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Planning board approves two-lot subdivision on Excelsior Springs Avenue, agrees to negotiate sidewalk fee-in-lieu administratively
Summary
The board approved a two-lot subdivision at 16 Excelsior Springs Avenue but deferred exact sidewalk and street-improvement arrangements. The approval directs staff to negotiate a fee-in-lieu with DPW (rather than immediate construction) for the planned pedestrian improvements along Excelsior Springs Avenue.
The Saratoga Springs Planning Board on Sept. 11 approved a two-lot subdivision for property at 16 Excelsior Springs Avenue, subject to administrative negotiation of a fee-in-lieu for sidewalk and related off-site improvements.
Applicant engineer Tonya Yacen said the revised plan moves the existing driveway from Excelsior Springs to Audrey Street to reduce vehicle conflict at the busier thoroughfare and preserve mature trees. The submission documented existing large trees in the city right-of-way and proposed street trees and pedestrian lights consistent with city standards; the applicant noted several street trees along Audrey are mature and the plan avoids removing them.
DPW and planning staff said the city intends to construct a larger pedestrian improvement — either a sidewalk or a multi-use side path — along Excelsior Springs Avenue as a capital project in the near future. Because the exact configuration of that larger project is not yet finalized, the applicant proposed to pay the municipal fee in lieu for sidewalk construction instead of installing a standalone sidewalk that could later be replaced. The Planning Board accepted the concept of a fee in lieu and asked staff to negotiate the precise fee and timing with DPW and the city’s business administrator before final plat sign-off. The board confirmed routine requirements remain: construction-site controls, concrete washout, a final erosion-control plan, and any on-site curb, sidewalk and street-tree work required by the city engineer at the time of permit review.
The board also completed the short environmental assessment form and adopted a negative SEQRA determination (Type II/short-form outcome). The applicant will return administratively with final engineering and any documentation required to set a fee schedule or letter of credit for the off-site improvements; the chair and DPW will coordinate the administrative follow-up.
