Dear Town of Saratoga Board Members,

We, the undersigned members of this community, are writing to express our opposition to the proposed zoning change that would allow wedding and event venues to operate in rural, conservation and rural-residential zones. Proposed Local Law #2 (March 2023) will allow wedding/event venues to operate on a 5 acre or more parcel, 300' from a residence. This translates to any homeowner in a neighborhood enabled to convert their residential property to a commercial enterprise. Suddenly, neighborhood residents are dealing with a business entity in their midst governed by a zoning regulation that allows parking lots, bus transportation, loud noise, etc. Our current zoning regulations protects our Quality of life and property values by prohibiting commercial business intrusions in our neighborhoods.

We believe that such a change would have detrimental effects on the character and quality of life in our community. Specifically, we are concerned about the following issues:

Noise pollution/decrease in property value: Weddings/Events often involve loud music and celebrations that can last well into the night and have been heard at least 1/2 mile away. Property values will decrease.

Traffic congestion: State highways and rural roads may not be able to accommodate the increased traffic that wedding venues bring. This could cause safety issues, delays, and an increase in drunk drivers on our roads.

We believe that allowing wedding/events venues in rural zones is not in the best interest of our community, and we urge the Town Board to consider the negative impacts of this proposed zoning change. Instead, we encourage the Town Board to support our citizens and preserve our peaceful neighborhoods. Preserving the character and quality of life in our rural community is important.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Your Concerned Neighbors