Workforce Housing Proposed in Ballston Spa, Residents Have Reservations

On Wednesday, Aug 26, residents of the Village of Ballston Spa voiced concerns about a proposed 168-unit residential complex in the Village’s central business district. 

The developers are seeking a special permit from the zoning board to move forward with construction at 125 Bath Street. The location is currently considered a brownfield site and will require developers to work with the New York State Department of Environment Conservation to decontaminate the site before construction.  

Attorney John Cromie, whose office sits across the street from the proposed development site, submitted his grievances to the Zoning Board. 

“Citing 168 units does not tell the full story. A better metric is the number of bedrooms. 255 to be exact. It is very possible 450 to 500 people will be present at any one time – 10% of our village’s population,” Cromie said in a written statement.

He continues, “It is estimated the two peak hours will produce 151 trips. There are about 16 hours during which most people are active. It is not unreasonable to estimate upwards of 600 more cars will pass by neighboring homes each day.”

An independent engineering consultant conducted a traffic analysis and concluded “traffic generated by the proposed Tannery Commons development can be accommodated by the existing roadway network with minimal impacts to traffic operations.”

Ballston Spa Zoning Member, Kamran Parwana, noted the data used in the analysis was collected on December 3, 2024, a Tuesday which had snowfall. 

“I find the traffic study to be optimistic,” Parwana told the representatives of Blue Ridge Cascade and the NPR group.

This sentiment garnered a prolonged applause from the 70+ residents in attendance. 

“To rely on those numbers from almost two years ago and the growth coefficient is 25% annual growth. If we look at the number of large developments that have been in the process of being built that use Milton Ave and Ballston Ave as major thoroughfares, I’m really concerned that growth rate does not reflect what’s really here,” Parwana said. 

Some community members were in favor of increased housing in close vicinity of Front Street.

“Potential residents of this community would be the ones who would be using that business district. I think it would be a real enhancement for the village to have people living close to [the central business district] that could use say, the Iron Roost for breakfast,” Kathlyn Rooney reasoned.

The project will be workforce housing, targeting librarians, restaurant workers, and police officers as potential residents. 

To be awarded the special permit, the project must pass three tests outlined in zoning code 205-72.

First, the development shall be in harmony with the surrounding district

Second, the traffic to and from the housing complex will not be hazardous or inconvenient to the surrounding neighborhood.

Third, the location, height and landscaping of the buildings shall not hinder the development or impair the value of adjacent buildings.

The plans include three buildings: a four-story building along Gordon Creek, a three-story building along Bath Street, and a four-story building on the back of the property. 

Also in the blueprints is a pocket park on Bath Street with a trail along Gordon Creek which could connect to the Jim Tedisco Trail behind the property. 

The developers also stated they would reconstruct the sidewalk along Bath Street and implement extensive landscaping, leaving adequate greenspace. 

Public comments on the proposal are due to the Zoning Board by September 16 at pbzbcomments@ballstonspa.gov.

The next Zoning Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 30 at the Ballston Spa Elk’s Lodge at 10 Hamilton Street.