ZBA refers 16 Excelsior Spring subdivision to Planning Board after residents raise flooding, sidewalk and privacy concerns

The Saratoga Springs City Zoning Board of Appeals on April 28 opened a public hearing and referred an application to subdivide 16 Excelsior Spring Avenue into two lots to the Planning Board for an advisory opinion. The applicant was represented by engineer Tonia Yesenchuk of Y Engineering; owner Jessica Crawford was present.

Yesenchuk told the board that the proposal would create a new compliant lot fronting Audrey Lane while the existing house on the remaining lot would become nonconforming to current setbacks because of the new lot line. She said the application seeks variances only for the existing house (setbacks), not for the newly created lot. "We're not asking for variances in relation to the new lot, we're only asking for variances, for the existing house," Yesenchuk told the board.

Under the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) as discussed at the meeting, the change in lot lines converts what had been a side or front under the older code into a corner side and a…