BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department Deputies Kyle Basta, Jared Gardner, and Samuel Speziale were each presented the Life Saving Award by county Sheriff Michael Zurlo and acknowledged for their prompt action to save a 50-year-old man’s life.

In the early morning hours on March 12, the members of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office responded to an EMS assist call from a resident in the town of Wilton, where It was reported that a 50-year-old man at the Northern Pines Road residence was unconscious and not breathing. Upon arrival deputies immediately began providing continuous CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and deployed an AED (Automated external defibrillator) delivering two shocks. The man regained a pulse and was transported to the hospital for treatment. He received medical treatment and has since been released and returned home. The three deputies will be formally recognized at an awards ceremony later this year. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Wilton Emergency Squad, and Wilton Fire Department. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City Council Wednesday night voted to accept the Police Reform and Reinvention plan, in advance of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s April 1 deadline. 

Last year, in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Gov. Cuomo signed an executive order requiring each local government in the state adopt a policing reform plan by April 1, 2021, with municipalities not certifying adoption of a plan prior to the deadline subject to having their state aid jeopardized.

Wednesday night, during the 60-minute public comment period, one speaker after another, with few exceptions, raised questions regarding the council’s lack of willingness to fully accept the 50-point plan, as submitted by the ad hoc Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force, in its entirety. The topic of implementing a Civilian Review Board was a major theme. 

The city council draft of the plan specifies that the council agrees with the task force recommendation of a Civilian Review Board “in principle,” but stipulates an evaluation process is necessary to determine potential legal, union, Charter and community elements that may impact the ability of its development. 

“The Council is not under any type of directive or mandate to accept every single recommendation provided by the (city) task force,” said city attorney Vince DeLeonardis, adding that he had confirmed this directly with the deputy secretary of public safety under Governor Como’s administration. 

Of the 50 recommendations, there are two items the city does not have the authority to implement, he said. Those are to divert seized assets, and to ban county, state and federal law enforcement from entering the city if they participate in a DOD program. 

Two other recommendations the council identified as requiring further review: the ban of no-knock warrants, and to implement a Civilian Review Board.

“These recommendations have not been rejected, but instead called out for further evaluation…the components of a Civilian Review Board will need to be determined by the City Council, including the purpose, scope and function…further evaluation is required,” DeLeonardis said. 

As a next step, the council agreed that an independent advisory committee be created to ensure plan implementation, and that such a committee be established by the mayor by June 1. That advisory committee may further review the issues of no-knock warrants and the development of a Civilian Review Board. 

“One of the first priorities of the independent advisory committee will be to review the recommendation for a Civilian Review Board. The scope of authority and responsibilities of such a board must be defined and then considered within the provisions of the City’s Charter before it can be established,” city Mayor Kelly said, in a prepared statement, released just after the conclusion of Wednesday night’s meeting. “As with other boards commissioned by the City, a Civilian Review Board would also be subject to applicable laws, rules, regulations, budget appropriations, collective bargaining and contractual obligations.” 

The council approved its updated draft plan 4-1, with Commissioner John Franck casting the lone vote against. 

The Downtowner Hotel

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Downtowner Hotel is seeking modifications to an approval from the city Design Review Commission for exterior changes to the existing structure at 413 Broadway.  It is anticipated the DRC will review the application at its next meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7. 

Additional applications under consideration for the meeting include: an Architectural Review of 18 townhomes – exterior; an Advisory Opinion to City Council regarding the proposed installation of missing link sidewalks located in the right-of-way within the city’s Historic District (project title: Saratoga Springs Missing Sidewalk Links Project), and modifications to an approval for exterior modifications – specifically a south façade porch extension, new east façade porch – at Mouzon House.   

• A sketch plan conducted by the LA Group regarding a subdivision at 110-114 Nelson Ave. was submitted to the city Planning Board on behalf of applicant JW Hemmingway LLC, and property owner CRND Properties, of Watervliet. 

The sketch plan calls for 2.16 acres to be subdivided into 12 lots. The land, which is currently vacant, sits opposite the Saratoga Race Course on the Nelson Avenue side, and across from Frank Sullivan Place. In addition to the independent lots, the property is also proposed to site a “neighborhood rooming house,” according to plans, that will house three guest suites. 

Washington Street 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A proposed 21st century development may return the corner where Broadway meets Washington Street to the visual splendor it enjoyed in the 19th century. 

A newly proposed application under review by the city’s Land Use Boards calls for the construction of a five-story apartment and hotel structure on Washington Street that would tie in with the neighboring former Rip Van Dam Hotel, and the property of the Adelphi Hotel.

