BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors will hold their monthly meeting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 15. It is the last regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting of the calendar year and will take place at 40 McMaster St., Ballston Spa. 

The meeting will be preceded by a Public Hearing at 3 p.m. regarding the proposed development of a new aircraft hangar at Saratoga County Airport. 

North American Flight Services (NASF), which has been the Fixed Base Operator at the county airport for 22 years, proposed that it would privately fund the design and construction of the 22,500 square foot hangar – estimated at $6 million to $7 million – and would pay taxes and retain ownership of it following its construction. 

NASF currently holds two leases at the airport with a term through April 2028 on which it currently pays approximately $7,000 per month. With the potential addition of a new hangar, the company is requesting the term of the lease be modified to extend to 2061, with a sliding incremental increase in monthly payments that would conclude at just over $9,600 per month in the final five years of the proposed lease extension, from 2056-2061. 

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SARATOGA SPRINGS — A variety of development projects are under consideration this month by the city’s three Land Use Boards.

Meetings of the three Land Use Boards – Planning Board, Design Review Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals are held at Saratoga Springs City Hall. Note that submitted plans and meeting agendas are subject to change. For the most current information, visit the city website at: saratoga-springs.org.    

• Demolition. Property Address: 120 South Broadway. Proposal: demolish and remove a 9,000 square foot building in its entirety along the southern border and approximately 2,100 square foot portion of the building along the eastern border. Applicant: Stephen Ether. Owners: Strategies LLC.  Current application consideration at Design Review Commission.

Demolition proposal at 120 South Broadway. Photo provided.

• New Broadway mixed-use. Property Address: 269 Broadway. Located just north of St. Peter’s Academy, and directly across the street of Park Place Condominiums. Currently a vacant lot. Seeking: Historic Review of a new 6-story commercial/retail building with on-site, underground parking. Current application consideration at Design Review Commission.

• Saratoga Hospital Medical Office Campus. Project location: Corner of Myrtle Street and Morgan St, 1 Morgan St. and 55 Myrtle St. Seeking: coordinated SEQRA review for a phased project totaling 105,000 square foot medical office use and associated site work in the Office Medical Business and Urban Residential districts.

• Stewart’s Shops Corp. Property Address: 34 Marion Ave. Stewart’s Marion Avenue/ Route 9 and Maple Dell.  Seeking: consideration of deferral of lead agency status for coordinated SEQRA review for establishment of a PUD (Planned Unit Development).  Proposal: seeking to establish a PUD that will facilitate the construction of a new store with gas pumps, car wash, four residential units and professional office space, among other things.  Applicant owns several parcels (6.14 acres) along Maple Avenue and Maple Dell which contain a multitude of existing uses and vacant land. Current consideration at Planning Board. 

• Caroline Street. Property Address: 172 Caroline St. Applicant/ Purchaser under contract: James Stockwell. Owner: Estate of Jack Paston. Proposal: 0.36 acres subdivided into two lots. Sketch plan review of a proposed two-lot subdivision. Current consideration at Planning Board.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Southside Cemetery – the oldest still-existing cemetery in the city of Saratoga Springs – recently had control returned to a local Board of Trustees.

Formerly known as the Whitford Cemetery, it is located on Crescent Avenue just east of South Broadway, with an earliest burial that dates to 1801. 

A recent meeting was conducted by the sole remaining trustee – renowned tombstone photographer, Thomas L. Dunne – during which Mary Ellen Ryall and Wayne T. Senecal, both of Saratoga Springs, were appointed trustees. Mary Ellen appeared representing her Ryall family ancestors buried in the cemetery and Wayne representing his wife Susan’s Eddy family ancestors buried there.

Corinne Scirocco, also of Saratoga Springs, was nominated to become a trustee representing the Saratoga Chapter of the DAR, there also being five American Revolutionary War veterans buried in the cemetery. 

The board is seeking additional trustees who will hopefully come from the over 30 Saratoga Pioneer families with ancestors in the cemetery.

After reestablishing the association’s tax and legal standings, plans call for a fundraising campaign to be followed by an extensive cleanup and restoration of the cemetery beginning in the spring and summer of 2022.

