Month: May 2016

[Below is an excellent analysis done by the neighbors of the proposed Downton Walk Project.  This appears to be a flagrant abuse by the Zoning Board of Appeals in granting variances.  Zoning is to protect neighborhoods and this project appears completely alien to the neighborhood in which it will be built]

MONDAY, MAY 9, IS THE DAY!

“DOWNTON WALK” ZONING BOARD MEETING! (7pm, City Hall) – Third on the Agenda.

This Monday, May 9, may be our last chance to stop the gigantic “Downton Walk” project in Saratoga! …We need you to attend the Zoning Board meeting and speak up for our zoning laws!

We, the neighbors of the property, have filed a legal appeal that needs support (described in detail below) and will be considered by the board. It might be our last chance to stop this radical departure from our zoning laws from being approved.

But this is about more than just this particular proposal. If it is approved, it will set a precedent, meaning more like it could be on the horizon in just about any neighborhood in the City! Yours could be next!

The Zoning Board seems ready to approve this project, and the builder, John Witt will likely have supporters in the room, without as many of us as possible attending and speaking, this massive project could be approved as is.

Please attend and speak up! If you can’t attend please write a quick email stating your concern to Susan Barden, the city planner:

susan.barden@saratoga-springs.org

We do not oppose Mr. Witt per se, or that he should build on this parcel. Our aim is to make the Zoning Board require Mr. Witt to come back with a more reasonable proposal, more in line with the zoning laws that were intended to protect us from projects like this.

Thank You for your support!

-Neighbors of proposed “Downton Walk”

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. . . For those who want more background, read on:

OVERVIEW – IN A NUTSHELL

-One home is allowed on this lot, or five, if the property is subdivided. But space would be needed to accommodate an access road, so four homes seem more likely if the proper route, in line with zoning, were taken.

-Witt is asking to NOT subdivide yet be allowed seven buildings instead of one (a massive departure from zoning).

-He is calling them “individual condominiums”. He needs the land to be commonly owned, since, if not subdivided, who would own the property?

-Each home will be selling for between $700,000 and $1.5 million

-Our zoning allows 30% of the parcel to be covered by buildings. He wants to be allowed to cover 46% (a 52% increase from what is allowed).

-By not being required to subdivide and calling these “condominiums” he relieves himself of the setback and maximum coverage requirements of our zoning laws and can arrange the seven buildings any way he wants, tightly packing them in.

-On the north side of the parcel he is required by zoning to leave 25 feet between the backs of his buildings and the adjoining properties. He wants to be allowed to reduce that requirement to only six feet. The backs of these 32 foot high buildings would be virtually on, and towering over, the property line, with no room for buffer or trees. All existing trees would be cut down.

-These buildings will be large (see below), and out of character with the neighborhood.

-As of yet, Mr. Witt has not made any concessions or compromises to his plans. He has stated that if he is not allowed the full extent of what he is asking, this project would not be profitable enough for him. We feel this is a false claim – that he could certainly make a profit with a more reasonable project, more in line with zoning.

OUR APPEAL

Our appeal challenges Mr. Witt’s claim that he needs only AREA variances (listed below) to build these seven “individual condominiums” on this one lot. We believe that a USE variance is required, since he is not subdividing the parcel and wants his seven buildings (instead of the ONE legally allowed) to reside on one commonly owned property in “multi-family” fashion. But multi-family, by definition, is not allowed in our zoning district (UR-3). We oppose the scale of the AREA variances as well; but, in filing this appeal, we want the board to address our belief that a USE variance is needed for a condominium development of this sort. It is important to understand that a USE variance requires a very different approval process in our city.

RENDERINGS

Below are renderings of his proposal and a list of proposed heights of the homes. This would be a massive, densely-packed compound of homes. (The rectangles with rounded sides, in the overhead footprint rendering, are private swimming pools).

SIZE OF THE PROPOSED HOMES

So far there are no actual measurements per unit, only Witt’s very generalized predictions.

