FAQ's
Please check out the FAQs below. If there is anything we did not cover yet, please let us know!
Visit
Look to the Documents and Forms section on the website. You may also pick up a 6er entry form in person from the main offices of the Village of Saranac Lake, located at 39 Main St., 2nd Floor, in the Harrietstown Town Hall. Or use the online registration available here.
If you are planning a trip to Saranac Lake, there are several resources that you may use as you research for the trip. The website https://www.saranaclake.com/ has updated information on what's happening in Saranac Lake, as well as recommendations on where to stay, shop, and dine. The Saranac Lake Welcome Center, staffed by the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, may be reached by phone at (518)891-1990 and is located at 39 Main St., Saranac Lake. Social media channels, such as Facebook, are also updated with information on the Saranac Lake area. Look to the Saranac Lake ADK page on Facebook. You may also look online to the area newspaper, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, for a list of upcoming regional events.
The Lake Colby Beach is staffed and maintained by the Village of Saranac Lake, and is open seasonally 7 days a week from 10am - 6pm.
The dedicated group of volunteers, the IPW, will determine when the ice in Pontiac Bay adjacent to the Ice Palace site is ready for carving and construction. This is typically within the two weeks leading up to the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, which starts on the first Friday in February and goes until the second Sunday in February. For updated information, look to the IPW - Local 101 Facebook page. The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival also maintains a website, https://www.saranaclakewintercarnival.com/.
The 'black fly season' is referencing a time in early spring when these small, black, biting flies that inhabit parts of this region are hatching and populations swell to a noticible amount. The exact timeframe that this happens varies year to year, but generally takes place over a few weeks in early May to early June.
The fall in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Park is a spectacular time to witness the changing of seasons punctuated by maples turning the bright pigments of yellow, orange, red, and gold. The time when the most trees in a specific area have changed color, without losing all of their leaves, is referred to as peak. This typically happens within the first two weeks of October.
Within the Village of Saranac Lake, and in neighboring areas, there is a wealth of options for overnight lodging. For a guide to options, look to saranaclake.com's lodging directory https://www.saranaclake.com/stay
The annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival takes place over the course of ten days every February. The carnival will start the first weekend of February and last until the second Sunday in February. For more information on the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, go to https://www.saranaclakewintercarnival.com/.
Although there are plenty of great places to go for ice cream in Saranac Lake, some seasonally open, others open year-round, there is one historically notorious spot that attracts visitors to the region. Donnelly's is well-known for its delicious and picture-perfect soft ice cream, served daily from Memorial Day until the stores run out after Labor Day. The traditional style, one room creamery sits off of Route 86, just 3.5 miles from the Village of Saranac Lake. TAUNY has recognized Donnelly's ice cream stand on the Register of Special Places. Go for a cone or a sundae if you're visiting during the summer months.
The Third Thursday ArtWalks take place along Main St. and Broadway during the third Thursday of the months of June, July, August, and September from 5:30 to 7:30pm. This is a collabrative effort among artists, business owners, and community leaders to showcase the many forms of art that the Village of Saranac Lake is home to.
To become a Saranac Lake 6er, you must complete hiking all six peaks, submit an entry form with documented dates of each peak climbed with $15 to the Village of Saranac Lake located at 39 Main St. Suite 9 Saranac Lake, NY 12983.
For Residents
You need a completed Birth Certificate Request Form, copy of a driver's license, and a $10 fee.
Look to the Documents and Forms section for a blank copy of the Birth Certificate Request Form.
You may visit the main offices of the Village of Saranac Lake to pick up a building permit application and get information on where and why a building permit may be needed. Look to the Documents and Forms section for a Building Permit Application.
The Building Permit Application, found in the Documents and Forms section or available for pick up in person at the main offices of the Village of Saranac Lake, lists the estimated fee for submission. This is dependent on the project you are submitting the Building Permit Application for. The range of fees that you may incur is $25 to $200+.
