Jonathon Norcross
144 Residential Units Planned in Ballston Spa
BALLSTON SPA — This June, residents can begin moving into The Estates at Ballston Spa, an apartment complex located a little less than two miles from the village’s downtown. The apartments are the first phase of a planned three-pronged project that would ultimately create 144 residential units.
Phase one is finishing The Estates at 1419 Saratoga Road, which will include two buildings; one with 24 units and another with 40 units. The luxury apartments are all 2 and 3 bedrooms, with monthly rent prices starting at $1,875. According to Paul Nichols, co-developer of the project, about half of the 24-unit building has already been rented, with a handful more units reserved in the 40-unit building.
Phase two involves building 28 modern farmhouse-style townhomes in the rear of the property. The homes are currently awaiting town approval. If approval is granted, Nichols said that land for the homes could start being cleared this fall.
The final phase of the project entails constructing three additional three-story, mixed-use buildings with another 52 apartments; plus 25,000 square feet of retail and amenity space on the first floor.
“The location itself is really the gateway to Ballston Spa. We found that very appealing,” Nichols said. “We’ve always liked downtown Ballston Spa. It’s quaint with its shops and restaurants, and we think it’s just a great place to live.”
Paragon Residential Management is developing the project alongside general contractor BDC Builders.
“Epic Failure”: Malta Town Board Addresses Steeplechase Apartments Fire Code Violations
MALTA — The Malta Town Board held a public hearing on Monday night regarding fire code violations at the Steeplechase apartments. The violations, first noted in May of 2022, were initially supposed to have been addressed by September 2022. Representatives from Steeplechase said the violations were still being addressed as of May 2024. They also said they didn’t know if residents had ever been notified of the violations.
The hearing resulted in some heated exchanges, including Councilperson Al Ricci repeatedly referring to the unaddressed violations as an “epic failure,” and Councilperson Barbara Conner telling a Steeplechase representative that she didn’t understand how they could live with themselves.
Special counsel Stefanie Bitter said that after the initial May 2022 inspection report, the town followed up with Steeplechase at least four times in 2022 and 2023. In August 2023, a second inspection noted 104 deficiencies that affected 235 residential units. In November 2023, a fire marshal issued an order to remedy the violations and gave Steeplechase thirty days to do so.
A property manager at the apartment complex later said she was aware of the violations and was working to address them. As of the hearing on Monday night, only six of the complex’s twenty-four buildings had completed the remedial work.
The primary safety issue, said Malta Code Enforcement Officer Greg Berg, was unlisted antifreeze systems within the buildings, which can become flammable and, under certain conditions, could cause an explosion.
“It’s like playing with grandpa’s old World War II hand grenade and someone says it’s been defused. I’m not pulling the pin,” Berg said.
Attorney Jennifer Yetto, representing Steeplechase, said the company had contracted a vendor to complete the necessary work in the remaining buildings by the end of August. “Contrary to what the town may have noted,” Yetto said, “we very much are concerned with our residents as much as anyone else.” Yetto criticized town officials for poor communication. She also refused to concede any of the violations.
“We’re very well aware this had been prejudged well before we even walked into the door,” Yetto told Councilperson Ricci.
“It seems like a lot more effort has gone into the defense of the procedure than it has to fix.. the problems of the building,” Ricci said.
The hearing was adjourned with the understanding that Steeplechase had hired a vendor and would address the remaining violations by the end of August.
Greenfield Girl Scout Saves Toddler From Drowning, Awarded Medals
GREENFIELD — 12-year-old Amelia Juracka, a camper at Hidden Lake Girl Scout Camp, knew something was wrong when her two-year-old cousin wandered into the deep end of a swimming pool. Thanks to her water safety training, Juracka sprang into action and pulled her little cousin out of the water.
For her heroics, Juracka became one of only 27 girl scouts nationwide to receive the Girl Scout Medal of Honor. Last week, she was also awarded the New York State Senate Liberty Medal, the Senate’s highest honor. Juracka is one of the youngest people in state history to receive the award.
“I am proud to present the Senate’s highest honor, the Liberty Medal, to Amelia for truly exemplifying the spirit of heroism and compassion and the best of New York,” said Senator Tedisco in a statement.
Tedisco presented Juracka with the award at the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York office in Queensbury.
Ballston Spa Baseball Team Falls in Playoff Semifinals
TROY — The No. 3 Ballston Spa varsity baseball team entered the Section 2 Class AA playoffs with a bang on Saturday, defeating No. 6 Columbia 8 to 2.
The win sent the Dawgs to the semifinals at the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, home of the Tri-City ValleyCats. But faced with a tough game on Monday against No. 2 Bethlehem Central, BSpa fell short, 4 to 0. It was a rough game for the Dawgs, who finished with zero hits and two errors.
Despite the loss, the team finished with a strong 13-7 record on the season and has a large group of returning players next year. This year’s graduating seniors include Tyler Corry, Conner Garrant, Nate Gurwitz, Jake Nagengast, and Blaine Zoller.
