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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260448 269 Broadway Construction Public Comment June 14, 2026 To: Saratoga Springs Design Review Board (“DRB”) From: Kathleen Sonnabend 268 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Re: 20260448 269 Broadway Construction (“269”) In 2022, many comments and PowerPoint presentations were made to the DRB and Planning Board regarding the predecessor project 20200483. Those of us who live and work in this neighborhood intimately understand the issues created or exacerbated by this massive project. Included among the commentators in 2022 is David Biggs, P.E., S.E., an internationally recognized engineering expert with experience in construction below the water table. The current proposal includes a few improvements, such as the elimination of one of two underground levels (probably due to the change from office to condos in upper floors). I am happy with that change for several reasons, including there is more demand for residential since COVID. We all want a successful project that does not sit largely empty. I understand that the DRB is responsible for only architecture and mass and scale. But it is the mass and scale of the current project that continues to present serious issues with neighborhood compatibility, lack of setback on narrow Broadway creating a visual tunnel and increased traffic noise, disturbance of the water table and the large Broadway tree, increased strain on parking (especially for visitors and workers in the neighborhood), traffic in general and deliveries completely blocking traffic in one direction. I believe the DRB should take this into consideration when opining on the mass and scale. Just because the last updated Saratoga Springs regulations generally encourage more density, doesn’t mean it is desirable or safe for this location. Neighborhood incompatibility – excessive height and no setback at ground level 1. Zero-lot-line, built to the property line on all facades. No room for onsite staging and will be even more disruptive than the developer’s Fingerpaint Building project. 2. The Broadway façade appears lopsided and bulky, sticking out closer to Broadway than any neighboring building on the west side of Broadway, including its closest neighbor NBT. It rises like a straight wall with no upper floor setbacks on Broadway until the 5th floor. The covered balconies on the corners help and might be sufficient with a 9’ setback of the entire building from the property line. 3. Proposed height exceeds current limits (confirmed by prior architect) unless the mayor’s proposed UDO changes make this possible with its extensive new language for 15-foot height bonus. Project height from ground level reaches 78’ on Broadway and 84’ on Hamilton due to the downward sloping ground. 4. Building to the property line on the south façade makes it impossible for any future development of SPA Catholic property with a similarly tall zero-lot-line building on its north end, without blocking many windows on the south facade of 269. Either the 269 owner is getting a significant advantage, or his building could one day be very disadvantaged. This would be a problem for any future re-development of neighboring buildings on the north side of 269. 5. Mass and scale will overwhelm neighboring buildings, all of which are 1-3 stories. 6. Set back is critical to saving the large Broadway tree as required by the city for site plan approval. Except for Park Place across the street at 268 Broadway, the neighborhood consists of one - three story buildings, including Death Wish Coffee/Chow Bella building, Community Court Motel, Visitors Center, NBT Bank Building, Community Health Center, SPA Catholic school and 18 Congress Street housing chiropractors, dermatologist and juice bar, and other buildings in nearby neighborhoods. Not only will 269 tower over these neighbors, its zero-lot-line pushes it closer to Broadway and Hamilton than any of them. Its closest neighbor NBT, which currently is set back the least for the west side of Broadway, is 9’8” from the sidewalk (corner pilasters are set back 6’2”). Park Place on the east side of Broadway is a large building but is less impactful for the following reasons: It is 63’ (five stories) above ground level at the point across from 269. The outer edge of its open-air arcade is set back 4’ further than the building of its only immediate neighbor Death Wish Coffee (6’ from the extended base of the building). Congress Park largely hides Park Place with many tall trees on the east and north side. Much of its Broadway facade is setback an additional 15-33’ (a total of 19-37”) with balconies and terraces to make it appear less bulky. The open-air arcade also contributes to making the building less imposing. I had been a long-term resident of Queensbury when Park Place was proposed so I am not familiar with community reaction at that time. However, I know that Sonny Bonaccio has a history of being more accommodating to community concerns and the result is a Park Place that is less imposing than it could have been. I hope that the final version of 269 can do the same because the current version will dominate and overwhelm. The current version will stick out because it is closer to Broadway and taller than any of its neighbors, with no set back until the 5th floor. Construction below the water table Based on a historic map from the city archives, there are two known springs under this property, Crystal Springs and Washington Springs. According to documentation submitted for the predecessor project, the property ground level ranges from 302’-293’ in