Descendants interested in more details or becoming Trustees or Friends of the Cemetery should write to SSCA-Historian, P.O. Box 711, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866, or email: wsenecal@nycap.rr.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last week, Saratoga Springs Supervisor Tara Gaston posted a statement and graph image on her official government page depicting the recent spike in the percentage of county residents testing positive for COVID-19.    

“Saratoga County is a leader in the state with COVID19 vaccinations in all ages, and I’m thrilled with the number of residents who have completed their vaccine series (however) when we compare today to one year ago – before vaccinations and before the lifting of many restrictions – it’s clear that the vaccines are not enough to get us out of this,” Gaston said. 

Gaston asked residents to get vaccinated if they had not already done so, obtain a booster if eligible, and to wear a mask. 

Following the recent holiday weekend, the State Department of Health on Friday, Dec. 3 reported the 7-day average positive test rate among Saratoga County residents at 8.7%, with the neighboring communities of Warren and Washington counties reporting 10.7% and 11.9%, respectively. 

“The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors sits as the Board of Health for the County, and can issue guidance or directives accordingly,” said Gaston, one of 23 members of the Board of Supervisors – the legislative and executive authority of Saratoga County government. “Unfortunately, the Board is unwilling at this time to take additional steps to #StopTheSpread, and there is little I can do alone.”

Saratoga County Public Health Services (SCPHS) has “recommended” the wearing of masks in certain situations, but the county board – which directs and oversees SCPHS – has not taken legislative action regarding the matter. Some other communities have been more aggressive.    

In late August, the Saratoga Springs City Council adopted a resolution requiring all employees and visitors regardless of vaccination to wear a face mask when entering City buildings, facilities and/or indoor events sponsored by the city. The resolution additionally called for all public-facing employees to wear a mask. 

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And in New York City, residents and visitors age 12 and older are required to show proof of vaccination to participate in indoor activities at restaurants, bars, fitness gyms, and entertainment and recreational settings such as movie theaters, museums and concert venues. Compared to Saratoga County’s 8.7% rate, the 7-day average positive test rate in the five New York City boroughs range from a low of 1.6% in Manhattan to a high of 3.5% on Staten Island.     

To combat the rising COVID-19 infection rate in the region, state Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Nov. 29 that a mass state vaccination site would re-open in Queensbury. The location will provide vaccinations (8 a.m. -7 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays), as well as COVID-19 PCR testing
(8 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). Pre-registered as well as walk-in appointments will be available.

Upcoming Booster Clinics. All are COVID-19 Moderna boosters.    

Wednesday, Dec. 8
For Age 18+ (9 a.m. – noon); For Age 65+ (1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.) at Saratoga County Public Health, 6012 County Farm Road, Ballston Spa.

Friday, Dec. 10
For Age 18+ (9:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.) at Mechanicville Senior Center, 178 N. Main St, Mechanicville.

Saturday, Dec. 11
For Age 18+ (9 a.m. – noon) at Saratoga County Public Health, 6012 County Farm Road, Ballston Spa.

Monday, Dec. 20
For Age 65+ (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) at Clifton Park Senior Center, 6 Clifton Common Boulevard, Clifton Park. 

Booster Clinics are by appointment only. Visit www.SaratogaCountyNY.gov/COVID to register. Seniors may also call 518-693-1075 to register for a clinic. 

Vaccine Clinics for individuals between the ages of 5-11 years old

Clinics are by appointment only. Make an appointment for your child at the NYS operated vaccination clinic at Crossgates Mall (via am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/) or at a pharmacy near you by visiting vaccines.gov.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Brightly colored snow pants and children’s winter coats cling to rows of metal racks against a far wall. Bundles of bedding and kids’ comforters, stacks of young reader’s books and an assortment of toy trucks and stuffed dolls sprawl across the tabletops. 

Nearly one year to the day since securing a building on the city’s west side to help its growing programs, Franklin Community Center has officially opened the doors of its newest facility, located at the intersection of Franklin and Washington streets. 

The organization’s new building provides more than 10,000 square feet of expanded space, features individual offices, common areas, large meeting rooms, and stands a few yards from its 10 Franklin St. building, which remains active. 

By relocating the non-profit human service agency’s administrative offices from 10 Franklin St. to Washington Street, it provides space to back-stock donations and goods distributed through its meal assistance programs and allows the organization’s food pantry to grow triple its previous size. 

