A proposed multifamily development at 624 North Broadway drew sharply divided reaction at the Sept. 10 Saratoga Springs Design Review Board meeting, where board members and more than 40 written public comments urged the applicant to rethink the building’s urban massing and street character.

George Olsen of Olsen Associates presented a revised set of elevations and massing changes after previous hearings. The design team said they had reduced overall bulk slightly, strengthened porch elements, enlarged window openings, softened corners and adjusted materials to add more residential character. The applicant also said porches had been continued and that the building had been pushed back from the sidewalk to address scale concerns.

Several board members said the revisions helped but did not change the fundamental problem: the project reads as an urban office or apartment block rather than a residential structure compatible with the mostly single‑family, historic North Broadway neighborhood. The Chair said, “This is a beautiful structure — it just doesn’t belong here,” adding that the board’s purview includes mass, scale, fenestration and street orientation. Board members suggested the team consider designs that read as multiple townhomes or smaller residential units rather than one large urban block.

Public comment was extensive. A staff representative of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation and more than 40 written letters urged a more residential approach and noted the lot is part of a historic, walkable street. Neighbors urged use of the alley for vehicular access/garage entries rather than direct curb cuts on North Broadway.

The board did not vote on the project. Members suggested the applicant return with further revisions and noted precedents from other local multifamily projects that succeeded by reading as townhouses and maintaining residential scale. The applicant said they would continue refining plans and requested further feedback, and the board encouraged additional consultation with staff and the preservation community.