs
State New York
Zip Code 12866
Phone Number 5186811585
Project Name 25 New Street Subdivision
Project Number 20240682
Project Address 25 New Street
Comments Public Comment on 25 New Street Subdivision
Attach Photo (optional)Railroad_Run_Letter Alex.docx
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11/25/25, 8:41 AM Inbox - Mark Graham - Outlook
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To the Members of the Saratoga Springs Planning Board, I am writing to express deep concern about the proposed removal of trees along a significant part of the Railroad Run trail to make way for a 36-unit residential development. I support efforts to expand housing options in Saratoga Spring, however, the siting and design of such projects must be consistent with the City’s stated priorities for public health, recreation, transportation, sustainability, and community character, even if the zoning criteria of such a project are met. Railroad Run is an irreplaceable community asset whose tree canopy is essential to its function and value. I respectfully urge the Planning Board recognize the unique value of this trail to all of us and not approve the subdivision. Railroad Run is one of Saratoga’s most successful examples of converting former industrial infrastructure into a vibrant, accessible green space. It serves walkers, runners, cyclists, families, students, seniors, wheelchair users, and residents without cars. Its flat grade, central location, free access, and safe, car free design, make it a uniquely democratic public space used by people across ages, incomes, and abilities. For many in Saratoga Springs, including those who do not have private yards or the ability to travel to distant parks, Railroad Run is their daily recreational outlet. Children learn to ride bikes here, our famous Saratoga High school runners train here, teenagers walk to the YMCA, older adults walk for health, workers take lunchtime walks, and families use it year-round as a safe place to move, play, and gather. Even dogs love this trail. These everyday recreational benefits depend heavily on the shade, cooling, and natural beauty provided by the mature tree canopy. Removing these trees would significantly degrade the trail and diminish the qualities that make it an equitable and widely used open space. With over 150 more residents and their many cars the traffic will increase and may endanger safety of children, runners and bikers. In recent years, Railroad Run has become a primary gateway to Saratoga Spa State Park and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), thanks to new connections and safer crossings. This is a point of pride for Saratoga. Few cities offer a seamless, tree lined walking and biking experience from downtown to a major arts venue and historic park. Visitors often experience this green trail as their gateway to SPAC. For residents wishing to attend SPAC events without driving, Railroad Run provides a pleasant, green, low-carbon alternative. The mature trees framing the trail are essential to this gateway experience, offering shade on hot summer days and welcoming visitors with the sense of nature and culture interwoven, a hallmark of Saratoga’s identity. Cutting the trees along this trail risks transforming an inviting natural pathway into a back-of-buildings trail, weakening the very charm that Saratoga strives to protect. Railroad Run is also a key segment of the City’s evolving Greenbelt Trail, which aims to link neighborhoods, schools, parks, and the downtown core with continuous, safe, and appealing walking and biking routes. This is not only a recreational asset, it is transportation green infrastructure that helps reduce reliance on cars, eases congestion, and supports
sustainability goals. This is why this trail must be protected, invested in rather than degraded by backwalls of 36 units with unspecified 6-foot buffer zone. The proposal you are considering will make the Price Chopper and the shopping mall much more visible to the visitors of the trail. From a green trail this will become an industrial trail. This is going against times and the values of citizens of Saratoga Springs. Mature trees play an important role in making non-motorized travel viable and comfortable. Shade is critical for safety and usability on hot days, especially for seniors and children. A treeless, exposed trail is less inviting and significantly less used, undermining years of investment by the city and its partners. Beyond their aesthetic contribution, the trees along Railroad Run serve important ecological, public-health, and climate functions. Mature trees reduce trail temperatures by several degrees, making the space safe and usable during warm months. Trees filter particulate matter and improve local air quality, benefits especially important near roadways and dense areas such as the one Rail Road Run is located. Trees help with stormwater management. Their root systems reduce runoff, prevent erosion, and decrease the burden on municipal infrastructure. Studies consistently show that green, shaded urban paths reduce stress, improve mood, and encourage physical activity. These are long-term public benefits that cannot be quickly replicated. A newly planted sapling will take decades to deliver the cooling, habitat, and environmental benefits that the current canopy provides today. Railroad Run is a public good used by thousands of residents and visitors. The value of this green trail, its health benefits, transportation role, and contribution to community identity, far exceeds the gains of expanding building footprint into its tree line. Railroad Run is one of Saratoga Springs’ most beloved and equitable public spaces. Its mature trees are a defining element of its beauty, its usability, and its function as a gateway, connector, and community asset. Once removed, these trees and the unique experience they create cannot be replaced for generations. I urge the Board to protect this remarkable trail. Sincerely, Alexandria White