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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260091 Lexington Rd & Bemis Heights Rd Subdivision Modification Narrative Engineering ReportUnauthorized alteration or addition to this document is a violation of the NYS Education Law. © 202 2 NARRATIVE ENGINEERING REPORT FOR BEMIS POINT SUBDIVISION CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK PREPARED FOR: AAADMC VENTURES LLC C/O ARTHUR CURTO 1 NADEAU ROAD CLIFTON PARK, NEW YORK 12065 PREPARED BY: Arico Associates 1407 Route 9, Bld.2, Suite 6 Clifton Park, New York 12065 ARICO ASSOCIATES PROJECT ID: 21.32 JANUARY 2026 Arico Associates Bemis Point Subdivision Engineers, Land Planners & Consultants Narrative Report Page 1 of 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2 ZONING & LAND USE 3 SOIL CONDITIONS, GROUNDWATER & TOPOGRAPHY 3 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT & DRAINAGE 3 WATER SUPPLY 3 WASTEWATER DISPOSAL 4 ROADWAYS & TRANSPORTATION 4 COMMUNITY SERVICES 5 VISUAL, NOISE, ENVIRONMENTAL 5 SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL 6 DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS AND MITIGATION TO ADJACENT 6 NEIGHBORHOODS CONCLUSION, OBJECTIVES AND CONSIDERATIONS 6 Arico Associates Bemis Point Subdivision Engineers, Land Planners & Consultants Narrative Report Page 2 of 6 INTRODUCTION This Project narrative and the information that follows represent the proposal for the design and development of a modified residential project, totaling 21.78± acres, located at the end of Lexington Avenue at the intersection of Bemis Heights Road in the City of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, New York. The project site is located in the southeastern portion of the City of Saratoga Springs, and is identified as Tax Map Parcels 166.15-2-34, -35, 166.19-1-1 through -41 (Coordinates: N432°04'45.28”, W73°45'00.97”). The project applicant, AAADMC Ventures LLC, c/o Arthur Curto, of 1 Nadeau Drive, Clifton Park, New York is pursuing approval for a 13-lot single-family residential subdivision on approximately 21.78± acre parcel. The newly constructed homes will be accessed via an extension of Lexington Road with the single home on Bemis Heights Road accessed via Concord Drive and/or Bemis Heights Road and Lexington Road. The project has received a SEQRA negative declaration from the City’s Planning Board and thereafter unanimously received 13 area variances from the City’s Zoning Board of Appeals for minimum front yard setback relief (Lots 2 through 12) and minimum lot width (Lots 5 and 6). PROJECT DESCRIPTION The existing neighborhood consists of 68 single family homes and was known as Independence Square under the original subdivision approvals. Initially, the 21.78± acre parcel was considered Phase 3 of Independence Square and consisted of 39 single-family building lots, though this phase was never constructed. Over the years the land has remained undeveloped and the proposal is to modify the 39- lot subdivision into 13 buildable tax lots. The project site is comprised of wooded areas with surrounding land uses that include low-density residential developments, an educational facility and undeveloped wooded areas. The parcel is bounded by Lots 2, 4, 6 and 8 Bemis Height Road; Lands N/F of Board of Cooperative Educational Services to the west; Lands N/F of Thomas Deveno to the south; and NYS 87 to the east. The project will have one connecting roadway at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Bemis Heights Road, extensions of municipal water and sewer services which are present and owned/operated by the City of Saratoga Springs and associated utilities. The roadway will be a public right-of-way to be named at a later date that is proposed to be dedicated to the City of Saratoga Springs. The development will provide new, fresh and energy efficient residential home ownership opportunities to the residents of the City of Saratoga Springs and surrounding area. The project will add significant tax assessment to the City and Saratoga County tax base and local community benefit to the residents of the City of Saratoga Springs. The infrastructure development for the project will consist of the construction of approximately 1,100± linear feet of public roadway, together with utility extensions for water, sanitary, electric, gas, telephone Arico Associates Bemis Point Subdivision Engineers, Land Planners & Consultants Narrative Report Page 3 of 6 and cable improvements. On-site improvements and developments will additionally consist of stormwater conveyance and management facilities, general landscaping and other amenities that can complement the project. The water main and sanitary sewer will be located within a city right-of-way to be offered for dedication to the City of Saratoga Springs, upon completion. Grading the project area will consist of a variation of cuts and fills to provide a plateaued area suitable for the development of the residential dwellings. ZONING & LAND USE The project site is located entirely within a residential zoning district which, by definition, is zoned for the purposes of single-family residential housing. The surrounding adjacent zoning districts are also presently developed with residential uses or are undeveloped. SOIL CONDITIONS, GROUNDWATER & TOPOGRAPHY The Project parcel is a wooded area with surrounding land use that includes low-density residential developments, educational facility and undeveloped wooded areas. The topography of the site is varied, with flat to steep sections and flatter areas defined mostly as federal wetlands. Approximately 100% of the site drains to the south and is tributary to Lake