P A R T   1:  BUILDING  CONDITION SURVEY

The existing structure of the Ballston Lake Emergency Medical Service was built in 1996. It is a two story wood frame vinyl clad sided exterior finish mixed with some stone veneer at random locations. The main floor presently houses public function / spaces, utility / mechanical functions and the ambulatory vehicles. It is approximately 4,570 sq. ft., including the ambulatory bays.

The second floor has bunkrooms, a meeting / office space and an exercise / storage area. The second floor was renovated and finished around 1998 and is approximately 2,055 sq. ft.

The entire structure is a slab on grade with a forced hot air heating/ cooling system fueled by gas.  The system has a zone both at the first and second floors powered by their own Mechanical/ Utility room systems. The building has it’s own water source (well on site) and septic system on site (located at the front of the building). Presently all egress by vehicles access a shared driveway with the neighboring firehouse driveway to a parking lot at the rear, which can accommodate up to approximately 20 cars.

Public and tenant access to the building is mainly through the rear door (off the parking lot) into the existing Activity/ Community room.  The front door (facing NYS Route 146A) is used mainly as an exit from the Activity/ Community room and to give the building a “face” to the street.

1.1   Bathroom at Second Floor

Presently the second floor has two Bunkrooms (men’s and women’s) off a center corridor/ circulation space; in addition the second floor is also used for Office and Exercise.  The need for bathroom facilities is presently accommodated at the first floor; therefore individuals remaining at the Bunkrooms overnight must travel down to the first floor through the “Public” Activity/ Community room.  The Emergency Corp. felt that if space permitted the sensibility of having a bathroom at the second floor was necessary.

1.2   Finding/ Adding Additional Storage (Both Internal and External)

Presently the Emergency Medical Service has a strong need for additional storage.  Supplies from the emergency medical items to everyday “staples” are stored in numerous random locations due to lack of space.  Second floor storage closets (off Existing Upper Lobby) is used for storage of emergency medical technician uniforms at the Women’s room closet and paper towels, cups, “everyday staples items” located at the Men’s room closet.  Both would be more appropriately located at the main first floor.  

At the first floor random locations of office files exist, which are better placed at the second floor – closet to the Office functions.  Existing Laundry room/ Radio room has a shortage of storage space for more emergency medical drugs and supplies. Some of the drugs need to be located in secure environments. Emergency training equipment – when used must be recovered from random closet locations and laid out on tables for use/ training in the Activity/ Community space.

Presently off the Ambulatory Bay area – a small room/ space exists beneath the stair to the second floor, which houses the Janitor’s closet.  It is too small and not efficient.  Some of the janitor supply items are randomly scattered in other spaces/ rooms, such as the existing Storage (Tank room).  This again is a desirable issue and concern of the emergency membership to resolve.

1.3   Relocation of Present Training Facility Space/ Room – Is this Fundamentally Sensible?

Presently the Activity/ Community room also functions as the Training space.  This space functions not only those purposes, but also as a transition area between the first floor/ second floor and interior to exterior traffic patterns into the building.  There is a mixture of traffic flow from public to private spaces (need of second floor Bunkroom individuals gaining access to Bathroom spaces at the first floor, penetrating the Public/ Community space).  This is a traffic/ relationship of public/ private conflict.  Also individuals – whether they are members or the public – gaining access to the building are not segregated – all enter off the rear parking lot entry.

The ability to have private group/ meeting/ activities occurring in this space seems at times to be in conflict with a member who maybe using the Kitchen for their needs or with individuals coming and going out the main rear entrance.  However, all appears to work – due to internal scheduling and the flexibility of the membership.

1.4   Exercise Facility (Room/ Space) – Does its Relocation Make Sense?

Presently the Exercise Facility (room/ space) is located at the second floor.  One must come into the building at the first floor – travel up the stairwell into the second floor Upper Lobby and then into a long rectangular room approximately 15’ wide x 45’ long with two windows at its end wall.  It appears due to the second floor renovation work – conducted in 1998 that the additional floor loading requirements for Exercise activity in this space – suffices.  Due to the large amount of space in this room – other random storage elements have been placed along with a pool table.  Due to the room’s size, layout – it appears not to be used efficiently nor does the activity appear to warrant such a large space.

1.5   Site Traffic Flows/ 3 Additional Parking Spaces

Some members of the Emergency Medical Service have requested SD Atelier Architecture, L.L.C. to look at the possibility of providing additional parking at or near the front of the Ambulance structure.  It is their concern to improve and increase the speed of accessing to an emergency vehicle in less time – if they are arriving “off-site.” This is due to them being volunteer members – on call.

When reviewing the site plan – (EX-SITE) – the present buildings leech field/ septic system is located to the right of the front entry door – out to Route 146A.  The emergency vehicles exiting from the rear parking lot and exiting from the ambulatory garage at times could be in conflict.  Due to the front property width measuring approximately +/- 136’ there was not enough room for the egress access road into the property site (back to the rear parking); hence reason for shared egress with the neighbor Fire House.  SD Atelier Architecture, L.L.C. raised concerns of the present exiting “potential conflicts” and was apprehensive about further congestion occurring at the front yard vehicle circulation flow.  However these were reviewed with the results as noted in Part II and III.

1.6  Verify Zoning/ Setbacks/ Exterior Additions

Formerly the property was owned by Ballston Lake Fire District No. 1; as per map by Stephen E. Lamb, PLS. No 49956, dated 12/21/1991. Originally recorded in Book 890; page 158 and Book 1081; page 100.  The property was then subdivided and sold to the Ballston Lake Emergency Medical Squad with a deed right of way for egress from the Firehouse group to obtain access to their site and parking at the rear of the Emergency Medical Squad Building.

Based on the Clifton Park – town code of 1989; the site is zoned B-1; neighborhood business district.  Two zoning variances where obtained for site plan approval.

A.      Lot Width Variance – Presently this site has a +/- 136.49’ front lot, but zoning required 150’.

B.      Front yard setback was required to be 80’ from Route 146A – Variance was granted for a setback of 40’.  There was also received by the Emergency Squad a Special Use Permit Variance of 500’ notification and a Highway Entrance Permit for shared egress; from the NY State Department of Transportation.  Jay Jamczak – NYS Dot; 584-3790.

The additional site setback requirements are:

                        Side = 10’-0”

                        Rear = 20’-0”

The north setback line is within 12” of the rear North/ West corner of the building.  All other building lines (edges) have no restrictions from zoning setbacks – However the West, East and part to the South are somewhat restricted by the site’s paving circulation structures.  The septic/ leech fields at the front of the site also restrict the buildings edge/ surface to the East.

Presently the rear parking can accommodate approximately up to 20 vehicles, which includes one H.C. parking stall space.  An on site well is located to the South of the rear exit road.

1.7   Fire Protection/ Building Code Review

Presently the building – due to its fairly recent age – is current in most cases to the building code for handicap accessibility and the general building codes.

The issue of the second floor bunkrooms is questionable, and may not be compliant to the Life Safety Code/ Building Fire Code of New York State.  With the adoption of the Uniform Building Code of 2003 – an important component of this new code was the provisions for fire protection; as it relates to sleeping/ dorm/ bunkrooms.  This provision requires full sprinkler protection Through the use of the New York State Variance process – some tolerance may be offered to the membership of the Ballston Lake Medical Service.  Also, the Clifton Park Building Department would have to concur with this agreement, variance.