The square footing (reflecting all living space – not just footprint) of some of the existing houses on Jumel are (rounded to hundredth): 1400, 900, 1200, 1300, 1500, 1200, 1500, 1900, 1600, 2000.

Witt’s footprints (footprint=first floor only) are: 2,449, 1357, 1472, 2099, 2739, 2340, 2070. A guess-timate of second stories would lead us to predict Witt’s proposed homes to be clearly larger — and possibly double or more — than most of the other existing houses on the street. Even his footprints alone are larger than the full square footage of a good number of the surrounding homes. From his rendering of the facades it looks as if the homes will also have a third story (see attached pdf).

“AREA” VARIANCES WITT IS REQUESTING

1) The maximum building coverage allowed on this lot is 30%. The applicant is asking to be allowed to cover 46%, or 52% more than what is allowed. Granting this request would be a massive increase from what is allowed by zoning.

2) The applicant is asking for maximum principal buildings on one lot to be increased from one to seven, a 600% increase. Only five single-family units are allowed by law on this property — BUT ONLY after the property is subdivided. Why is this property not being subdivided? To go from one to seven houses is a massive increase.

3) The rear yard setback required for each unit is 25 feet. The applicant is asking that this requirement be eliminated by 100% for five units, going from the 25 feet required to zero (0) feet. For the remaining two units he is asking for a 76% reduction in the rear yard setback from 25 feet to 6 feet.

4) The front yard setback required for the two front units is 10 feet. The applicant is asking for only a one (1) foot setback, a 90% reduction in the front yard. The applicant claims that this is so “our (2) front porches [can] be placed on the unit.” However, his drawings show that he is not proposing porches, only overhangs.

5) The fence height allowed in this UR-3 residential area is six feet. The applicant is asking for an eight-foot fence, a 33% increase in height over what is allowed. Why is this necessary only for this development? Is the applicant trying to exclude the rest of the neighborhood? A fence this high would create an exclusive walled enclave shutting out the existing neighborhood.

OUR STANCE

-We do not oppose Mr. Witt per se, or that he should develop this property.

-We all agree that the existing building is an eyesore and should be replaced

-But, first and foremost, we contend that this multi-family proposal (he is asking to build 7 homes as “condominiums” one one non-divided lot) requires a USE variance, as multi-family is not allowed in our zoning district (UR-3)

-And, at the same time, we are opposed to the massive scale of the AREA variances he is requesting and of the project as currently designed.

-We feel that the current design and density of the proposal and the number and size of the proposed homes are out of character with this historic neighborhood.

-We want a revised more reasonable proposal MORE IN LINE WITH OUR ZONING LAWS.overhead angle 1.pdf ¬overhead angle 2.pdf ¬heights and facade.pdf ¬overhead.pdf ¬

There was a time when the Saratoga Springs  Democratic Party was a strong voice on issues like growth and integrity in government.  It was not a matter of the kind of vague generalities that have become the pablum of contemporary spin that now passes for political discourse.  The party took positions on contentious issues.

There have been a slew of important conflicts here in the city over issues of development and  threats to neighborhoods where one would have traditionally expected the Democratic Party to offer support for the underdogs.  No more. 

Today, I received a copy of Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee’s newsletter in which they announce that they will be having their annual fund raiser, the Starbuck Legacy Luncheon, at Saratoga National Golf Course.  This is the same operation that has been attempting to open up the city’s greenbelt for intensive development.  This is the same operation that appears to have violated their agreement with the city that included two nature trails and a limit on special events.  Most recently, a suit has been filed against one of SNGC’s principles over the skimming of the wait staff’s tips and the failure to pay overtime.  Based on news accounts, this included the Prime Restaurant where the Starbuck Luncheon will be held.

A sad commentary on what politics in our country has become.

 

[Story from April 5 Gazette by Stephen WIlliams On Panhandling Forum]

Saratoga Springs plans forum on aggressive panhandling

By Stephen Williams May 4, 2016

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A problem with panhandling in downtown Saratoga Springs is growing, city officials said, and a Public Safety Department forum later this month will be devoted to the issue.

