HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260503 128 Circular St Special Use Permit Narrative128 Circular Street Historic Carriage House Conversion
Devin McDermott, Owner
135 Hicks Street, Apt 1B
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 917-859-4158
Email: demcdermott@gmail.com
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June 23, 2026
Chairman Mark Pingel and Members of the Planning Board
City Hall
474 Broadway Suite 32
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Special Use Permit Application – Historic Carriage House Conversion
Site Address: 128 Circular Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 11201
Tax Parcel #: 165.60-2-31
Dear Chairman Pingel and Members of the Planning Board,
I am seeking a Special Use Permit to convert the historic carriage house at 128 Circular Street into a
residential unit. I am submitting this letter to provide additional information regarding the property's
history, current condition, and proposed scope of work.
Based on discussions with the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, the property was
originally constructed in the mid-1800s. In addition to the main residence on Circular Street, the
site contains a two-story brick carriage house located on the east side of the lot facing Cottage
Place. The carriage house appears on the earliest available Sanborn maps from 1884, which are
included with this application.
The property is in the UR-3 Zoning District and has a use variance for the main house. During the
mid-1900s, the property operated as a 17-room boarding house. In early 1961, Robert Bowersox
purchased the property and converted the main house into a four-unit apartment building. The
conversion began before Saratoga’s zoning ordinance was adopted on July 6, 1961. Mr. Bowersox
eventually sought a variance in 1988, but the request was initially denied due to insufficient
parking. He successfully challenged that decision and obtained a variance permitting the
continued four-family use of the main house. A copy of the flnal court decision is included with this
application.
At some point after 1988, two additional dwelling units were added to the property, resulting in a
flfth apartment in the main house and an apartment within the carriage house. To the best of my
knowledge, those additions were not formally approved.
In 2022, a flre caused damage to the main house, resulting in the loss of its certiflcate of
occupancy. The property has remained vacant since that time.
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My wife, Delia, and I purchased the property in May 2026 with the goal of restoring and preserving
this important historic structure. We have long hoped to establish our family's permanent home in
Saratoga Springs and were drawn to the property's historic character, location and future potential.
We are committed to making the substantial investments necessary to rehabilitate the buildings,
improve safety, and return the property to productive use.
The overall project involves renovating both the main house and carriage house, addressing
deferred maintenance, improving flre-safety systems, and bringing the property into compliance
with applicable zoning and building code requirements. As part of this effort, we will reduce the
number of dwelling units in the main house from flve to four, consistent with the existing variance,
and seek approval to establish legal residential use of the historic carriage house. Pending
approval, the carriage house will serve as our residence.
In the Main House:
• Repair structural deflciencies in the basement and upper fioors.
• Reconflgure the interior layout to reduce the number of apartments from flve to four,
restoring compliance with the existing use variance.
• Install a sprinkler system and complete other flre-safety improvements required to meet
current building code requirements.
• Renovate all four apartments while preserving and restoring historic architectural features
wherever feasible.
In the Carriage House:
• Obtain a Special Use Permit to establish legal residential use of the historic carriage house
in accordance with Saratoga Springs' Unifled Development Code.
• Complete interior renovations while maintaining the existing footprint, height, and overall
scale of the structure.
• Restore an existing garage bay to create one additional off-street parking space by repairing
the damaged fioor slab and removing an interior staircase. The off-street parking will have
access from Cottage Place.
• Subject to future Design Review Board approval, add limited second-fioor windows, create
a primary entrance, replace existing doors with historically appropriate alternatives, and
undertake masonry repairs to restore deteriorated brickwork.
• Sue and Don Davis from SD Atelier have been retained for the design work.
Thank you for your consideration of this application. We appreciate the Board's time and attention
and would be pleased to provide any additional information that may assist in your review.
Respectfully,
Devin McDermott