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Rye Brook ZBA approves 37‑square‑foot FAR variance for 4 Maple Court
Summary
The Rye Brook Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance to allow a 37‑square‑foot increase in gross floor area for a second‑floor addition at 4 Maple Court, voting 3–0 with two members excused.
The Rye Brook Zoning Board of Appeals on March 4 approved a variance allowing a 37‑square‑foot increase in gross floor area for a second‑floor addition and balcony at 4 Maple Court, voting 3–0 with two members excused.
The decision allows the homeowners, Vivian Nolan and Sonia Patel, to finish a 37‑square‑foot area between two permitted additions to create storage/closet space. Eric Jacobson, the project architect, told the board the application sought relief from the village zoning code’s maximum gross floor area limit and described the requested change as small and confined to the rear of the house.
The variance arises from an active building permit for two rear additions and a new master bedroom closet area. The village’s zoning code lists a maximum allowable gross floor area of 2,791 square feet for the property’s R‑10 zone; the board recorded the proposed total gross floor area as 2,828 square feet, requiring a 37‑square‑foot variance. The lot is in an R‑10 district and is approximately 11,250 square feet, the board record shows.
Jacobson said the house is slab‑on‑grade, which limits storage, and that the new 37‑square‑foot space would be achieved by raising a short section of shed roof at the rear to create usable wall height without appreciably changing the roof pitch. He said the change would not alter left‑ or right‑side elevations and would be visible only from the rear; he noted mature plantings and arborvitae between the house and the rear neighbor would maintain screening.
Board members discussed the five variance factors required under the village code and characterized the request as de minimis and not substantial. The board also determined the proposal would not adversely affect the neighborhood’s character, drainage, or other physical or environmental conditions. The board’s resolution states the action is a Type II under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, so no further environmental review was required.
The board’s resolution identifies the application as ZBA20Five‑three for property at 4 Maple Court, approximately 80 feet from the intersection of Beacon Lane and Maple Court, and lists the parcel identifier shown in the village tax map as 135.66‑1‑69. The Zoning Board approved the resolution with three yes votes, zero nays and two members excused; the minutes record the roll call as Lehi: yes; Joel: yes; Don: yes. No written comments for or against the application were received and no members of the public rose to speak at the hearing.
The meeting opened with three of five board members present; two agenda items were moved to April, leaving this single application for consideration. After approving the variance and a routine draft summary, the board closed the meeting.