Lonely. Three (3) deep hole test pits eight (8) feet deep were completed in the area of development and were found to be similar layers comprising topsoil, silty light brown clay loam and dark clay at the lower level. There were no signs of groundwater or mottling. See report and photos attached under separate cover. STORMWATER MANAGEMENT & DRAINAGE To accommodate the proposed development, it will be necessary to add an on-site stormwater collection system and management areas. Since there is more than 1.0 acres and less than 5.0 acres of land disturbance, a Full Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) is not required. In its place, a Basic Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (BSPPP) for erosion and sediment controls will be implemented for the project. See BSPPP attached under separate cover. Though not a requirement under the general permit, a series of Green Infrastructure Practices (GIP) are planned for this project for removal of stormwater pollutants to aide in the reduction for stormwater quality control. The intended GIP include sedimentation areas at storm collection discharge points and disconnection of roof tops along the rear yards. All or nearly all the new impervious area from roofs, pavement and other impervious areas will be directed to the storm sewer collection system and management areas. The remaining area will sheet drain maintain the present runoff flow towards the wooded and wetland areas. WATER SUPPLY Presently, an 8-inch water main is proposed as an extension of the existing municipal infrastructure, together with hydrants and related appurtenances to be installed within a city right-of-way and in accordance with City of Saratoga Springs standards. The costs of the extension of utility infrastructure Arico Associates Bemis Point Subdivision Engineers, Land Planners & Consultants Narrative Report Page 4 of 6 system, including upgrades to existing infrastructure, would be the responsibility of the Developer and will be conveyed to the City of Saratoga Springs upon completion. It is estimated that the peak average daily flow for the proposed development will be 110 gallons per day per capita (gpdc) per bedroom (110 x 13 dwellings x 4 bedrooms/dwelling), for a total of 5,820 gpd and using a peak factor four (4) is 22,880 gpd or 15.9 GPM. The water main will be installed at a minimum depth of 5 feet 6 inches. The flow pressure and capacity of the existing interconnection mains may be furthered investigated as part of the project’s engineering design and City’s review. Initial investigations indicate that the Project water demands will not have a significant impact on the City’s water system. In accordance with ISO and GLUMRB, fire hydrants should be provided at intermediate points between intersections. Generally, fire hydrant spacing ranges from 350 to 650 Feet. For needed fire flows of 1,000 GPM, each fire hydrant is expected to cover approximately 160,000 square feet. As the needed fire flow increases, the average area covered by a fire hydrant decreases. Thus, for this project, fire hydrants will be located at approximate 500-foot maximum intervals. Automatic combination air valves will be installed at high points in the water main to remove accumulated air. WASTEWATER DISPOSAL Presently, a low-pressure sewer (LPS) system is proposed to connect into the existing gravity system at a manhole in the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Bemis Heights Road. Presently, the sewer system is owned and operated by the City of Saratoga Springs. The gravity system is directed to an existing pump station, also owned and maintained by the City of Saratoga Springs. Initial investigations indicate that the sewer demand associated with the project will not have a significant impact on the City’s sewer system. As part of the project’s engineering design and City’s review, additional analysis may be necessary for the development and the capacity for the existing system. It is estimated that the peak average daily flow for the proposed development will be 110 gallons per day per capita (gpdc) per bedroom (110 x 13 dwellings x 4 bedrooms/dwelling), for a total of 5,720 gpd and using a peak factor four (4) is 22,880 gpd or 15.9 GPM or 0.035 cfs. Initial investigations indicate that the project’s sewer demands will not have a significant impact on the City’s sewer system. OTHER UTILITES Electric, gas, cable and telephone are all available by their respective suppliers along roadways of the development area and there is no indication that there will be any restrictions to providing services. The costs to extend these utilities to the development would be the developer's responsibility. ROADWAYS & TRANSPORTATION The subject parcel has frontage at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Bemis Heights Road. The Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) Trip Generation, 11th Edition (an industry standard) was used to approximate the increase in traffic due to the proposed project. The point of connection and the interior layouts for the proposed road will provide the means of ingress and egress to the development Arico Associates Bemis Point Subdivision Engineers, Land Planners & Consultants Narrative Report Page 5 of 6 as well as suitable turnaround for emergency vehicles. A trip evaluation was performed by Lansing Engineering which identified the AM and PM Peak below. See full report attached under separate cover. Land Use AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Enter Exit Total Enter Exit Total 14 Single Family Homes 3 9 12 10 6 16 Current Neighborhood 13 39 52 44 25 69 Future Neighborhood 16 48 64 54 31 85 (data from the table contemplated 14 proposed single-family homes. 