Design Review Board backs UDO change to let zoning officer calculate development bonuses, urges council to pause vote

The Saratoga Springs Design Review Board on Sept. 24 issued a favorable advisory opinion to the City Council on a proposed Unified Development Ordinance change that would shift the process for determining compliance with development bonus actions from the planning board to the city’s zoning officer.

Board member Susan Barton, representing planning staff, told the board the change would move the calculation that qualifies a project for a height bonus — for example square footage calculations tied to affordable housing or other incentives — from the planning board to the zoning officer (code administrator). Barton said that many bonus action verifications (for example energy-efficiency measures) are ultimately verified by later building-department checks, and that shifting the procedural calculation to the zoning officer would simplify and clarify the process in Article 4 of the UDO.

Why it matters: The “bonus action” determines whether a project can earn additional building height by providing public benefits (affordable housing, energy efficiency, community space, etc.). The board’s advisory opinion supports streamlining the administrative step but asked the City Council to pause the final vote so planning staff can review the list and definitions of bonus actions.

Board members generally supported the procedural simplification but suggested the Council consider broader revisions to the bonus incentives. One board member asked the Council to remove energy-efficiency as an alternate bonus action and make affordable housing the single allowable bonus action; that view was presented as a personal position, not Council policy.

The board’s formal motion recommended the Council adopt the amendment that replaces the planning board with a code administrator/zoning officer for bonus determinations, and additionally recommended the Council consider tabling the amendment to allow staff time to review current bonus actions and incentives. The motion was seconded and approved by the board; no opposing votes were recorded on the board’s advisory opinion.

What’s next: The board’s advisory opinion will be transmitted to City Council. The DRB recommended the Council consider tabling its decision so planning staff can evaluate potential changes to bonus-action incentives, particularly the list of qualifying incentives tied to height bonuses.

Board vote and formal action: The Design Review Board adopted a favorable advisory opinion recommending the procedural change (planning board → zoning officer) and suggested Council consider tabling the Council vote to allow further review of bonus incentives.