HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260526 515 Crescent Ave Sketch Site Plan Narrative
June 2 5, 2026
City of Saratoga Springs Planning Board
474 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
RE: Shared Driveway for 505, 511, 515, 517, and 521 Crescent Avenue, City of Saratoga Springs, New
York
Dear Planning Board Members and Planning Staff:
This application is submitted in support of a Sketch Plan Review and Land Disturbance Activity Permit for
the construction of a shared residential driveway, serving the properties located at 505, 511, 515, 517,
and 521 Crescent Avenue in the City of Saratoga Springs.
Residents of 505, 511, and 515 Crescent Avenue currently park in roadside pull-off areas with limited
sight distances along Crescent Avenue and access their residences via stairways. Residents of 517 and
521 Crescent Avenue currently share a steep asphalt driveway that provides vehicular access to their
properties. Because of its steep grade, this existing driveway has proved hazardous in winter.
The proposed project consists of constructing a shared, regraded driveway that would extend from the
existing driveway entrance at 521 Crescent Avenue and provide vehicular access to all five residences.
The project is intended to improve site accessibility, enhance public safety, and provide reliable ingress
and egress for residents, visitors, maintenance vehicles, and emergency responders.
Please note that a legal shared driveway maintenance agreement, to be signed by all involved property
owners, is currently being developed.
Existing Site Conditions
The project area is located adjacent to Lake Lonely, at the foot of a steep hillside just below Crescent
Avenue. Existing grades vary considerably across the site; the hillside below Crescent Avenue contains
slopes greater than 35%, and a majority of the existing asphalt driveway contains slopes between 15%
and 35%. The site flattens closer to Lake Lonely, though most of the land surrounding the existing
houses is between 15% and 25%. As discussed above, vehicular access is currently limited, posing safety
and accessibility concerns for current residents.
Vegetation within the project area consists primarily of existing trees and understory vegetation. Trees
over 24” DBH have been identified on the site survey and are shown on CLA-1 (Existing Conditions Plan).
The site drains generally toward Lake Lonely via overland flow and through existing drainages. Based on
the USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey tool, the site’s soils are Windsor loamy sand (OeE and WnB) and are
classified as hydrologic soil group “A,” indicating high permeability and low runoff potential.
Proposed Improvements
The proposed improvements include:
• Construction of a shared private driveway serving five existing residential properties.
Crescent Avenue Properties - Shared Driveway
Page 2
- Designs that Build -
• Regrading of portions of the site to establish a safer and more accessible driveway alignment.
• Construction of retaining walls where necessary to minimize grading impacts and reduce the
overall disturbance footprint. Retaining walls to be designed by a structural engineer.
• Installation of driveway drainage infrastructure and stormwater management practices.
• Associated utility relocations or adjustments as necessary.
• Restoration and stabilization of disturbed areas following construction.
The conceptual proposed driveway has been designed to utilize existing disturbed areas and existing
access corridors to the greatest extent practicable. Retaining walls are proposed in select locations to
reduce the extent of cut and fill operations and preserve existing vegetation where feasible. Please refer
to CLA-2 for the preliminary alignment of the shared driveway and locations of retaining walls.
Land Disturbance and Site Protection Measures
The project has been designed to minimize land disturbance and impacts to natural resources.
Disturbance limits have been established to restrict clearing and grading activities to the minimum area
necessary for construction.
Temporary erosion and sediment control measures will be installed prior to commencement of
earthwork and maintained throughout construction. Measures may include:
• Silt fence and/or silt sock barriers along downgradient limits of disturbance;
• Temporary drainage culverts, as needed, with appropriate rock outlet protection and stone
and/or silt sock check dams;
• Stabilized construction entrance;
• Temporary soil stabilization and mulching;
• Temporary seeding of inactive disturbed areas;
• Inlet protection and sediment control practices as necessary;
• Phased construction sequencing to minimize exposed soil.
All disturbed areas will be permanently stabilized upon completion of construction.
Stormwater Management
Stormwater management practices will be incorporated into the project design to maintain existing
drainage patterns and prevent adverse impacts to downstream properties and water resources.
The proposed driveway grading and drainage system will be designed to collect, convey, and manage
runoff generated by the proposed improvements while minimizing erosion potential. The project is
intended to ensure that post-construction runoff rates and volumes do not adversely affect adjacent
properties or contribute to increased runoff to Lake Lonely.
Crescent Avenue Properties - Shared Driveway
Page 3
- Designs that Build -
Drainage improvements may include roadside swales, culverts, infiltration practices, level spreaders,
and other stormwater management measures as appropriate based on final engineering design. Please
refer to CLA-4 for proposed erosion and sediment control and stormwater measures.
Project Benefits
The proposed shared driveway will provide significant public safety and access benefits by:
• Improving vehicular access to five existing residences;
• Reducing reliance on roadside parking areas with limited sight distances;
• Providing safer and more reliable emergency vehicle access;
• Improving year-round accessibility for residents;
• Consolidating access infrastructure into a single shared driveway system;
• Minimizing environmental impacts through careful grading design, retaining walls, and
stormwater management practices.
The project represents a substantial improvement to existing site access conditions while minimizing
disturbance to the surrounding hillside environment.
We look forward to the Planning Board’s comments. Please do not hesitate to contact our office should
you need any additional information.
Best regards,
CLA SITE Landscape Architecture,
Engineering & Planning, PC.
Peter Loyola, Principal