THE OPEN SPACE PLAN IS BEING UPDATED FOR 2023. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The City is working on updating the 2002 Open Space Plan. Nearly two decades old, the 2002 Open Space Plan provided a blueprint and tools for furthering the community’s vision of the “City in the County.” It included recommendations and criteria for the expenditure of Open Space Bond funds when the City pursued the acquisition of ownership, rights, or interests in land and improvements for active and passive parks and recreational purposes, and preservation of open areas.

The Open Space Plan Update is being developed in collaboration with the Open Space Plan Steering Committee, Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC), City Staff, and Consultant Team, MJ Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. Membership of the Steering Committee includes representatives from the Open Space Advisory Committee (3), Saratoga PLAN (1), City Center Board (1), Saratoga Springs School District (1), Saratoga Spa State Park (1) Saratoga Springs Recreation Commission (1). 

After months of walking the sites, mapping, researching, soliciting public opinion, and planning, the draft plan is ready for public review and comment. It is time for the City to again revisit the future vision for preservation and conservation of open areas and set priorities for the next five years, as required by City Charter. Additionally, city residents will need to determine the future source of financing for open space acquisitions and easements, since the City’s $5 million Open Space Bond fund is virtually depleted.

To read the draft plan, please open the link below:

2023 DRAFT Open Space Plan 2023.03.31

Input to the Plan can be emailed to:

Mike.Dutre@saratoga-springs.org 

Or mailed to:

Open Space Plan

474 Broadway, Suite 32

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

A dedicated project website was created to keep the community informed of the update process, ongoing public engagement opportunities, and to provide ongoing information about the effort.  Although This website is no longer being updated, it contains much useful information, including the results of the public survey and a beautiful collection of open space photos that the public submitted.

HISTORY

“Continuing development within the City has demonstrated a compelling and ongoing need to acquire, improve, preserve, protect, maintain the availability of, and improve the City's remaining natural areas, wetlands, trails, watershed protection land, farm land, stream and other green-way corridors, historical and archaeological sites and areas, significant habitats and ecologically important areas, geological landmarks, public access areas and other similar such open land for active and passive park and recreational facilities, and preserve open areas, to enhance the general quality of life and the environment of the City, and thereby benefit the residents and taxpayers of the City.” 

Recognizing the value of open lands to Saratoga's character, the City Council unanimously adopted an official Open Space Plan in 1994. Building on the important policy recommendations of that report, the 2002 update provides a blueprint and tools for furthering the community's vision of the "City in the Country."  The 2002 update included recommendations and criteria for the expenditure of Open Space Bond funds when the City pursued the acquisition of ownership, rights, or interests in land and improvements for active and passive parks and recreational purposes, and preservation of open areas. 
 

In the past eighteen years, the City has preserved the Pitney Farm, purchased the Waterfront Park, lands along Loughberry Lake, and land along the Kayerdeross currently used by local kayakers and anglers to access the creek – all priorities set in 2002. It is time for the City to again redefine the future vision for preservation and conservation of open areas and set priorities for the next five years, as required by City Charter.