Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hospital PUD topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning board backs hospital's 'Center for Successful Aging' in principle, flags traffic, parking and daycare conditions
Summary
The board gave a generally favorable recommendation for the Saratoga Hospital PUD amendment — including reallocation of square footage for a 60,000‑sq‑ft Center for Successful Aging and allowing accessory parking structures — but pressed the hospital and city council to examine traffic impacts, clarify daycare scope and retain staff review on parking details.
Saratoga Hospital asked the Planning Board to endorse proposed Planned Unit Development amendments that would move square footage from one PUD zone to another to enable a 60,000‑square‑foot Center for Successful Aging, permit accessory parking structures in specified E zones, and allow a child daycare use on campus. Matthew Jones, the hospital's attorney, and Jill Van Curran, the hospital president and CEO, described the project's goals as shifting to outpatient care and meeting staff needs, including a small daycare: "The Center for Successful Aging is what we are asking to be, endorsed here," Van Curran told the board.
The board broadly supported reallocating space and allowing structured parking as accessory uses subject to site‑plan and DRB review, but members disagreed over whether an expiration clause in the PUD should remain. Several members favored deleting a 2039 expiration for uncompleted projects; others said a date preserves a future review opportunity. The board ultimately voted to keep the proposed 01/01/2039 expiration language in the recommendation but to advise the council to review the provision carefully. Members also advised the city council to evaluate traffic impacts and any changes to SEQR/SEQR screening, and to require that any change to a footnote that opens daycare to the public trigger further environmental review. Chair Chuck Marshall summarized the board's position by placing conditions on its favorable recommendation: retain or reconsider the expiration clause with council, allow daycare as an accessory use matching UDO definitions but require the council to consider whether opening daycare to the public requires additional review, and permit parking structures in designated E zones subject to planning board and DRB site review.