The application, filed by 353 Broadway Acquisitions, calls for the construction of approximately 86 new apartment units – 30 two-bedroom units and 56 one-bedroom units (for a total 116 bedrooms) – as well as 31 one-bedroom hotel rooms. The hotel office will be set in the existing stone house at 23 Washington St. 

The corner building which houses a Starbucks Coffee Company store will remain. The existing building adjacent to it at 5 Washington St. will be demolished.

The dimensions of the proposed five-story structure on Washington Street would stand 70 feet in height, 118 feet in width, stretch 273 feet long, and would require a dredged/ excavated area of just over a half-acre. 

Plans also call for new street frontage walkways on both Broadway and Washington Street to overall improve the streetscape. Vehicle access will be on Washington Street and a split-level parking layout, on the lower level and ground floor, will include spots for about 100 vehicles.    

Earlier proposals approved for a portion of the site but never materially developed in the past have included the construction of a 176-room hotel with a 200-seat banquet hall. 

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SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City Council will host the second of two special meetings regarding proposed police department reforms on Wednesday. 

The meeting will be held via zoom at 7 p.m. on March 31 and will include public comment, after which the council is anticipated to vote on the matter, in advance of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s April 1 deadline. 

Last year, in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Gov. Cuomo signed an Executive Order requiring each local government in the state to adopt a policing reform plan by April 1, 2021. Municipalities not certifying adoption of a plan prior to the deadline are subject to having their state aid jeopardized.    

The first of two special City Council meetings to address police reform was held via zoom on March 23. The near-two-hour meeting, which grew testy at times among some council members, included approximately 40 public speakers, the overwhelming majority of whom urged the council to “adopt and ratify” a 50-point plan submitted to the council by the ad hoc Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force. Among the 50 points are Task Force recommendations that the police department be precluded from initiating no-knock warrants under any circumstance, and that a Civilian Review Board, or CRB, be implemented. 

A group of residents gathered on the steps of City Hall earlier this week to call on the council to adopt and ratify the plan and to express that the council be clear in its language by stating specific steps should be outlined for a CRB to be implemented, and not merely as being potentially considered. It was an expression similarly echoed by a great majority of comments made by public commentators during the council meeting that followed:  specifically, from “accepts for consideration recommendation,” to “adopts for implementation.” 

The city’s most recently updated resolution draft may be viewed on the city’s web site, at: saratoga-springs.org. The March 31 meeting will be broadcast live on the city’s web site. Those interested in making public comments to the council during the meeting must do so via Zoom, and a Zoom registration link is also available on the city web site. 

Saratoga Springs — The City of Saratoga Springs is working on updating the 2002 Open Space Plan and is asking for public input via a community survey. 

Survey results will aid the City in updating the 2002 Open Space Plan and establish open space goals for the next five years. Community members can participate in the survey through the link provided on the project website at www.saratogaspringsopenspaces.com. The survey will close on April 16.

“Saratoga Springs is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and exquisite open spaces – spaces preserved by planning and the dedication of residents, city leadership, and state resources. These spaces are essential to the quality of life and economy of our city,” Mayor Meg Kelly said, in a prepared statement. “The City is now looking forward and wants to hear from citizens about their priorities for the future of open space in Saratoga Springs.”

The Open Space Plan Update is being developed by the Office of Planning and Economic Development and guided by the Open Space Plan Steering Committee. Membership of the Steering Committee includes the City Center Board, City’s Open Space Advisory Committee, Saratoga PLAN, Saratoga Recreation Commissioner, Saratoga Spa State Park, and Saratoga Springs School District. 

The planning process will be facilitated by City staff with technical assistance from MJ Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. 

A project website has also been created to keep the community informed of the process, ongoing public engagement opportunities, and to provide ongoing information about the effort. Visit the project website at www.saratogaspringsopenspaces.com to stay up to date on the project and share your thoughts and ideas. Paper copies of the survey are available upon request from the Administrator of Parks, Open Lands, Historic Preservation, and Sustainability at 518-587-3550 extension 2534. 

Photo: Design sketch for Tait Lane Reserve Workforce Housing, at 114 Tait Lane. An architectural review of 12 buildings (202 units) of mixed-income workforce housing is in front of the Saratoga Springs Design Review Commission this week. 

18 townhomes and architectural significance for demolition of existing structures at 96-116 Ballston Ave. for the Ballston Ave Townhomes project, and an advisory opinion is sought regarding a proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning amendment for the Stewart’s Marion Avenue.  In the latter, Stewart’s Shops is seeking a zoning amendment for the creation of the Marion Ave PUD located on Marion Avenue/ Route 9 and Maple Dell, north of the Route 50 arterial that includes seven parcels totaling 7 acres in the project area and would relocate an existing convenience store, liquor store and car wash and update the existing architecture. 

