Emergency Services Complex Site Plan 2025-09-14

🚨 Another Document. Same Problem.
Village Site Plan for $30 Million+ Emergency Services Complex Released—Again, Only by FOIL

For the second time in just weeks, critical information about the proposed Emergency Services Complex has come to light—not because the Village shared it, but because a resident filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request.

This time, it’s a draft site plan—a key document that shapes how the project would look, function, and impact the surrounding neighborhood. And once again, it was not provided to Trustees, staff, or the public before being uncovered through FOIL.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about process. It’s about trust—and taxes.

💰 A project of this size—estimated at $30 million and climbing—will land squarely on the backs of taxpayers. Without a clear financing plan, every household in Saranac Lake faces the risk of higher property taxes or painful service cuts to cover the debt.

📄 Key design and cost-driving decisions are being made without public input or even full Board oversight. That’s not transparency. That’s not accountability. And it’s not sustainable.

The question now is: will this project follow the Saranac Lake way—or will it leave taxpayers holding the bag for decades?

The Pattern Is Clear

• Floor Plan: Released only after FOIL.

• Site Plan: Released only after FOIL.

• Financing Plan: Still missing.

If we have to FOIL for every piece of information, what else is being withheld?

What’s Next

Residents deserve more than piecemeal disclosures and ballooning costs hidden in draft documents. We deserve:

• A clear public financing plan

• Honest discussion of alternatives

• Transparent, consistent updates—not backroom meetings and FOIL chases

It’s your money. It’s your community. Demand answers before this project becomes a $30 million surprise on your tax bill.

[📄 Download the PDF]
(Draft site plan for Emergency Services Complex — obtained via FOIL from VSL)