The forum is being scheduled as a public petition circulates calling for the city to do something about aggressive panhandling, and a week after a dozen homeless people were arrested on trespassing charges, based on complaints from private property owners.

The number of complaints the city has received about people aggressively asking passersby for money on or near Broadway’s busy sidewalks is increasing. There’s a debate about whether those begging are local homeless, or hustlers coming from elsewhere.

Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen has scheduled a public forum for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at City Hall, which will be devoted to the issue and its nuances.

“There are no simple, straightforward solutions at all,” Mathiesen said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

In a post on its Facebook page following the arrests, the Saratoga Springs Police Department said homelessness isn’t a crime, but those who break laws will continue to be arrested.

Simply asking other people for money is considered constitutionally protected free speech, though doing so in an aggressive manner can become a crime.

“There’s been a rapidly growing number of complaints,” said Mayor Joanne Yepsen. “I’m getting complaints and emails about panhandling.”

Yepsen, who helped start the Code Blue homeless shelter in 2013 and has worked on homelessness issues since becoming mayor, believes many of the problems are being caused by people who aren’t local, and come into the city to beg because panhandling is more profitable in the city, where downtown sidewalks are commonly crowded with people.

“The aggressive panhandlers we are seeing that are really causing trouble are not homeless,” Yepsen asserted.

Yepsen said the public needs to stop giving panhandlers money. The Downtown Business Association is planning to install drop-boxes in the next few weeks where people can leave money that will be used to help the homeless, as an alternative to giving money directly to those who ask.

“Begging is not illegal, but aggressive, touching behavior is,” Yepsen said. “Blocking somebody’s path is illegal.”

The Shelters of Saratoga homeless shelter operates the overnight cold weather Code Blue and a once-a-week daytime drop-in program, but those staying at the shelter must refrain from substance abuse and agree to counseling — something some homeless won’t do.

“A majority of these people are suffering from mental illness. They’re not getting their medication, so what is happening? They self-medicate,” said Michael Finnochi, executive director of Shelters of Saratoga.

Yepsen said her office is working on the idea of a permanent daytime drop-in shelter for the homeless, but lacks a spot for it and is without major private financial assistance.

Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan said she’d be willing to spend the money to put more police patrols on the street, though there’s not yet a cost estimate for that. “I think that’s an expense the city is willing to bear,” she said.

Accounts Commissioner John Franck, who owns a building on Broadway, said he has regular encounters with disruptive people and has witnessed public urination.

“I don’t know what the solution is. I do know there’s a problem,” Franck said.

The May 19 forum is expected to include representatives of the Police Department, the city attorney’s office, Shelters of Saratoga and Wellspring, which offers emergency and shelter services and domestic violence and assault victims.

 

Ex-Mazzone employee files suit over withheld tips

[From Gazette Newspaper of May 4, 2016]

By John Cropley May 3, 2016

ALBANY — A former employee of Prime at Saratoga National is suing Mazzone Management, saying the catering and restaurant giant illegally withheld tips and failed to pay overtime wages.

Attorneys for Julio A. Olvera of Saratoga Springs — who worked for Mazzone as a server and bartender from 2009 to 2010 and 2013 to 2015 — are seeking class-action status in the lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, saying there are at least 50 other people who were treated similarly.

The lawsuit centers on three alleged practices by Mazzone Management in its catering operation and at its numerous restaurants across the Capital Region:

• Withholding 1 percent of tips paid by restaurant customers who had ordered a glass of wine and 3 percent of tips on purchase of a bottle of wine.
• Adding a 20 percent “service charge” to catering bills that customers might reasonably assume was a gratuity for service workers paid hourly wages, but which was not then passed along to the workers.
• Failing to pay 1.5 times the hourly wage to employees who worked more than 40 hours per week.

These actions, the lawsuit charges, violate both New York Labor Law and the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act.