More Trophies for the Ballston Spa Girls Track and Field Team
SCHENECTADY — The Ballston Spa girls track and field team impressed once again on Saturday at the William F. Eddy Jr. Meet in Schenectady.
The relay team won both the 4x100 and the 4x400. Gabrielle Bozeth won the 200 meter dash, and teammate Harriety Healey won the 400 meter. In the 100 meter dash, Gabrielle Bozeth finished second, and Petrina Zborovszky wasn’t far behind in third.
Adirondack Thunder Advance to Conference Final
GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Thunder advanced to the ECHL Eastern Conference Final after defeating the Norfolk Admirals in round two of the playoffs, 4 games to 2.
The Admirals took the first two games of the series but the Thunder wouldn’t fall that easily. They won four straight games, with a combined total score of 14 to 5.
Adirondack then split the first two games of the conference final against the Florida Everblades last weekend, winning the second game in a 2-0 shutout. The next three games of the series will take place in Florida. If necessary, games six and seven will be played at home at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls on May 28 and 29.
SPAC Education Celebrates Success; Malta Ave Kids Perform at Venue
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) celebrated recent education initiatives during its annual meeting on the amphitheater stage on May 16. The event was followed by a spirited performance of Des’ree’s hit song “You Gotta Be” by dozens of Malta Ave Elementary students.
Dennis Moench, Vice President of Education at SPAC, said that educational programming in 2023 reached an estimated 50,000 kids, in partnership with more than 120 local schools and nonprofits.
Last year, SPAC launched its “Access the Arts” program, which provides weekly dance, music, and improvisational theater classes to individuals enrolled in day habilitation programs. The program culminated with a performance featuring more than 100 participants on May 1 in the Spa Little Theater.
“We provide avenues for emotional expression, self discovery, social connection, cognitive development, stress reduction, and empowerment,” Moench said. “We believe that all individuals should have access to these benefits.”
Beginning at 2 p.m. on June 2, SPAC will host the seventh annual Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists, a free event featuring fine art displays, poetry slams, and food stands. At 4:30 p.m., hundreds of kids will present a concert on the amphitheater stage with productions that combine music, song, poetry, visual art, and dance.
Maple Leaf Childcare Center in Malta Has License Suspended Due to Safety Concerns
MALTA — The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) suspended the license of the Maple Leaf Childcare Center at 2737 Route 9 in Malta last week due to “evidence that the public health or a child’s safety or welfare is in imminent danger.”
The center can end the suspension one of two ways; either they can resolve the issues cited by OCFS as the reasons for the suspension, or they can successfully challenge the decision to suspend the license. OCFS can also decide to revoke the center’s license completely.
The childcare center’s OCFS inspection history over the last two years contained a number of alleged violations, including the use of corporal punishment, children left without competent supervision, and staff members unable to fulfill their responsibilities. Since April 17, 2023, the OCFS recorded nine substantiated complaints against Maple Leaf in Malta.
In the violations, OCFS defined corporal punishment as “punishment inflicted directly on the body including, but not limited to, physical restraint, spanking, biting, shaking, slapping, twisting or squeezing; demanding excessive physical exercise, prolonged lack of movement or motion, or strenuous or bizarre postures; and compelling a child to eat or have in the child’s mouth soap, foods, hot spices or irritants or the like.”
The company also faced scrutiny in April of this year, when a former employee at their Halfmoon location was arrested and charged with child endangerment and harassment.
Maple Leaf did not respond to requests for comment from Saratoga TODAY.
More details about alleged violations at the Maple Leaf Childcare Center in Malta can be found on the OCFS website at the following address: https://hs.ocfs.ny.gov/DCFS/Profile/Index/633801
Saratoga County Unemployment Rate Increases
SARATOGA SPRINGS — According to data from the New York State Labor Department, 4,200 Saratoga County residents were unemployed as of March 2024, putting the county’s unemployment rate at 3.5%. In March of 2023, 3,500 of the county’s 121,600-member workforce (or 2.9%) were unemployed, meaning the unemployment increased by 0.6% in the past year.
There have been similar upticks in unemployment in nearby cities, such as Albany (0.6% increase), Schenectady (0.7%), and Glens Falls (0.7%). New York State’s overall unemployment rate as of March was 4.3%.
Saratoga Ranked Third Most Popular Boating Destination in New York
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Getmyboat, a marketplace for boat charters and rentals, ranked Saratoga Springs the third most popular boating destination in New York State. Saratoga was also listed as the most popular boating city outside of the New York metropolitan area.
The top five New York boating locations were, in order: Manhattan, Sag Harbor, Saratoga Springs, Bay Shore, and Oyster Bay. Schenectady cracked the top ten at number eight.
Getmyboat used its booking and demand data to compile the 2024 rankings. According to the company, the average hourly rate for a boat rental in Saratoga is $145, and the average total trip price is $891. Pontoons are the Spa City’s most popular style of boat.
