SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs newly instituted Mayor John Safford is focusing on one question as he gets more acquainted to his new role: What is Saratoga Springs going to look like in 10 years?
Safford, the first Republican mayor of the city in a decade, is already working on a number of issues facing the Spa City, from homelessness to preparing for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. And he knows that nothing can be addressed without working with his city colleagues — all of whom are registered Democrats — or his county counterparts, of which there is a Republican majority.
At the city level, Safford wants to get away from talking in terms of political parties.
“We’re people who work for the city and I think they’re starting to see that,” he said. “I’m not political in the sense that I’m going to try and get something over on them.”
He said he hopes to show the other City Council members that he’s there for “the good of the city.”
As for the county, Safford said he’s already established a better relationship with the county.
“All the issues that are facing the city are better faced if we have a relationship with the county.”
The mayor delved into a number of topics in a recent interview with The Daily Gazette.
HOUSING AVAILABILITY
Safford said housing affordability is not an issue that is unique to Saratoga Springs and the city is working to create affordable renting options, with a few projects currently underway.
“We’re getting a lot of more affordable housing built here all the time, we’ve had a tremendous amount,” he said. “My concern is young families buying for their future and we are not addressing that right now.”
The average home price in the city between January and November 2023 was $616,238, according to data provided by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
AIDING THE HOMELESS
Safford said the city still needs to plan a presentation regarding the results of former Mayor Ron Kim’s Task Force on Homelessness, which considered potential locations for a permanent homeless shelter. Following numerous meetings, the task force concluded that a 3.7-acre property on Lake Avenue was a potentially suitable site.
“The philosophical discussion we’re having is over what low barrier means and what a housing first initiative really means,” Safford said. “There are a lot of questions as to whether housing first is the right answer.”
He plans to meet with RISE Housing and Support Services, which currently operates a shelter on Adelphi Street, and Shelters of Saratoga, which operates the county’s Code Blue Shelter on South Broadway.
BAR CLOSING TIMES
Safford said he is “not totally committed” to closing bars earlier.
“I could be convinced that there’s a reason to try and do that,” he said.
However, the mayor said that he believes there’s only three locations now that stay open past 2 a.m. — the proposed closure time.
Safford also said that this is more of a county issue, as they control the ability to effectively change the time. Both county supervisors have said it’s something they want to look into and that there may be a way to find a middle ground on the issue.
As for the Downtown Advisory Committee established to better address nightlife issues after the Nov. 20, 2022 downtown gunfight, Safford said he wants to see the committee's work continue.
“The more they communicate together, the better that will be down there,” he said.
STAFFING THE THIRD FIRE STATION
The city is set to open a third firehouse on Henning Road sometime this year and has a grant to cover the costs of 16 firefighters. However, officials remain unsure of how they will cover the cost of staffing when the grant funding runs out.
Safford said the city is currently in a good financial position and he is looking at ways to ensure the city can staff the third station. He also pointed to the third leg of the Triple Crown coming to the city this year as potential to further strengthen Saratoga Springs finances.
“We’re going to fund it, we’re definitely going to find the money to do that,” he said. “Frankly I’m very excited about Belmont coming because it will produce a lot of revenue.”
He said they have some time to project the costs.
BELMONT IN THE SPA CITY
The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will take place at Saratoga Race Course from June 6 to June 9, but the city and surrounding communities are gearing up to celebrate with events all week long.
Safford has created an advisory committee of city and county officials, as well as a number of organizations like Discover Saratoga and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, to discuss how to best handle the crowds that are anticipated from the event and make sure there are other activities for people leading up to the four-day event.
“It’s the mayor’s responsibility to have relationships with the county and the other communities in this area, so I’m going to concentrate on making this workable and functionable for everybody,” he said.
TOURISM PARKING PROGRAM
Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub has proposed a plan to charge for parking in city-owned-and-maintained garages and lots from May to September. Residents would not need to pay for street parking.
While Safford said he hasn’t been fully briefed on the tourism parking program, he wants to find a way to ensure the parking garages are well kept.
“I am interested in making sure the parking garages are maintained properly and right now we don’t have a good budget to maintain those, so a source of revenue to make sure they’re safe is important to me,” he said.
TRUCK TRAFFIC
Large commercial trucks zipping down roads in the city has become an increasing issue over the years. The Capital Region Transportation Council is currently doing a truck traffic study.
Safford said he empathizes with people who have historic homes and have to deal with trucks rumbling down the narrow streets and shaking their homes.
He said he hopes the city can work with the state to find a solution.
He said he will also work with Bill McTygue from the city Planning Board to look at possible solutions. McTygue has suggested the city look at building a bypass at the southern end of the Saratoga Spa State Park that connects Routes 50 and 9.
Safford said there have been attempts to address truck traffic over the last 40 years and he is currently reviewing those prior actions.
“These are state roads and our local laws cannot supersede state transportation laws,” he said.
POLICE REFORM
Safford said he supports the decision to hire an outside agency to review where the police department stands on completing the 50-point reinvention plan.
“I am 100% in favor of that. I think it will bring a level of transparency,” he said. “As far as I know, our police department has already implemented 35 of them.”
SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATION
Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran has been looking into creating a short-term rental registry to enable the city to track how many short-term rentals are in the area. There have also been discussions about possible regulations for such properties in order to ensure safety and that people staying in the rentals aren’t disturbing others in the neighborhoods. Safford said any sort of regulation would need City Council approval. He said he also wants to see more public comment before anything is voted on.
“I think a big concern is corporations coming and taking over homes to make into short-term rentals.”