Design Review Board gives favorable advisory opinion on 65 Fila Street area-variance request amid tree and lot-coverage concerns

The Saratoga Springs Design Review Board on June 26 offered a favorable advisory opinion to the Zoning Board of Appeals on an application for an area variance at 65 Fila Street that would allow a second‑story bedroom addition to the main house and a detached two‑story garage with a small office above.

The board’s recommendation came after a lengthy public discussion about lot coverage, drainage, on‑site parking and the potential impact of construction on mature trees behind the property. The application asks for relief from the city’s lot‑coverage standard; the applicant’s presentation said the lot would exceed the 40% coverage limit, reaching about 42%.

The advisory opinion matters because the Zoning Board of Appeals must decide whether to grant the variance that would allow the applicant to build the proposed garage and second‑floor addition. The DRB’s role was limited to advising the ZBA about mass, scale, compatibility with neighboring properties and feasible alternatives for the…