In a statement, Mazzone Hospitality declined to comment on the allegations because they are an ongoing legal matter. “For more than 30 years, Mazzone Hospitality has operated its restaurants and catering divisions with the highest level of integrity,” the statement said. “We take these allegations very seriously and will continue to comply with all federal and state regulations.”

Named as defendants are Mazzone Management Group Ltd. and Mazzone Management Inc.; four Mazzone restaurants, Tala Bistro, 677 Prime, Prime at Saratoga National and Aperitivo Bistro; and two leaders of the operation, father and son Angelo and Matthew Mazzone, the owner and chief operating officer, respectively.

Fleischman Law Firm of Manhattan, representing Olvera, said the amount of money in question, counting the other potential plaintiffs if class-action status is granted, is in excess of $5 million. The lawsuit seeks the unpaid compensation; doubled damages as provided for under state and federal statute; interest; and attorney fees and costs.

The firm did not return a call seeking comment today. But the lawsuit offers some details of the allegations:

• When Olvera questioned the 1 percent and 3 percent tip withholding, he was told to speak with Sheila Burke, Mazzone Hospitality’s vice president of restaurants. She told him it was required to maintain Mazzone’s wine program.
• Olvera worked at events catered by Mazzone, at which employees of other restaurants operated by the company told him tips on wine were partially withheld there as well.
• Customer gratuities for employees earning less than minimum wage must be passed entirely along to the employees.

In its statement, Mazzone did not address the allegations directly, but said its employees are crucial to the company.

“Mazzone Hospitality truly values the contributions our employees have made towards our success, as well as their hard work and dedication to the company,” it said. “We maintain a steadfast commitment to our staff and will continue to provide our guests with the outstanding service and experience synonymous with Mazzone Hospitality.”

 

Commissioner Mathiesen had on his agenda Tuesday night a discussion of the alleged violation of the city’s ethics code by Mayor Yepsen.  After reading his statement that appeared in the Saratogian and was reprinted here, a lively discussion took place.

It is interesting to note that Michele Madigan and Skip Scirocco complained that it had been months since they submitted their original inquiries to the city’s ethics board without a reply.

Having had a similar experience I publish below the response by Justin Hogan, chair of the Ethics Committee on the issue of the board responding.  Basically, there is no limit.

Tony Izzo, who serves as attorney for the Ethics Board responded to a question by Skip Scirocco, that the Ethics Board can only issue advisory opinions and has no disciplinary authority.

The discussion was quite spirited and is very much worth watching.  Mayor Yepsen responded to the peppering of criticisms and questions by the other members of the Council by noting that she preferred to allow the Ethics Committee process to complete its work before commenting further.

This is a link to the video of the council meeting. Double click on the Public Safety agenda item.  Move the timer to 19:22.  It runs to 40:47.

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From:    Justin Hogan [justahogan@yahoo.com]

Sent:     Tuesday, March 15, 2016 6:35 AM

To:          John Kaufmann

Cc:          Tony Izzo; Trish Bush

Subject:               Re: Ethics Complaint

Mr. Kaufman,

Please see the procedures for the Board of Ethics regarding inquiries; section 7, specifically section 7.4.  The board is required to notify the person(s) alleged to have violated the code within twenty business days after we receive the inquiry, not the person who submitted the inquiry. We are going through the appropriate process, met again last week (Thursday) and have followed the code and procedures regarding all correspondence. Following the boards review and due diligence you will be notified within 10 days of our findings.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or would like myself or Tony Izzo to clarify the code and/or procedures for you.

Thanks,

Justin

 

Great pictures and commentary on Sustainable Saratoga’s great tree planting on their web site.

In order to deal with “trolls” there is a new policy for publishing comments.   In future, only persons who register with a valid email address will be able to have their comments posted.

I spoke to Tom McTygue who is president of the Saratoga Horsepersons Association about the recent decision by what had been  Saratoga Gaming And Raceway to rename itself Saratoga Casino Hotel.

