SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Zoning Board of Appeals and Saratoga Planning Board both unanimously voted in favor of a special use permit and area variance to allow a new paddleboard and kayak storage facility to be established on Fish Creek.
The new storage would be considered a Public/Private Recreation use under the zoning code. It will allow for 120 vessels on racks in proximity to the shoreline, parking for up to 40 cars and picnic tables and porta-johns for guests.
However, some residents of Saratoga have objections to the vote due to recreation not being the land’s primary use, saying “Boat storage will take place 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Recreation, on the other hand, is limited to daylight hours over three or four months of the year.” Other grievances included the noise and safety of the facility, among related issues.
The facility’s opposition states that the objections were submitted in writing in a timely manner to be distributed to both boards, but that the minutes of both meetings fail to address any of the objections and that the application was approved without any acknowledgement that objections were ever filed.
For more information, contact the Saratoga Zoning Board of Appeals or the Planning Board at 518-587-3550.
