Letters to the Editor

Mayor Safford recently argued for narrowing the Design Review Board’s authority with the goal of providing relief to ordinary homeowners trapped by ‘permanent preservation.’ His argument relies on hypothetical instances that do not match the Board’s actual record.

Design Review only applies to limited areas of Saratoga Springs, not the city as a whole. Outside of those limited areas, demolition doesn’t involve the board at all. Within those districts, Design Review minutes indicate that demolition applications are uncommon and are regularly approved for garages, sheds, and additions – often unanimously. The cases with the most significant preservation consequences are redevelopment proposals brought forth by corporations or developers (such as Stewart’s), not ‘ordinary homeowners’ maintaining their homes.

If the Mayor’s objective is to ease the burden on homeowners, start with processes that ordinary homeowners encounter. In his January 2024 State of the City address, Mayor Safford said the Building Department’s goal was to reduce “wait time for a majority of permits to a range of four to six weeks.”

Has that goal been met?

The Mayor should be honest about who most stands to benefit from crippling the DRC. The real beneficiaries are development interests.

– Chris George

Saratoga Springs