A little history: A major part of convincing the citizens of New York state in general and the Saratoga Springs community in particular to allow slot machine/gambling emporiums was the promise to protect and incorporate the horse racing industry into the gaming operations.   The network that supports horse racing in our area is substantive.  In addition to the obvious professions of drivers and trainers, there are blacksmiths, veterinarians, and the farming industry that provides the feed along with the many hands that maintain the horses and their facilities.  The legislation that established these new gambling facilities included requirements that they contribute to the purses for races and guarantee a minimum number of racing days.  The gambling industry was fully aware that they were mobilizing a very large constituency to support them when they accepted these requirements.

Little did our community realize that these gambling facilities would be exempt from local land use laws when the final version of the law was passed.

Times have changed.  In Florida the gambling industry there is pressing to eliminate the dog and horse racing requirements.  Churchill Downs, which is owned by the same company as Saratoga  Casino Hotel, has already been cutting back on its support of the horse racing side of their business.

According to Mr. McTygue, Joe Gerrity, Jr. who was the original principle owner of the local gambling emporium had been an enthusiastic member of the horse racing industry.  He owned a large farm in Columbia County where he raised and trained horses.  Unfortunately, Mr. Gerrity died some years ago and apparently his son does not share his passion.

Mr. McTygue told me that for years the Horsepersons Association had enjoyed a cooperative relationship with Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.  Apparently, this is no longer quite the same.  He was notified two days before the public announcement of the decision to drop “Racing” from the name in the new “branding” campaign.

Mr. McTygue is concerned on several levels.  First, by dropping “Racing” people will no longer know through their name that horse racing is going on.  He notes that the signage by Jefferson Avenue no longer announces the sport.  Second, he is deeply concerned about the future of racing here in Saratoga given this obvious change in priorities.

Mr. McTygue noted that the handle this year is up from the previous year but for Saratoga Casino Hotel, this still means the expense of paying into the purses.

It is little wonder that the horse racing industry here is very worried about the future.

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Jenny Grey’s Story From The April 27 Saratogian

The Racino renamed: Saratoga Casino and Hotel

By Jennie Grey, The Saratogian

Posted: 04/27/16, 6:29 PM EDT | Updated: 3 days ago

The newly named Saratoga Casino Hotel sign graces the harness-track facilities. Jennie Grey – jgrey@digitalfirstmedia.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS >> Saratoga’s harness track has been renamed and rebranded by management determined to compete with gaming around the region, as well as with other entertainment options. Set to open in July, the newly named Saratoga Casino Hotel on Crescent Avenue plans to be a destination location for visitors. The rebranding is intended to reflect the casino’s transformation into a comprehensive, modern place offering something for everyone.

“The addition of the hotel and its amenities, including Morton’s The Steakhouse, which seats 130, creates an entertainment experience unmatched in the area,” said Saratoga Casino Hotel Senior Vice President of Marketing Rita Cox. “Our new brand is a product of this transformation, highlighting that we are a complete entertainment locale within the already world-famous tourist destination that is Saratoga Springs. First-time and repeat guests alike will find new reasons to visit — and to keep coming back for all we have to offer.”

However, the Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association wants to ensure that visitors know there’s still a harness track at the venue, as well as a new hotel. Thomas McTygue, president of the association, wrote in a press release of the group’s concern.

“The decision to change the name of Saratoga Casino and Raceway to Saratoga Casino Hotel is inconsistent with our city’s history and the long tradition of honoring our oldest form of horse racing in Saratoga Springs,” he wrote.

Saratoga Springs’ harness track, first called simply Saratoga Raceway, opened in 1941. Management changed the name to Saratoga Equine Sports Center in the 1990s, to reflect plans to bring in more horse-related activities. The name then became Saratoga Gaming and Raceway in 2004. In 2011, the facility changed names once more to Saratoga Casino and Raceway, connected to plans to introduce electronic table games and increase the diversity of gaming options at the Racino, as the venue has been popularly called since 2011.

