Developers seek variance to connect two building masses at proposed 201 Oak Ave student housing

The Ithaca City Zoning Board of Appeals heard a preliminary presentation for a proposed 4-story, through-block residential project at 201 Oak Avenue by Modern Living Rentals and its design team.

Developer representatives said the proposal is roughly 52 units, four stories above grade with a story below, totaling about 95 bedrooms and approximately 43,000 square feet. The team described a triangular corner lot with a private Summit Avenue fire lane and said the proposal would place a courtyard on the south side and break the Oak Avenue facade into smaller bays to meet College Town form-district facade standards.

The design team—identified in the hearing as Charlie (applicant), Mike (team member), and Craig (design/architect)—asked the board to consider a variance to allow a connection between two building masses where form-based rules impose maximum façade lengths (100 feet for row houses, 45 feet for other structures on Oak Ave). The connector at a narrow 5-foot point would make the project a single building under the zoning-length standard; the team said connection reduces the number of required elevators and stairwells and improves exit separation and overall fire safety.

Craig said the connection responds to both building and fire codes. “We’re making this move to connect the buildings, mostly for code and safety and fire access reasons,” he said. Team members told the board they had worked with the fire department and planned to provide an easement on Summit so the city could tow vehicles and treat Summit as an enforceable fire lane.

Board members pressed the team for clearer technical justification. Joe asked why the buildings could not remain separate. The applicant replied that separating them would likely require cutting floors from the back building (to remain under 40 feet without aerial access), adding duplicate elevators and stairwells, and would likely make the project financially infeasible. One member asked the applicant to make the safety rationale “really clear” in subsequent submittals, and another recommended staff obtain formal written comment from the fire department about aerial access and the proposed Summit easement.

The board did not take a formal vote on the preliminary presentation. Members requested that the applicant supply additional documentation: written confirmation of fire-department discussions, more explicit egress diagrams showing elevator and stair locations, and materials/rendering options if the board has sightline or material concerns. Several board members said they were sympathetic to the safety argument but wanted concrete evidence from fire officials.

Why this matters

Connecting building masses can change how a development is classified under zoning and can affect required fire access, egress configuration, and the number of required elevators and stairs—factors that materially affect cost and design feasibility for large multiunit developments.

Next steps

The applicant will return with more detailed materials and the board requested staff coordinate or provide fire-department comments to include in the record.