elevation with a groundwater level of about 290’. Bedrock is between 264-269’. Surprisingly, construction below the water table was not considered in SEQR for the predecessor project, and it is a big problem. The technical issues for the 269 property are unlike any previously seen in Saratoga Springs. There have been no previous excavations for any underground levels on this property. To our knowledge, no nearby building on the west side of Broadway was built with underground levels, most likely due to the water table being so close to the surface. The one floor for underground parking will be built below the water level. It requires special equipment and secant wall construction. Below the water table construction requires dewatering that will impact sewers, streets, adjacent buildings and utilities, as well as handling and transport of wet material (estimated at 1700-2000 truckloads for the original project, probably less but still significant for the new project). With the deep excavation drilling into the bedrock for the secant wall support, there will be heavy equipment, rock drilling and vibrations. Streets and utilities will need to be shored up. The potential impact during construction, and after completion, on neighboring buildings and Congress Park is unknown and deeply concerning. The water table is high on the west side of Broadway and any cracks in the bedrock resulting from the drilling could allow the water to travel to the east side and the park. The answer is to change the design so there are no floors below ground level. Parking could be at ground level, or the developer could work with the owner of the Death Wish Coffee building to create a 2 -3 level parking garage on the west side of Hamilton to cover both buildings’ parking needs. This would have the added advantage of eliminating fire concerns associated with underground parking of electric and hybrid vehicles. Large tree on Broadway The 2013 Saratoga Springs Urban and Community Forest Master Plan extolls the benefit of trees, including increased property values and economic activity, reduced stormwater runoff, abated urban noise, reduced urban heat island effects and many other psychological and physical benefits for residents, workers and visitors. The Plan resolves that the City of Saratoga Springs will: • “Preserve historic trees, large trees, or other trees identified as significant by the community.” • “Integrate trees into all planning, zoning, development and infrastructure projects as an overarching tactic.” • “Strengthen requirements for the establishment and protection of trees in all development projects.” The beautiful 60-foot tree is a favorite of the community and of former Public Works Commissioner Skip Scirocco who was passionate about the Master Plan and the trees he planted on Broadway. In the Fall of 2021, he declared that the tree would not come down and the city made saving the tree a requirement in his posthumous honor for site plan approval. The project’s current application includes the large tree in some, but not all, of the depictions of the Broadway façade. It is clear from this and the lack of sufficient set back that the architect has not yet integrated the features needed to save the tree as required. I would think that prospective condo owners on the Broadway side of 269 would much prefer to have a beautiful tree outside their windows instead of a view of Park Place. Saving the tree could be a positive for the developer as well as for the building residents and neighbors. This could offset any perceived economic loss from the reduced square footage resulting from the necessary set back to save the tree. A minimum setback at ground level with respect to the west side of Broadway would be about 9’8’ from the sidewalk (9’ from the property line). This should protect enough of the tree’s critical root zone (“CRZ”) if given special care (see attached information from the Urban Forestry Services). And it would bring 269 in line with NBT. Further setback on Broadway at ground level and on floors 2-6 would even better ensure the tree’s survival. The entire grass strip between street and sidewalk, and the grassy area west of the sidewalk in the CRZ are also very important. It is where most of the nutrients, air and water are absorbed by the tree, and where concrete and construction materials should not be allowed to compact the soil on the tree roots. As directed by the city arborist, the sidewalk should not be replaced with a heated sidewalk to avoid further construction trauma to the tree. There are no heated sidewalks on the west side of Broadway anyway. We have researched multiple authorities, including Urban Forestry Services and the University of California Berkeley Forest Pathology & Mycology Lab for guidance in identifying the CRZ. Both indicate the CRZ for this 30-inch diameter tree (trunk measured at 4 ½ feet above ground) is a 30-foot radius from the tree. With just the 9-foot setback from the property line that we are asking, it will save the interior CRZ (half the radius of the CRZ) provided there is a protective barrier during construction and special care in a transition phase thereafter. The original project layouts acknowledge a 30” diameter for the Broadway tree. There is recent precedent. The large tree at the NW corner of the new AC Hotel appears to have been saved by a 12- foot setback of the building from the sidewalk. Tunnel Effect – visual and noise Buildings on downtown Broadway are further apart due to 2 extra traffic lanes & wider sidewalks. Most are 3-5 stories that don’t overshadow or overwhelm their neighbors. Buildings that are 6 stories typically have greater setbacks. Broadway at this project location has only one lane of traffic in each direction. The distance between current proposed 269 and Park Place will be about 83’ compared with about 130’ for opposing Broadway buildings downtown. 