Now the $40 million, 123,000-square-foot hotel expansion features more than 1,700 slot machines, electronic table games, the Vapor nightclub, two full-service restaurants with buffets, a casual-dining restaurant, three full-service bars, a deli, and a variety of guest services including valet parking and coat check. Guests will also be able to watch and wager on live harness racing from every room in the hotel.

Despite that racing-focused amenity, McTygue wrote, “By dropping the name reference to the raceway and harness track, it is clear the new management team in charge of running the harness track and racino is more interested in casino gambling and the video lottery terminals than in the sport of harness horse racing.”

Saratoga Casino Hotel is just steps away from the harness track and the casino floor. The hotel features 117 luxury rooms and suites, each with a Saratoga Springs mural on one wall. The premium rooms and suites are named after the raceway’s founders and longtime president Roland Harriman, Dunbar Bostwick and Ernest Morris. Suites feature large bay windows, and many overlook the harness track. The most luxurious space, the 900-square-foot Presidential Suite, will be $700 a night during the summer season.

The hotel’s amenities comprise a lobby bar, Perks Café, an indoor resort pool with a spa whirlpool, a fitness center, an outdoor terrace and a subdividable 3,000-square-foot ballroom for private events.

“We view the hotel as a natural next step for this property,” Cox said. “Racing began here 75 years ago, and we haven’t stopped growing and evolving since then. Our new brand reflects our commitment to providing new amenities and entertainment opportunities for our guests, with racing always at the core of who we are.”

McTygue wrote, “The Saratoga Harness Horsepersons’ Association Board of Directors, representing more than 1,200 members, is strongly opposed to this move to diminish the importance of horse racing at Saratoga Harness. From all indications, this name change is an obvious and deliberate maneuver to turn away from the harness horse racing industry that is economically important to this region, in exchange for the fast money offered by electronic gaming.”

Cox called the new hotel part of the harness track and the casino as an important economic driver in the area. Some 600 employees work at the venue now.

“We take our responsibility to those workers very seriously,” she said. “Because of that, we must continually evolve.”

She said the building of the hotel and the rebranding had to be done to compete with the Schenectady casino.

“We want to offer our amenities to existing and to new customers,” she said. “We want to introduce more people to the venue. Being in Saratoga Springs, with all it has to offer, also helps set us apart. We have racing, entertainment, music and dining here.”

A full-fledged rebranding campaign for the casino is now underway, including a newly designed website that will be live next week. Revamped television spots, radio ads and billboards for Saratoga Casino Hotel will begin showing up in the coming weeks.

As the hotel expansion will create more than 100 new jobs, a job fair will be held May 16 inside the Vapor nightclub from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Openings will include banquet staff, cooks and wait staff at Morton’s The Steakhouse; hotel front-desk staff; and room attendants. Information on the newly created positions will be provided, and prospective candidates will be offered on-the-spot interviews.

See http://www.saratogacasino.com.

About the Author

Jennie Grey covers local schools, business and more. Reach the author at jgrey@digitalfirstmedia.com or follow Jennie on Twitter: @JGSaratogian.

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[From May 1, 2016 Saratogian]

To the editor,

After reading an open letter to the community from Mayor Yepsen regarding her recusal from the Saratoga Hospital’s Morgan Street project zoning application, there are a number of points raised that I feel should be addressed.

Much to the credit of Mayor Yepsen and the other four members of the City Council and as she stated in her letter, the Council did amend the Ethics Code (Local Law No. 2,2015). And yes, the mayor does appoint members to the Ethics Committee. The Ethics code states in paragraph 13-3 I ‘Officers and/or employees (of the City)shall not engage in, solicit, negotiate for or promise to accept work for an outside employer or business who does business with the City which creates an implied conflict with or impairs the proper discharge of his (or her) official duties or results in personal gain’.

