Times Union article on Siro's Restaurant

I read a Times-Union article in Sunday's edition regarding Siro's Restaurant being for sale for almost a year now and how that proposed sale is adversely affected by the brief time (90 days) the restaurant is allowed by city zoning ordinances to stay open, and the owner's desire (need) to change that. The T-U's Saratoga Seen blog also has an entry on the same subject with some comments.  As both a city taxpayer and a Saratoga Springs lover the situation bothers me.  It bothers me not because there is a disagreement about whether to change city ordinances to allow the famed restaurant to extend its season, just that there is such bureaucracy, slowness, and a lack of creativity and leadership involved with coming up with a solution.  It seems like it's all about procedure and not about solving the issue. 

 

Let me first say I recognize there are neighbors who live on the streets nearby (namely Lincoln and Nelson Avenues, and Frank Sullivan Place) and that they should have a say in the matter.  I also recognize that this issue has many sides to it and it is deeper than I realize (which is why this blogging forum with comments welcomed can be helpful)

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I don't think Siro's should get all of what they are asking for - there are certain things about Saratoga Springs that are delicate and anything near the track certainly fits in that category.  Therefore the answer should lie somewhere in between. With that being said, consider the following:

• Siro's and the area surrounding it could only be described as a madhouse during the six the seven weeks of track season, at least on the weekends.  Any problems the neighborhood residents would have with the place have to be at their worst during track season and I can't imagine how problems could be worse, or even existent, say, in April.
• The current zoning allows Siro's to be open for a total of 90 days - which means without any changes in the law the owners could open up all summer through the end of track season.  In other words the owners already can open all summer long without approval and are presumably looking for simply the right to open during the other 3 seasons of the year.  I am at a loss of how that can cause problems, at least compared to what happens under the current zoning during track season and presumably could happen the rest of summer. 
• The economy is awful, and many Saratoga businesses are suffering.  In fact many former restaurants are now closed and empty.  Yes, Siro's being opened on more dates would technically be added competition, but really how many local restaurants are in Siro's league? Is Siro's competition for most of them? No, we do have some great restaurants here but most of them are after a different demographic.  Siro's is priced higher than all of them except perhaps Prime,  and is higher than even Maestro's, Chianti, or Beekman Street Bistro (incidentally those are all excellent restaurants that I highly recommend).   Siro's will raise the bar and bring high end diners here from the entire Capital region which could ultimately bring even more (repeat) diners here and that means added jobs, sales tax revenue, and an enhanced reputation that Saratoga Springs is a great place no matter what time of the year it is.  That will, I believe, benefit all of the restaurants not to mention the other retail establishments and hotels. 

Whatever the issues are, whether they include traffic, noise, the desired sanctity of the track area, they can be addressed and I'd like to see some leadership on this issue rather than continued bureaucracy and perhaps even litigation.  I suspect that the fact that I am still fairly new to Saratoga Springs and not entirely in tune with the local politics means that I am not aware of a deeper story here.  C'mon Horatio - fire up that ol' I-Saratoga blog and tell us what's happening here. I want to know why in such a lousy economy we can't (quickly) find some middle ground and address all of the issues and have this gem of a restaurant available to be open for more than just 3 months which will enhance its marketability and help bring some new owners into the place. The residents and business owners in Saratoga Springs deserve better than a protracted and litigious fight, which this unfortunately appears to be turning into.

One final thought:  I heard rumor, and only a rumor, last summer that chef Bobby Flay would be opening a new high end restaurant at the Fasig-Tipton facility on East Avenue that would only be open during track season.  Of course Siro's is virtually within site of the Fasig-Tipton location so....do I need to do the math for everybody?  Obviously if there is any truth to this rumor then what I am proposing has likely already been explored by all parties and, as often happens in these situations, they probably couldn't make the numbers work.  Plus the economy likely put a damper on things. Well, as far as the Siro's zoning situation, here's hoping we get some bold leadership (Mayor Johnson, are you reading this?) on this and we get a solution that all sides appreciate. 

Comments

[Mr. Sunshine]

The SS Planning Board is very very conservative; they are part of the problem and should loosen up.

[Matthew]

Dan-

Siro's is located in the "Institutional Horse Track Related District" which, as a Zoning designation in the City has been amended 18 times since the last Zoning code adoption in 1990.

There are no principal permitted uses for the zone, everything that is happens in that zone needs to be approved by the Planning Board. Now, Eating and Drinking establishments (Saratoga Springs Zoning code does not recognize 'restaurant' or 'tavern' as defined in the code ironically, everything is an 'eating and drinking establishment') are permitted for 90 days, of which 30 days must be during when racing is in operation, etc...it is a very long list of things that are permitted with Planning Board approval.

Essentially, Siro's can still get approval to be exempt from the 90 days if the City Council votes to grant the exemption. It appears as though they have now applied to the Zoning Board of Appeals to seek that Board's interpretation of what the Zoning Designation actually means, maybe that board can give them some approval.

Who knows where this is going to go, but I agree with you, we need to be doing everything we can to encourage business, which leads to revenue for the City, and keeping our Restaurants and Taverns open as long as we can, no matter where they are located in the City...I would say though, that outdoor activities at Siro's should be severely limited in the off-season for the residents' sake.

Thanks for posting my ramblings.

[Dan]

Thanks Mr. S. and Matt:

And Matt I agree on limiting the outdoor aspect - like I said the answer has to lie somewhere in the middle.

Dan

[business as usual]

I am of two minds here. As a business owner I can tell you that the winter months right on Broadway are tough enough. For an establishment "off the beaten path" it would be even tougher. Even the best places (let us use Maestro's as an example) have to come up with incentives to keep their tables filled (I think Maestro's has successfully done this by their offerings in January and February). There are many businesses that have all but shut down in the winter months because just paying staff eats away any profits they have.
That being said, just how much traffic or noise would there be from Siro's in the off season months? After the patio closes it would all be kept indoors. So I believe that takes care of the real noise issue. If they keep to restaurant hours off season, that would take care of any late night noise issues. I really don't see the traffic/noise impact on that area. Pennells is open year round in a fairly residential area. Is there an issue there?