July 5, 2023 |
Photo – Triple D Construction – Bigfoot99 file photo
The date of the public hearing for Saratoga’s new subdivision has changed.
Triple D Construction will build a new 8-home subdivision on the south side of Saratoga. Bigfoot99 reported that the public hearing was scheduled to occur during the next town council meeting, on July 18th. The date has been changed to July 11th at 1:00pm. Mayor Chuck Davis said he didn’t want to postpone the approval process any further.
The subdivision will be south of Myrtle Avenue and west of Veterans Street on land owned by Dr. Michael Jansson. Dr. Jansson also owns the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort, among other properties in town. Mayor Davis said the approval delay was caused by a 70-year-old map showing that a subdivision was already planned for the area. The mayor said decades of questionable ownership records required extensive legal investigation.
Triple D Construction Owner Bryan Drake said the question of the previously existing plat set the project back three months. Drake also alluded to objections by the public, but chose not to elaborate further.
During past planning and zoning commission meetings, residents expressed concern about the stress the new homes would put on the existing sewer infrastructure. Drake said the sewer pipes were installed without enough of a slope to move the sewage through the system.
During his presentation to the town council on June 20th, WLC Engineering’s Doug Boyd said every house in the subdivision would have a separate sewage pumping station. Boyd said the added discharge would help move waste through the existing sewer system.
Drake said has partnered with Dr. Janssen to build the subdivision. The Triple D Construction owner said the plan has been in the works for two years. Drake said he put the project on hold while the town and Dr. Janssen negotiated over a strip of land near the site of the Never Forget Park.
Saratoga’s Never Forget Park will be built east of Veteran’s Island. Dr. Janssen owns a portion of land between Never Forget Park and Arrowhead Drive. Having Dr. Janssen’s land would allow easier access to the war memorial. The town attempted to trade a plot south of town for the doctor’s small strip of land. The deal was all but done, until residents discovered the town property was worth $17,000 more than Dr. Janssen’s land. The town council voted 3 to 2 against the land swap.
The subdivision sits on roughly 45 acres. Drake said he could have built 72 houses on the land, but the town’s existing sewer system could not handle the increased pressure. Instead, Drake will build eight homes, each sitting on over five acres of property. The houses, Drake said, will not be cheap.
Drake said he will be ready to start selling the properties once the subdivision has been approved.
The final public hearing on the subdivision is Tuesday, July 11th. The meeting will begin at 1:00pm at the Saratoga town hall.