“Food insecurity is not going away,” says Mary Beth McGarrahan, development director at Franklin Community Center, which serves hundreds of individuals at its food pantry every week. “It gives us the space to continue to grow the food pantry.” 

Franklin Community Center has served as a social service hub for the less fortunate in and around Saratoga since 1983. The Center’s programs include the food pantry, a free after-school prevention program for local students and affordable housing for low-income individuals, as well as assisting with furniture and clothing and household needs, among others. 

FCC’s newest building had previously served as a cutting-edge center of 21st century global technology under the guidance of Elliott and Cathy Masie. The couple built the Masie Center just over 20 years ago. 

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Aiming to build an addition to one of its existing buildings to create more space, FCC raised about $1 million toward its goal of raising $2.5 million when the coronavirus started making its way across the globe, slowing fundraising efforts, even as the need for the services the center offers increased exponentially. Meanwhile, the nearby Masie building was listed for sale at $2.6 million. When the Michael and Stacie Arpey Family stepped forward to donate $1 million toward FCC’s purchase of the building, and the Masies agreed to lower their original asking price, a deal was struck. Today, a plaque that hangs outside the building reads: The Franklin Community Center/Michael and Stacie Arpey Family Community Center.

Through the month of December, the new building also houses goods for its Holiday Assistance Program.

“This is our giving program where you ‘adopt’ children, you ‘adopt’ a family,” McGarrahan explains. “Holiday assistance – It can be toys, clothes, bedding, electronics. Fun things for a girl or boy. It might be hygiene products that they may not normally get in their shopping trips, or winter clothes, books, musical instruments,” she says. “It could be anything their family is not able to purchase on their own.” 

Families contact the center and fill out an application which lists the needs and desires of the child. Those needs are then matched up against a list of donors who have offered their support for the holiday program by “adopting” a family. 

Folks either seeking aid via the Holiday Assistance Program or are interested in “adopting” a family may reach out to Franklin Community Center by phone at: 518-587-9826, or via email at: info@franklincommunitycenter.org. and their inquiry will be forwarded to the appropriate place. As for donation, the Center says monetary donations are the most-needed ways to help support Franklin. 

Looking forward, Franklin Community Center’s next focus will be on its Project Lift Summer Camp Assistance program.

“We do summer camp scholarships for all our Project Lift kids, so if anybody is looking to support a child and send them to a camp for a week or two, they can support that with our scholarship fund,” McGarrahan said.

For more information about Franklin Community Center and its programs, go to: www.franklincommunitycenter.org

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Saratoga Springs DPW crews hoisted wreaths atop city streets this week in anticipation of the holiday season.

BALLSTON SPA — The Village of Ballston Spa is looking to update its Comprehensive Plan to best define the needs of this evolving community and articulate a vision that will guide decisions affecting physical development and redevelopment within the village.  The Comprehensive Plan is expected to focus most significantly on effects of IT and climate change, buildings and village character, non-conforming land uses, village infrastructure, quality of life, & local and regional economics. 

A steering committee has been formed to work in conjunction with a professional planning consultant to identify and study several topics over the course of the next year in order to create a final plan for approval by the Village board of trustees. 

The committee is currently looking for additional members from the Ballston Spa community who would be interested in contributing their knowledge, skills and ideas.  Meetings will be held twice a month, on the first and third Thursdays, at 7 pm at the Saratoga County Office building at 50 West High St.  All meetings are open to the public and will be Zoom accessible. Interested persons can contact steering committee chairperson Karen Martell at karenmartell27@gmail.com or the Village Office at 518-885-5711, villageclerk@villageofballstonspa.org.

BALLSTON SPA — The “Artisan Market” at Brookside Museum will be returning in 2021, operating from “Small Business Saturday,” Nov. 27 through Dec. 24.

Like its predecessors, the 21st installment of the market will feature only handcrafted products created by local artisans.

Brookside Museum, headquarters of the Saratoga County History Center, is located at 6 Charlton St. The 2021 hours are as follows: Thursdays, noon – 5 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Face coverings are required. Hand sanitizer will be available. The Saratoga County History Center is dedicated to preserving local history, educating the public, and serving our diverse Saratoga County communities. All money raised by the Artisan Market will fund SCHC public programming and collection maintenance.