Saratoga Springs Looks to the Future

Saratoga Springs Looks to the Future

1949

This document was created by the City Planning Board of Saratoga Springs to outline the future of the city in terms of development, education, finances, and identifying problems. Sections of the document include: a directory of city officials, "Our point of view," the overall picture, conditions affecting city planning, projects for the future, concerns over meeting the cost of development, intergroup cooperation, and a questionnaire.   Skidmore professor, sociologist Everett B. Stonequist, coordinated a survey of Saratoga Springs residents and worked with 200 college students to interview 2000 Saratogians for the project.

Maps and images within document:
Outside cover map: "from the U.S. Geological Survey, 1947. The light brown contour lines indicate 20 feet changes in elevation. One inch equals one mile. Note the relative size of the inside and out-side tax districts of the city." This map displays a blank parallelogram where the city of Saratoga Springs would be in Saratoga County. The principles of life in Saratoga Springs are pointed out in two pyramids (i.e. recreation, schools, hotels, business etc.)
Page 1: two black and white images of Broadway and Grand Union Hotel. "50 years ago" and "Today."
Page 4-5: Graphics: Post-war finances of Saratoga Springs including population growth, taxable values, income (individual and city). Outside and inside sources of city income.
Page 7: map of "The Drainage Saucer." Hand-drawn map of Saratoga Springs indicates the location of the drainage area and discusses the complications of expanding the city outside the limits of the drainage saucer. A cross-section of the drainage saucer is included.
Page 8: "Inside and Outside Tax Districts: Proposed R.R. Relocation." This map outlines the proposed railroad relocation and details the existing railroad lines.
Page 10: "Land Use." This map details land use by 5 categories: commercial, residental, industrial, Skidmore, and deterioration within and directly outside of the city limits of Saratoga Springs.
Page 11: "1949 Land Values: Front Foot Assessments." "Land values affect the development of highways, business, residence, public buildings. parks, and parking space." This map indicates the dollar value of the land within Saratoga Springs.
Page 12: "Persons per acre, 1948." This map indicates the population distribution of Saratoga Springs in addition to highlighting where all the schools are within the city.
Page 14: "City Finances Above Average." These graphs compare Saratoga Springs with surrounding towns and cities for tax rates, taxable property per person, and percent borrowing power.
Page 17: Two maps: "Existing Delaware and Hudson Railroad with adjoining streets" and "Plan for routing through traffic using railroad right of way after relocation."
Page 19: map of "Traffic and Parking Needs"
Page 20: black and white image of "Local shopping center"
Page 22: Pie chart indicating the "Schooling of Saratogians 25 years and over (1940)."
Page 24: map indicating the "Distribution of Children's Court Cases." Maps indicates for years 1930 and 1947 and "both years include neglect and delinquency cases."
Page 27:  Black and white image "Water Works Building." Map showing "The Water System."
Page 29: Map indicating "The Village Brook Drain" that extends from Congress Park to Warren Street. 
Page 33: Hand-drawn image of the "Free Public Library-Symbol of Community Cooperation."
Page 37: "Map of the City of Saratoga Springs, N.Y." by Samuel J. Mott for the City Planning Board in November 1939 (revised 1949).

The introduction acknowledges with appreciation "more than 260 Skidmore College students for interviewing 2000 families in Saratoga Springs and assisting in tabulating the returns." This document is also available at the Skidmore College Library.

Saratoga Room, Saratoga Springs Public Library

Comstock, Carl R. (MD), Chairman
Stonequist, Everett V., Technical Adviser
McConnell, Helen C.
Sawn, Nancy
Daniels, Nancy
Stonequiest, Beryl
Marshall, Joan
Thomson, Fairfax
Mott, Samuel J.

Saratoga Springs, City Planning Board
Saratoga Springs, City Council

Transportation-- railroads
Transportation-- parking
Transportation-- playgrounds
Saratoga Springs (N.Y.)--Schools
Saratoga Springs (N.Y.)--Downtown--Businesses
Saratoga Springs (N.Y.)--Corporation Line
Saratoga Springs (N.Y.)--Broadway
Saratoga Springs (N.Y.)--City Planning

Saratoga Springs (N.Y.)

Property and Development

Infrastructure and Communication

Transportation

Demographics

Education

Civic Life

1939 Map of the city of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (Revised 1949) by Samuel J. Mott

6/24/2014