You may keep chickens on your property in the Village, provided that you meet the requirements of Village of Saranac Lake Development Code 106-95 Agricultural uses and composting, Section B. These requirements include, but are not limited to, a lot size of at least 5,000 sq. ft., a total of six chickens per 5,000 sq. ft. lot, only those chickens that are eight weeks or older shall be counted toward the total, coops and or cages are not permitted in the front yard, and chickens are to be confined to the private property on which they are kept. For a copy of the Village of Saranac Lake Development Code look to the Departments section, and then the Building and Planning Section. Any other clifications needed may be directed to the main office of the Village of Saranac Lake, call (518)891-4150.
A completed application must be received and deemed complete 3 weeks before the next Village of Saranac Lake Development Board Meeting. Visit the website calendar for upcoming dates and times.
The Development Board will review potential projects for approval. Projects that require a Development Board approval may be requesting a site plan review, special use permit (minor and major), area variance, use variance, or a subdivision. This is in accordance with the Village of Saranac Lake Development Code.
You may attend a Development Board meeting at which the project you wish to comment on is proposed for potential approvals. This meeting is open to the public, a notice of a public hearing for the meeting will go out at least two weeks before the meeting. Look to the Building and Planning section, the website calendar, the main offices of the Village of Saranac Lake, or to the local paper for the official notice on each upcoming Development Board meeting.
If you are planning a project that involves an addition to an exisiting structure on your property, a new structure, or certain fascade updates, you must adhere to the standards in the Village of Saranac Lake Development Code.
For a guide to the Village of Saranac Lake's zonning districts, look to the Village of Saranac Lake Development Code.
You may look to the Village of Saranac Lake Development Code's Schedule of Use Table.
The regulations for any signage in the Village can be found in the Village of Saranac Lake Development Code.
When a building permit is issued. For clarification and any other questions, the Village of Saranac Lake Code Enforcement Officer, Chris McClatchie, can be reached at (518)891-4150 ext.233 or ceo@saranaclakeny.gov.
If you need to report on a neighboring building that has fallen into disrepair, and the building is located within the Village of Saranac Lake, the Code Enforcement Officer, Chris McClatchie, can be reached at (518)891-4150 ext. 233 or ceo@saranaclakeny.gov.
A building permit is valid for 15 months from the date of issue.
Zoning is the process of dividing land in a municipality into zones in which certain land uses are permitted or prohibited. The type of zone that a property is in determines whether planning permission for a given development is granted.
For anything relating to your village taxes, look to the mian offices of the Village of Saranac Lake located at 39 Main St., Saranac Lake, or call (518)891-4150.
The Village of Saranac Lake Board of Trustees meets the second and fourth Mondays of each month starting at 5:30pm. These meetings are held in the Village Board Room. Look to the website calendar for information on how to access the upcoming meeting agenda.
You should contact the main offices of the Village of Saranac Lake, visit 39 Main St., Saranac Lake or call (518)891-4150.
The Village of Saranac Lake's Department of Public Works will be taking care of any water main breaks that occur within the Village. The damage that potentially takes place because of that break will be worked out through the property owner and the Village, or just the Village for public sidewalks and roadways.
The main office for the Village of Saranac Lake is open the following hours:
Monday: 7:30am - 4:00pm
Tuesday: 7:30am - 4:00pm
Wednesday: 7:30am - 4:00pm
Thursday: 7:30am - 4:00pm
Friday: 7:30am - 4:00pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
This depends on your property's location if you are within the Village limits. Please contact the Village main office, (518)891-4150 for clarification.
See the New York State Tenants' Rights Booklet here.
You can call the Village of Saranac Lake Community Development Director, Jamie Konkoski, at (518)891-4150 ext.235
The main office for the Village of Saranac Lake is located at 39 Main St. Suite 9, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
This is the second floor of the Harrietstown Town Hall.
If the main front entrance to the Town Hall is closed, you may access the Village office by using the single front door to the right (in between the UPS drop box and Rice Furniture).
A blank copy of the FOIL request form can be found in Docements and Forms. Please complete this form and mail or email it to the Village clerk at the Village Office, clerk@saranaclakeny.gov or Village of Saranac Lake, 39 Main St., Suite 9, Saranac Lake, NY 12983.