Speaking on open spaces
Open Space Forum invites public to learn group’s progress
SARATOGA SPRINGS >> An Open Space Forum was held Wednesday evening by the city’s Open Space Committee, which invited the public to learn about their initiatives and progress, and to offer any comments or ask questions of their own.
The Open Space Committee is comprised of chairman and Saratoga County supervisor Matthew Veitch, vice-chairman Dave Miller, secretary Bonnie Sellers, Chris Walsh, Jim Martinez, Suzanne Kwasniewski and Tim Holmes, with their senior advisor being Charlie Morrison. The purpose of the Open Space Advisory Committee is to maintain and improve Saratoga Springs’ remaining natural areas, wetlands, trails, farm land, historical sites and other open lands.
The Open Space Advisory Committee was created by the then-City Council in 2001. An open space project had already been implemented in the mid-1990s, which would eventually become Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature).
An Open Space bond, called the Land Preservation Bond Act, in 2002 established the open space project and has been spent over the years for these purposes. With the bond came Saratoga PLAN, an update on the plan from the ’90s. This remains the city’s current open space plan and the Open Space Committee was re-established in 2015. As Veitch said at the forum, the city has evolved significantly in the 14 years since this plan was implemented.
“Things like the casino were not built yet in 2002 and all the development that we’ve had in our downtown area, much of it has happened since 2002,” he said.
In the 14 years since the plan was established there have been numerous purchases in regards to open space. The first purchase with the Bond Act in 2004 was 3.83 acres beyond the Spring Run Trail to use for the trail. The most recent
purchase in 2015 with the Bond Act was the Pitney Meadows Community Farm, which is only a purchase of development rights over the land to preserve it. While previous purchases would be owned outright by the city, the Pitney Meadows Community Farm organization will actually own the land.
When the committee was re-established, Veitch said that “housekeeping” had to be done to adopt a set of rules for the committee. A chairman, vicechairman and secretary were established, and before that, according to Veitch, there was no structure with the former committee. Now, they have redefined the role of the committee within city government, Veitch said.
Once the committee had presented their history and goals, the public was given a chance to voice questions and comments. One member of the public asked whether the Open Space Advisory Committee interacts with the Greenbelt Trail committee.
Veitch said that there has been little direct contact, but both groups relay information to Tina Carton, the city’s sustainability coordinator.
“I attend all of the meetings for the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail and I relay the information back,” Carton said. “I try to act as a conduit between the two.”
Saratoga Springs resident Sherry Gray said she was glad to hear about “pocket parks.”
“Just to have a nice bench under a tree in a little green area, someplace just to take a little break, is really important,” she said. “And it also breaks up the concrete to building that we have everywhere.”
Doug Haller voiced concern about the currently preserved properties being truly preserved, such as if a developer wants to build on one of those lands, it might be “easier than it should be” to make a deal.
Veitch said that the properties Haller voiced concern over would be difficult to actually develop into housing because of the nature of what they are, such as a trail or over a hill.
Going forward, the committee will look to purchase and preserve more land and will actively discuss further plans.