Caroline Street Continues Forward
Omakase Gets Outdoor Seating and Other Updates From the Design Review Board
A rendering of the proposed condominium on the corner of Park and Cottage Street. The Design Review Board asked for more information before giving information on the matter.
A rendering of the proposed RISE complex on Finley Street as viewed from the road. This rendering was submitted to the Design Review Board by the architect. (Saratoga Springs Design Review Board)
Saratoga Spring’s streetscape continues to take shape as nine items went before the Design Review Board in their most recent meeting.
The meeting took place in the Saratoga Springs City Council room on May 27. The Design Review Board is one of three Saratoga Springs bodies tasked with approving building, demolition and renovations in Saratoga Springs. Its responsibility lays in ensuring new buildings fit the city aesthetically.
Three projects received approval with no further discussion from the board. The Omakase Sushi & Grill received board approval to set up a sidewalk café at its location on 30 Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Other projects approved were a rooftop solar array on Lake Street and a standby generator on Oakland Drive.
Several projects received conditional approval to move forward. The first of these was the installation of a retractable sunshade on a condo at 19 Washington Street. The approval came under the condition that the building homeowner’s association declared their sunshade to be the precedent for any subsequent sunshades. The project was approved by the board 6-1.
The next project was the approval for the replacement of a shed and renovation of a house on Regent Street. The demolition of the existing shed was approved with the board voting 4-2 with one member recusing themself — assuming certain conditions were met.
Under the conditions of the approval, certain design elements such as the doors and windows, had to be salvaged and incorporated into the new garage. Meanwhile, the removal of a previously made addition to the property and renovations to the façade were approved unanimously by the board.
It was a similar story with the 30-301/2 Caroline Building Expansion. The project seeks to surround the old site of Sperry’s Restaurant with a five story multi-use complex. Up for discussion during the May 27th meeting was the step-back and offset from the road.
The board approved one of the options presented by the architect but required him to come back to face concerns regarding materials and window placement on the building. The motion passed on a vote of 5-2.
Other projects received positive feedback from the board but required more information before decisions could be made. The first of these was the proposed RISE affordable housing complex at 3/26 Finley Street. The board found the existing body shop on the premises — which the project intends on demolishing — had no historic significance. However, they held off voting pending further assessment of the project.
A map showing the locations of the projects considered by the Design Review Board. Green dots indicate projects that received approval with no further discussion, yellow dots indicate projects with conditional approval and red dots indicate projects that are still under consideration as of
June 6. (Created by Aidan Cahill)
Problems emerged in how the complex would interact with the neighborhood surrounding it. Residents along Spa Drive and Livingston Street expressed concern over the size and scope of the building.
They argued that the three-story building would tower over the rest of the neighborhood and make it impossible to ignore. In addition, the residents worried that the reduction in tree cover would cause property values to drop by 10-20%, make the neighborhood unsightly and reduce the health of the trees that remained.
In response to resident concerns, the Design Review Board requested the architect come back with further models which showed how the building would interact with the surrounding neighborhood — primarily looking at sightlines and locations of houses in relation to the building.
Another project that needed more information was a proposed three-story condominium on Cottage Street. The Design Review Board was asked by the Planning Board to review the project and provide an advisory opinion on it. The board was given a full presentation by the architect on the building and the context it has within the neighborhood.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, residents expressed multiple concerns. While residents liked the design of the building, there was concern regarding its height and size. Several of them said that it didn’t match the character of the neighborhood, was too big and was too close to other residents.
Because of these concerns, the Design Review Board asked the architect to come back and provide a height study and multiple pedestrian perspectives on the building.
The final item considered was a modification to a property on Nelson Ave. The builder was looking to install ductless air conditioning on the exterior of a residence, however, the board asked for a redesign of the system given how much it impacted the historic façade of the building.
