- Saratoga Springs residents express concerns over drive-thrus being built behind their homes.
- Jill Dusek fears noise, privacy and security issues from the development.
- City officials and developers assure compliance with regulations and promise mitigation efforts.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A group of townhome residents are concerned about noise and light pollution encroaching on their privacy after developers started constructing drive-thrus behind their backyards.
The Steele Ridge Development by Colliers includes several businesses under construction near Crossroads Boulevard and Riverside Drive. About 20 townhomes are situated nearby, along Seagull Lane, with their backyards backing up to the commercial development.
Jill Dusek moved into one of the townhomes in September 2022, knowing the empty lot behind her was going to become commercial.
"I looked at the plans before I purchased, and it showed the buildings would be along the street and parking lots up against the fence, and so I thought, 'OK, that's livable,'" she said.
As construction continued, however, she noticed the developers just kept dumping more and more dirt in, raising the land to several feet above her backyard. She expressed concern to city officials but was told the developers had the right to do that with their land.
Dusek initially tried to drum up more community support to speak out against it, but many of the neighboring houses were rentals at the time with renters who didn't care to join her.
Months passed, and then construction began on four drive-thrus along the back of the townhomes. From her second-floor window, Dusek can see straight into one of the drive-thrus.
Dusek attended a planning meeting in March 2024 and voiced her opinion on how the development would be a "nuisance and destroy our privacy" for the townhome residents. She said she and other concerned homeowners were assured by the developer that fences would be placed to shield residents from the businesses and other buffers would be placed to aid the residents.
A 6-foot-tall vinyl fence will be installed on top of a nearly 4-foot retaining wall, which Dusek says won't do much to block noise from the cars and business speakers or stop a car if "someone hits the gas instead of the brake and ends up in our backyard."
Dusek purchased the townhome after getting divorced, but said she didn't plan for it to be her "forever purchase." She is now worried that she won't be able to recoup the money when she moves elsewhere because the development has "ruined our property values."
Saratoga Springs city spokeswoman AnnElise Harrison said the Steele Ridge property was zoned as commercial "many, many years ago," and the city has worked to ensure all legal obligations for both the residential and commercial property owners are being followed.
"The city is being pretty proactive in trying to help these residents address their concerns and working with the developer to address them," Harrison said.
Dusek said she has tried conversing with Colliers, but she hasn't received a response from the company. She said the developer hasn't been "very gracious" to the residents, as dirt has blown into the homes and the area has been flooded due to construction.
"We care about being good neighbors and are proud of the new services, jobs and tax revenue this project will bring to the area. We're open to constructive conversations and are happy to speak directly with residents who have specific concerns," said Brandon Goodman, executive vice president at Colliers.
Goodman said he understands new developments cause questions and concerns to arise among residents. He said the company has worked closely with Saratoga Springs officials throughout the planning and approval process, and they have followed all guidelines for grading, drainage and building standards.
"That said, we always take resident feedback seriously. We've made a concerted effort to be responsive and accessible throughout construction, and we're happy to continue that dialogue. We've also worked to minimize construction impacts and are addressing items like dust control and drainage in coordination with our contractors and the city."
Drive-thru tenants are in high demand, Goodman said, and the project has been "thoughtful" in the positioning of buildings and landscaping to "provide buffers and minimize impact wherever possible," he said.
With so many businesses planned for the area, Dusek is concerned the parking lots will be overwhelmed with long drive-thru lines, and residents will be stuck listening to diesel trucks and drive-thru speakers all day.
"I feel like the city never took us, as residents, into consideration with what we have to live with," she said. "If the city officials lived here, they certainly would be pushing back because they wouldn't want this in their backyard."
Dusek is worried about street lamps shining into the backyards and the lights from the nearby buildings contributing to more light pollution. The developers have said that the site plans passed the required lighting requirements for how much "light spillage" can occur at the property line, and Harrison added that some of the lights will be turned off at 10 p.m. to be considerate of the residents.
Dusek is still pushing for the city to adopt an ordinance prohibiting businesses from operating 24/7 to protect the residents from light and noise at all hours of the night. She said she feels the laws have been bent in favor of developers rather than protecting residents.
"When you have such a young city, there's a lot of development happening, and that's one of the things we balance with zoning and with planning," Harrison said.
