Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties wants to build 28 multi-family condominum units on Baybridge Drive off Bay Road in Queensbury. The not-for-profit is scheduled to go before the town Planning Board on Tuesday, March 25 for initial site plan review.
They plan two buildings — a one-story with eight condominium units and a two-story with 20 units, Executive Director George Earle told The Chronicle.
He said that for financial reasons they’ll pursue the smaller building first.
Mr. Earle said that, depending on Habitat’s market studies, they expect to focus on two- and three-bedroom condos that are more amenable to families looking to build equity through home ownership.
“Our objective is really to change the model of how we service the community, and get to where we’re doing double-digit homes per year, instead of onesie-twosie,” Mr. Earle told The Chronicle last July.
“This project is part of that stepping stone plan to get there.”
Habitat paused efforts last summer to develop the engineering plans needed to go before the Town of Queensbury.
The site had been approved for a multi-unit senior housing project by developer Daniel Valente of Legacy Holding LLC. But the new Habitat plan needed its own review, Mr. Earle said they learned.
Habitat for Humanity’s Website says its mission “to provide opportunities for homeownership to families with an income of 50-80% of the area median, ability to pay an affordable mortgage, and willingness to partner through sweat equity.”
Habitat advocates for ownership, while the affordable housing model traditionally “leans toward rentals,” Mr. Feldman said at the time.
He said then his thinking was: “Why help one or two families a year, which has been our model so far. Is there a way we can do 100?”
Mr. Earle says that’s what is motivating the local Habitat now.
“Everywhere you look,” he said, “there are housing issues. We know, if we build it they will come, and we know we want to build faster than we have been.
“It doesn’t mean we’re walking away from single houses. We want to figure out how to scale our organization so we can do much more than one or two a year.
“A lot of the affiliates are looking at ways to have broader impact, to serve more families.”
“What I call the barn raising model of getting everybody together with the new homeowner, and stick building the house, it seems like there’s less and less of that.
“People are trying to figure out ways to build more houses faster, whether it’s things like condominiums or modular homes, exploring other avenues. And we’re certainly trying to do that too.”
The current project includes parking, utilities, lighting, landscaping and stormwater management facilities.
Documents were filed by project manager Steven R. Wilson of Bohler Engineering of Rochester, on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties.
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