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Subdivision for mayor’s duplex approved

Neighbors upset as controversial development on Duprey Street is likely to continue

Cedar Ridge Holdings representative Keith Braun, right, standing, presents the latest iteration of the development company’s plans for construction on a property on the corner of Duprey Street and Tara Drive to the Saranac Lake Development Board on Aug. 3. Cedar Ridge Holdings is owned by village Mayor Clyde Rabideau. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

SARANAC LAKE — The Saranac Lake Development Board has approved a request from village mayor Clyde Rabideau to subdivide a property on the corner of Duprey Street and Tara Drive to make way for a new duplex development. The decision was a disappointment for some residents of the neighborhood who hoped the project would be stopped.

The only board approval the project needs now was the subdivision and subdivision variance approved last week. Neighbors opposing the project asked the board to consider their opposition to the project in its vote on the subdivision.

The vote was 3-1, with Development Board Member Allie Pelletieri voting against both the subdivision, and the variance needed to take up the vote on the subdivision, because he opposed the way the subdivided property was broken up.

Development Board Member Adam Harris recused himself from the votes.

The subdivision needed a variance to be approved. A variance is essentially an exception to the code.

The Duprey Street property where village Mayor Clyde Rabideau plans to build a duplex. The converted trailer to the left and cabin to the right will be demolished. The house in the rear will remain. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

In this case, a variance was needed because the developers are seeking to subdivide a 19,563 square foot property into two properties, but the code sets a 10,000 square foot minimum threshold for a lot size.

The initial split between the lots proposed was 11,178 square feet for lot A and 8,415 square feet for lot B. Lot B would have been 1,585 square feet, or 16%, below the threshold, so it required a variance.

After much debate, the board landed on a split of 10,385 square feet for lot A and 9,275 square feet for lot B, with around an 8-10% variance needed for Lot B.

At one point in the conversation, Development Board Chair Donna DiFara said “I’m being Queen Solomon here,” comparing herself to the Biblical King Solomon, who in a famously wise court decision bluffed that he would cut a baby in half to determine its true mother.

Pelletieri felt 16% was too much and wanted the property split evenly in half. Other board members compromised to avoid creating two variances. Pelletieri stuck by this stipulation, leading to his “no” vote.

The plans and the past

The property where Rabideau plans to build the duplex is a 0.45-acre lot at 51, 53, 55 and 57 Duprey St.

Cedar Ridge Holdings Inc. is the landowning company, and Rabideau Corp. would be the contracting company. Both are owned by Rabideau.

Rabideau planned to build four townhouses, then three townhouses, but he now plans to build a two-unit duplex. Neighbors opposed the townhouses so strongly that the developers withdrew previous plans and opted for the duplex instead. Residents said they prefer the duplex designs to the townhouses, but they still don’t want duplexes in the neighborhood. They believe it will change the character of the neighborhood and worry the duplex will be rented as short-term vacation rentals.

Townhouses in this zoning district require a special use permit from the Development Board. Duplexes only need administrative approval from Village Development Code Administrator Paul Blaine.

Blaine said he anticipates the project will be able to be approved within the code, because there’s plenty of room on the plots of land to work with.

“The only way to stop it is if the board stops it, because once it goes by you, it’s gone,” Neighbor Walter McClure told the board.

Building plans for this duplex have not been presented to the code office yet, but residents asked the board to let the unseen building plans influence its subdivision decision. Some board members said this would be inappropriate for them to do.

DiFara said the board approves subdivisions without plans often, but neighbor Si Flores said this plan is all about the building plans. He said they won’t see the lot lines, they’ll see the buildings.

Several neighbors asked the board to wait to see building plans before voting on the subdivision.

Community complaints

Jay Campion, who lives west down Duprey Street from the development site said he’s already been affected by the proposed development. He believes speculation about the project has increased the assessed value of his properties. He said the increased prices threatens to push him out.

Margaret Campion said most properties sold on Duprey Street recently have involved Rabideau’s companies, which she asked the board to take into consideration.

Community activist Fred Balzac said the people living in these apartments would be “evicted.” Development Board Member Bill Domenico said their leases would be ending, but they would not be evicted. Cedar Ridge Holdings representative Keith Braun said they are planning for a phased development, to allow the resident of the converted trailer more time to live there and find a new home.

The cabin must be demolished before Aug. 1, 2023 and the trailer must be demolished before Aug. 1, 2024, according to the conditions.

Balzac pointed out that these are affordable units and there aren’t a lot of those around. If the current residents can’t afford to move back into the new building, he wondered where will they go.

McClure said Rabideau could have fixed up the existing houses instead, but a duplex means more money, and he believes Rabideau is trying to get the most money out of this property. Rabideau has said his goal is to add to the village’s quality housing stock.

“That’s at the expense of us, the residents of Duprey Street and Tara Drive,” McClure said.

There are currently four units on the property, a cabin, a house in the back and a converted trailer with two units on it. The new proposed development would have three units on the property — the house in the back and a duplex.

The cabin and trailer would be torn down.

The property already has too many units on it, according to the current zoning code, but it was grandfathered in. McClure said expanding on the property while remaining in noncompliance should be prohibited.

Favoritism allegation

Several neighbors said they feel the village’s development approval process is “inconsistent.” They said they had to meet certain standards or had projects delayed on their properties that did not happen at this property.

Blaine said each application he sees is unique and some have more issues than others.

Flores alleged that Blaine works on behalf of the mayor in his development endeavors.

“We treat everyone the same. There’s no favoritism given to anyone,” Blaine said. “I think that there’s more attention given to (Rabideau’s) applications to make sure they’re compliant with other applicants.”

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