Jacqueline Grant asked the Town of Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals on Aug. 21, 2025, for approval to add an accessory dwelling unit and a second-story deck at 15 Garfield Avenue in Amityville. Grant said the ADU would provide a ground-floor bedroom and bathroom she needs because of an autoimmune condition and that her three adult children would occupy the upstairs.

The board read into the record planning and environmental control memos and a survey and then discussed four planning conditions attached to any approval. Planning staff told Grant the town would require the two tax parcels (Suffolk County Tax Map 0100-170-260.001 and .061) to be merged by common ownership because they are substandard in the zoning district. Grant said she owns both parcels but wanted time to consult an accountant or lawyer about how merging could affect property taxes and whether merging would prevent future construction on the vacant lot.

Board member Perotti asked whether Grant agreed to conditions including that the second-story deck remain unenclosed, that interior access through the entire dwelling be maintained, and that no additional accessory units be created. Grant said she agreed to those conditions but requested time to decide about the lot-merge condition because of potential tax consequences. Planning staff told her to contact the assessor's office for tax information and to submit a written response to the zoning office when she had a decision.

Because Grant had not yet confirmed whether she accepted the lot-merge condition, the board reserved decision and left the record open for her written response. The board said that if she later agreed to the condition the application could move forward; if she did not, the condition would remain unresolved. The board did not vote on the application at the hearing.

The planning memos and environmental control memorandum were entered into the record; a building permit will still be required before any construction begins if the application is ultimately approved. Grant also noted that she had applied for an accessory-apartment permit and a building permit for a finished basement; planning staff said the town monitors ADU permits to ensure continued compliance and that grant monitoring (amount not specified) could trigger annual checks.

No members of the public spoke on the application during the hearing.