13 homes are now being proposed) Considering the location of other main arterials in the area, it is not anticipated that peak and off-peak vehicle trips will have an appreciable impact to the present traffic conditions of the neighboring community. It was the conclusion of Lansing Engineering that the magnitude of traffic generated by the neighborhood (inclusive of the existing neighborhood and the proposed development) will remain below the NYSDOT and Institute of Transportation Engineers’ threshold for a single intersection approach (at Lexington Avenue and Rte. 29) such that the neighborhood, as a whole, will continue to be served by the existing roadway network without the need for traffic mitigation. COMMUNITY SERVICES The Project will have a slight impact to police, fire, and emergency medical services. These services already exist within the city and cover the development area. No new equipment or personnel are required because of the proposed development. The development has provided several access points to aid with emergency access response. The Project has the potential to add school age children to the Saratoga Springs School District. Planning guidelines indicate that a residential development may generate 0.1-0.2 school age child per dwelling unit. With the assumption there are 52 bedrooms, there is a potential for 6-10 school age children. The Saratoga Springs School District would appear to have the capacity to accept additional school children. This impact is considered to be minimal and could be offset by the additional school tax revenue generated by this project. VISUAL, NOISE, ENVIRONMENT AND MISCELLANEOUS Though visual and noise aspects are a concern, adjoining parcels of land that are presently developed support residential-type development. This development is comparable to the adjoining properties and should not have an appreciable impact relative to visual aesthetics and noise. A noise study was performed by Barton & Loguidice in June 2025 and supplemented in July 2025. The study concluded that the project, as proposed, will not be the cause of an increase in noticeable traffic noise due to the reduction in trees and the introduction of the residential homes. See full report attached under separate cover. The proposed development will have a minimal to slight impact on the environmental character of the property. Development is proposed to occur in approximately 3.8± acres of the property, while Arico Associates Bemis Point Subdivision Engineers, Land Planners & Consultants Narrative Report Page 6 of 6 preserving to the greatest extent the existing wooded area along the perimeter. Accordingly, 1.29± acres, or 5.9% of the entire project parcel area (21.78± acres) will contain impervious area. Of the remaining 20.4± acres, 1.96± acres will consist of grassed area for lawns and landscaping and 18.45± acres will be undisturbed woods and wetlands. The project will provide modern, fresh and energy efficient residential opportunities for residents of Saratoga Springs and the surrounding area. The building architecture will provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance and setting. The proposed development attempts to accent the natural setting of area while complimenting the surrounding neighborhood and adjacent commercial land uses. Parking has been provided at a ratio of 2.0 spaces per unit incorporating garage parking and driveway parking. Electric, telephone, cable television, and natural gas exist in the development vicinity and would be extended to service the development. The costs to extend these utilities to the development would be the Developer's responsibility. SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL Solid waste collection will be by an independent and qualified refuse contractor. In 2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) estimated that the national per capita garbage generation rate was 4.6 pounds per person per day. The recycling rate was 1.5 pounds per person per day. Therefore, the discard rate after recycling was 3.1 pounds per person per day. Assuming one person per bedroom, on average, the total project discard rate would be (3.1 x 52) = 161 pounds per day, or 2.4± tons per month. The cart hauler services will be contracted with a private company. Based on the amount generated and type of use proposed, it is anticipated that the solid waste produced will have no appreciable impact on the community’s existing services. DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS AND MITIGATION TO ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS The proposed development will be consistent with the existing residential and other land uses located along Lexington Road, Bemis Heights Road and Concord Drive. Existing developments in the adjacent zoning districts are predominately residential or undeveloped. The development of the Project will have a minor, if no, impact on the adjacent neighborhood. Though the project will not be phased, it will diminish the impact caused by construction vehicle traffic through standard work-zone traffic control practices being employed to minimize the disruptions and provide safe travel during this time. CONCLUSION, OBJECTIVES AND CONSIDERATIONS The conditions outlined in this report represent existing and proposed conditions and engineering and planning methods for the development of this site. It is believed that this project will not result in significant adverse effects on the environment and that it will not pose detrimental impacts on water, sewer, drainage, traffic, noise, visual or other impacts on the adjoining properties or to the community.