NEW YORK — New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky and a host of colleagues have introduced legislation that shifts the responsibility and costs of recycling from municipalities to the producers of packaging and paper products. The legislation is called the Extended Producer Responsibility Act, and in other countries around the world, newspapers have been exempted from these recycling initiatives.  New York should follow suit.

In Canada, this product-focused approach is referred to as product stewardship. While each Canadian province has adopted different stewardship models, there are strong similarities in how newspapers are treated. Their approach is consistent with how newspapers are managed in recycling regimes all over the world.  Newspapers have been treated differently in recognition of the fact that they provide a public benefit, that they can make a significant contribution to public education on recycling, and that they are not a packaged good like other materials in the recycling stream. 

Newspapers perform an important role in our democracy, and they are not a consumable product – there are no contents and no packaging – the two are indistinguishable. Treating newspapers like packaged goods discriminates unfairly against newspapers – the packaged goods industry makes no investment in contents of their packages, just the packaging itself.

Further, newspapers have been good stewards of the environment for decades.  In 1989 New York’s newspaper industry entered into a voluntary agreement with the State of New York to increase their usage of recycled newsprint to 40% by the year 2000. Recycling damages the fiber in newsprint, so a minimum of 50% new fiber is required to maintain quality.  Newsprint with too little new fiber tears when the presses are running and causes the ink to blot.

Newsprint accounts for less than 7% of solid waste in a typical community.

Newspapers are environmentally sound – publishers use the remains of what other industries discard: recycled fiber.  Newspapers are compostable (you can use them in your vegetable garden), they are re-manufactured (used to produce home insulation and packaging materials).  They are reusable, biodegradable, and the ink is non-toxic – made from organic materials such as soy and linseed oil.

In November 2020, the EPA reported the following recycling rates: 

Plastic – 8.5%
Aluminum – 17.2%
Rubber/leather – 18.2%
Glass – 25%
Newspapers – 68.2%

Newspapers should be exempted from this legislation because they already recycle at a rate far higher than any other recyclable product. 

The proposed legislation will not increase or improve the recycling of newspapers – it will simply shift the cost of recycling from municipalities to newspapers.  Newspapers are already suffering from revenue declines caused by COVID 19 and big tech platforms. Burdening newspapers with the cost of recycling will result in layoffs, further eroding citizen access to essential local news and information.

Newspapers are good citizens, and they are cheerleaders and watchdogs for the communities they serve.  New York’s newspapers will be pleased to enter into a voluntary agreement to support, promote and educate readers and community leaders about the importance of recycling.  New York’s legislators should consider the devasting impact this legislation will have on newspapers, and subsequently, citizens’ access to local journalism.

WILTON — Mt. McGregor and Grant Cottage Historic Site are preparing to launch a new vision for the future of the historic site, which would include a series of improvements and some new development. 

Potential plans include improved parking access, the expansion of trails, the development of a rustic gazebo and replica train station that once stood at the site, a pavilion that could host more than 100 people, and using a five-acre parcel that was once part of the former Mount McGregor Correctional Facility recreation yard for signature events. 

Former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant spent six weeks at the cottage in 1885, completing his final memoirs prior to his death.

“Grant Cottage really started out as a little place in northern Saratoga County where Ulysses S. Grant was invited up to because he had terminal throat cancer,” Grant Cottage President Tim Welch explained, during a presentation to the county Board of Supervisors last week. 

“He was invited up because the temperature was so hot in New York City in 1885, his doctors didn’t think he would survive to complete his memoirs. He spent only six weeks in Saratoga County, but he completed his memoirs and Mark Twain published them. He wrote his memoirs because he was dead broke. His son got him into a Ponzi scheme and he lost $200,000 – everything he had – and he had like 89 bucks in his checking account. So, that’s why he wrote his memoirs. Within a year after his death, his wife got a check for $450,000 in royalties from Mark Twain, which today is worth $11 million,” Welch said. “This is part of the story we have to tell as we attempt to expand the footprint of Grant Cottage with the Master Plan the LA Group is helping us put together.” 

The expansion would help the site meet a growing interest and entice more visitors to the cottage specifically and the area in general, officials said. Attendance restrictions brought on by the pandemic aside, there have been positive signs of late regarding the site. Last year, the History Channel announced its presentation of a three-part mini-series on U.S. Grant, with the Grant Cottage featured in the docudrama. Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, which filmed at the cottage in October 2019, Grant Cottage also was the recipient of a $10,000 donation from DiCaprio. This past January, Grant Cottage was approved as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.

Grant Cottage was headed to closure on the 100th anniversary of Grant’s death in 1985 until a group of concerned citizens got together to save it by having a volunteer staff and keeping it open to the public for five months of the year. 

The cottage is looking to reopen for the season “in the next several weeks,” Welch said. 

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