Design Dilemma: Community Gathers to Discuss Changes to DRB

It was a packed house on May 11 as members of the community gathered at the Spring Street Gallery to go over proposed changes to Saratoga Springs’ Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). 

The changes were proposed by Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford and primarily focus on the city’s Design Review Board (DRB) which reviews exterior designs in the historic and architectural review districts. 

The meeting was organized by Patty Morrison, a former member of the Planning Board and a self-described concerned citizen. It was originally set to be held at the Saratoga Springs Library but was moved to the Gallery due to space concerns. 

Over 100 people packed into the room to discuss the proposed changes.  It was the second of two meetings, the first being held May 5. 

During the meeting Safford defended the proposed changes to the DRB, saying they were part of a larger effort to improve the planning office and make things easier for builders and homeowners. During this process, Safford said he’s heard multiple complaints from people regarding the DRB, prompting the proposed changes. 

Many of the proposed changes specifically deal with the architectural review district, one of the two areas covered by the DRB. The area covers the downtown core of Saratoga Springs and approaches the city — such as the ones along Union Ave, Route 50, Washington Street, Route 9 and West Ave, among others. Safford described homes along some of these streets as “bargains” for people to buy and fix up. The problem, according to Safford, is that when they buy the homes they run into issues getting approvals to make repairs.

Safford cited a specific example where a couple bought a house with a leaky roof and were told by the DRB that they had to use slate in order to repair the roof due to historic significance, something that was cost prohibitive. 

“They asked, they begged, and there was no recourse to that,” Safford said. “Now they have a leaky roof that they can’t replace because they can’t afford a slate roof.” 

The proposal is not without controversy. During the meeting, members of the community brought up several concerns about the proposed changes including mandating that historic significance not be a factor in demolition decisions in the architectural review district, limiting the ability of the DRB to control mass and scale and creating an appeals process that would grant applicants the ability to appeal decisions to the Zoning Board of appeals. 

Samantha Bosshart, Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, spoke at the meeting and laid out some of the possible issues seen by the organization. While she agreed with Safford that there was room for improvement, specifically in the appeals process and in how historic standards are applied, she argued that removing the ability of the DRB to deny demolition on historic grounds could ruin the gateways to the city as the only protected buildings would be those with landmark status. 

“That is a significant change that could dramatically change how our gateways feel,” Bosshart said. “We have the gateways with a sign that says, health history and horses. Well, if all those lovely older homes are demolished with new construction, it’s not going to be much of an introduction to our downtown historic core.” 

It’s unclear when the new changes will be voted on by city council. While Safford had been aiming for a June passage of the reforms, due to community feedback, it’s now expected to go to a vote sometime in July or August.