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Zoning board approves second‑story addition at 47 Oakland Place with conditions after review of unpermitted patio
Summary
The board approved a second‑floor addition and associated variances for Jennifer Zaka and Hector Rosencrantz at 47 Oakland Place, after the applicants agreed to reduce lot coverage, screen a front‑yard generator and remove a gravel seating area installed without permits.
The City of Summit Zoning Board of Adjustment voted April 21 to approve a second‑story expansion at 47 Oakland Place that increases floor‑area ratio and lot coverage, subject to conditions including landscape and stormwater reviews.
Attorney James Weber presented the application for homeowners Jennifer Zaka and Hector Rosencrantz. The house, built in 1895 on a narrow 8,500‑square‑foot lot, already exceeded modern lot‑coverage standards. Weber told the board that a patio installed by a contractor without the homeowners’ permit request had contributed to the existing nonconformity; the applicants replaced and reduced other paved surfaces to keep the net increase to 215 square feet of additional lot coverage.
Why it mattered: The proposal included several variances: an increase in floor‑area ratio (FAR), a modest building‑coverage change tied to a cantilever, and lot coverage above the 35 percent limit. The board weighed neighborhood character, the house’s historic facade and the applicants’ remediation steps after the unpermitted patio was installed.
Key details and conditions: The board recorded three primary conditions: (1) compliance with the board engineer’s memorandum, including verification or augmentation of an existing dry well used for stormwater management; (2) screening of a front‑yard generator to meet the city ordinance; and (3) removal of an informal gravel seating area that contributed to lot coverage. The applicants revised plans to reduce impervious area; final calculations show lot coverage at 46.1 percent and the addition will add 314 square feet to the house. The Historic Preservation Commission reviewed the plans and supported the architectural approach.
Discussion highlights: Architect Stephen Hockstein said the addition would match existing cedar shingle siding and intended to preserve the front façade. Landscape architect Andrew Clark and landscape witness Edward Clark explained the revised planting scheme and confirmed the front‑yard generator will be screened. Board members and the board planner questioned stormwater handling; engineer Andrew Clark said the project proposes an on‑site dry well sized to handle the roof and patio runoff and that the applicants agreed to inspect and, if necessary, augment the system.
Vote: The board approved the application in executive session. The motion carried with recorded affirmative votes from seven members; five votes were needed due to a d‑variance for FAR.
Next steps: The board asked the applicants to submit revised engineering drawings and the revised landscape plan to the board engineer and city forester for review prior to final resolution. The board also added the playground/swing‑set location as a variance to be memorialized on the approval.
Speakers quoted in this article come from the hearing record and include counsel, the architect, the engineer and the applicants.
