Retailers leery of Saratoga city sign

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A proposal to build a 20-foot monument in the heart of Saratoga Springs has retail developers in the area worried their stores could disappear from sight.

At a work session with City Council members Tuesday night, city planners and an architectural consultant suggested that the city place a monument at U-73 and Redwood Road, the town's busiest intersection.

The location, which is also known as the "Four Corners," has been deemed a "Gateway" area by city officials, where shopping centers and housing developments will reside on each corner.

Developers say posting a monument at the location to welcome shoppers to Saratoga Springs is a good idea, but depending on the size and positioning of the sign, the structure could do more harm than good.

"The intersection is an essential commercial hub for the city," said Roy Williams, vice president of development for Phillips Edison and Co., which is developing the area's northeast corner. "As a developer, we have to pay attention to sight lines and any conflicts that any features or landscaping would have. Our hope is that the signage would be incorporated with the Gateway plans."

The monument, as presented to City Council members by Scott VanDyke of ASWN Architects, would incorporate the city's "water bird" logo and use an element of water. Depending on cost, the sign could be made of brushed steel or copper, with recirculated water flowing behind the figure of a bird.

VanDyke suggested raising the structure an additional 5 feet to make the words "Saratoga Springs" more visible to people driving by.

"It needs to be something phenomenal enough to make a statement," VanDyke said. "The original concept was to say, 'It's a landmark."'

But if a property's sight line is obscured, developers might have a hard time getting retailers to come to the area, Williams said. A Walgreens, McDonald's and America First Credit Union are currently under contract to come to the northeast area, but construction dates are pending, Williams said.

"We don't want to jeopardize the ability of developers to succeed in their developments," said Mayor Timothy Parker. "But I hope that they would be willing to step out of the norm here and there and take a chance on having something that ultimately meets their needs in establishing the look and feel for the intersection."