269 with zero-lot-line and excess height will create a tunnel effect for this gateway to downtown and overwhelm the immediate neighbors of 269. Loud motorcycles and trucks already tend to speed or down gear on this part of Broadway. Noise will be exacerbated with these sounds bouncing between 269 and Park Place, especially if we lose the tree. Parking/Traffic/Deliveries The parking study conducted for the original project was inaccurate, and conditions have become more difficult with city garages charging fees and some neighborhood parking spaces removed for loading zones. It is unfortunate that the planned two-level city parking garage on Hamilton was scuttled. Parking is already challenging in the tourist season for employees working in neighboring buildings. Parking garage fees and time limits are a significant impediment for most employees. Although the change from office to residential on the upper floors of 269 probably allowed the reduction of its on-site parking floors from two to one, the construction and completion of the building will add to the parking stress. It removes the surface parking currently used by the Health Center but also creates more demand from visitors and deliveries to 269. And construction materials cannot be easily staged on a zero-lot- line project. The original plan was to use the SPA Catholic soccer field a bit south across Hamilton. The original traffic study was also flawed. It was conducted entirely during COVID in the off season with no special events and based only on Hamilton (did not include the much busier Broadway). Although the new project has included a vehicle drop off area on the Hamilton side, the address is still Broadway. No matter what instructions are given to the businesses and residents of 269, a large percentage of deliveries will be made by Amazon, FedEx and UPS drivers whose apps will direct them to Broadway. When delivery trucks temporarily park in the traffic lane, there is no other lane for ongoing traffic to use (unlike downtown where there is an extra lane in each direction). Park Place recently reduced the double-parking problem on the northbound lane by creating more loading zones in front of its building (there is no other place for deliveries since the back of Park Place is off limits due to fire department regulations). 269 has much less street presence on Broadway to add loading zones and of course, it would eliminate some street parking. Parking access would become even more limited for neighborhood workers, visitors and SPA Catholic parents waiting to pick up their children. South Broadway has significant developable property. With the AC Hotel and a new project planned for the former Crystal Spa location, this stretch is beginning to build out. This is good for the look of this gateway to our city, but it is adding to the existing traffic congestion on Broadway. It is a state road with no room for additional traffic lanes. Allowing an excessively dense project like 269 just adds to the problem. A smaller building would be more appropriate, or at least a moratorium until the South Broadway congestion can be addressed with an alternative route into the city. Please consider setting back the building at least 9 ft from the property line on Broadway to line up with the bulk of the NBT building, require more upper floor setbacks on Broadway and reduce the height. Not only will it help the project be more compatible with the neighborhood, but it will save the tree, as required by the city for site plan approval. Generally, a less dense project would be more compatible with the neighborhood and reduce the other significant issues it creates. Thank you for your service and for taking the time to read and consider my comments. Kathleen Sonnabend Critical Root Zone (CRZ) The CRZ of a tree, also called the “tree protection zone”, is often defined as an imaginary circle on the ground that corresponds with the “dripline” of the tree. However, the dripline is very irregular and misleading, so the trunk diameter is referrred to. To determine a CRZ: - Measure tree diameter 4.5 feet above grade - Multiply this diameter by 12 in. Keep in mind that while this is a generally accepted method for measuring CRZ, root systems will vary in depth and spread based on size of tree, soil quality, water table, species, and other related factors. The above CRZ drawing also defines the "Perimeter CRZ" (PCRZ) and "Interior CRZ" (ICRZ). Generally, the full PCRZ is considered the optimum amount of root protection for a tree. (The ICRZ is identified as the inner half of the CRZ radius.) As root impact occurs within the PCRZ, greater post care will be required for the tree to remain alive and stable. The absolute maximum disturbance allowed must still leave the ICRZ undisturbed if the tree is to have any chance of survival. If the root impact were this severe, the tree would then need to be treated and maintained as a transplanted tree. In this case, the tree would require extensive post care, including but not limited to; regular irrigation, misting, root treatment with special root hormones, mulching, guying, and monitoring for several years. Critical Root Zone Delineation 15119 McLean Road Mount Vernon, WA 98273 (O) 360-428-5810 (M) 360-770-9921 (F) 360-428-1822 sales@urbanforestnursery.com www.flickr.com Urban Forest Nursery, Inc. & Urban Forestry Services, Inc. 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