In March of this year and much to my surprise, I was presented with information which showed that Mayor Yepsen had been soliciting, negotiating for and promising to accept work for the Saratoga Hospital Foundation during the time that Saratoga Hospital was seeking zoning changes for a new project. Plans for the Hospital’s professional building on Morgan Street had been actively presented to the City at least since last August. Mayor Yepsen began negotiating for a contract as a private consultant for the Hospital Foundation beginning in October. Since October, the Mayor and the Foundation had a number of discussions about her private contract until Thursday, January 14 when the Foundation declared that they were no longer interested in pursuing that relationship.

In my opinion, Mayor Yepsen has violated Ethics Code paragraph 13-3 I. The Mayor should have understood the explicit guidance provided by the recently passed Ethics Code update She should have refrained from seeking a private contract from a business entity that was actively engaged with the City for an action that she knew would ultimately require her vote. At the very least, she should have publicly declared her potential business relationship when the Hospital presented their proposal to the Council and when public hearings and discussions occurred on December 1, December 15, and January 5. It was not until the January 19 Council meeting, five days after the Hospital Foundation informed the Mayor that THEY would not continue to negotiate with the Mayor because doing so could be seen as a conflict of interest, that the Mayor (and Commissioner Franck) announced the recusal.

The Mayor decided to recuse only after the reason for doing so no longer existed. This brings up the possible allegation that the last minute recusal could have been in retribution for the Hospital Foundation’s refusal to grant her private contract. The two recusals have brought the Hospital’s zoning application to a screeching halt. Had she been up-front about her Hospital Foundation negotiations, all of this could have been avoided. This is truly a lesson in the importance of transparency when in public office. Hopefully this will serve as a valuable learning experience for all involved.

Chris Mathiesen  Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Safety

Tree Toga: Volunteers plant 50 new trees throughout city

Volunteer forestry specialist Rick Fenton gives workers tips on how to plant trees correctly during Saturday’s “Tree Toga” program, which is part of Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project. Paul Post – ppost@digitalfirstmedia.com

By Paul Post, The Saratogian

Posted: 05/01/16, 1:00 AM EDT |

A crowd of more than 125 people helped plant trees as part of Saturday’s “Tree Toga” program. Paul Post – ppost@digitalfirstmedia.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS >> The Spa City’s future is greener and healthier thanks to the 125 volunteers who turned out Saturday for “Tree Toga,” an Arbor Day tree planting initiative effort.

Workers planted 50 trees at 29 locations throughout the city after gathering at High Rock Park for a briefing and instructions.

Tree Toga, in its third year, is part of the non-profit Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project.

“This year we planted pin oaks, basswood, hackberry and Kentucky yellowwood,” said Thomas Denny, project chairman. “They’re all large shade trees. We’re trying to get more diversity in the forest. At one time there were only two main types of trees here, mostly elms. When the elm blight hit, there were almost no trees left.”

People could join the effort by helping plant, or by “hosting” a tree along the sidewalk in front of their home and agreeing to water and nurture it for two years.

First-year participants Jim Sculli and George and Patti Tobler planted a tree on Walnut Street with Brad Birge, the city’s Planning and Economic Development administrator, who enlisted their help.

“It’s a fun thing to do,” Sculli said.

“It’s a great opportunity to reestablish trees within the city,” Birge said.

Several years ago, the Urban Forestry Project conducted an inventory of the roughly 5,600 trees throughout Saratoga Springs. They were identified for type of species and their overall health and condition.

Tree Toga resulted in 25 new trees planted in each of the program’s first two years, paid for by money in the city Department of Public Works budget.

This year, that number was doubled to 50 trees thanks to $3,000 worth of private donations to Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project.

Volunteer forestry specialist Rick Fenton gave workers tips on how to plant trees correctly. They were all bare-root stock, making them easier to handle than large heavy root balls encased in burlap.

Workers were instructed to remove sod in a four-foot circumference and dig holes roughly a foot deep. Mulch will be placed around trees in the near future.

City work crews will pick up excess sod left behind at each site.

Denny said trees planted each of the past two years are doing quite well.

“They’ve actually had a pretty good survival rate,” he said.

For information go to: http://www.sustainablesaratoga.org.