Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Permits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Elmsford trustees hear request for half bathroom in finished basement at 66 Sky Meadow Drive
Summary
At the Jan. 14 Board of Trustees work session, homeowners requested a special permit to add a half bathroom in a finished basement; village staff warned about permit conditions, possible annual inspections and fines if the space is later rented.
At the Village of Elmsford Board of Trustees work session on Jan. 14, 2025, homeowners Asvalu Ubio and his wife asked trustees to allow a half bathroom in the finished basement of their single‑family home at 66 Sky Meadow Drive.
Village officials told the applicants the village requires a special permit for finished basements and attics because the code has been used in the past to limit conversions into separate dwelling units. Asvalu Ubio said the basement is finished and used as living space with a washer and dryer but contains no bathroom; he said the household does not intend to rent the home to others.
Trustee Rusty Henry (presiding) explained the rationale for the permit requirement, saying the rule was adopted after the village observed unsafe or illegal living conditions in conversions. Henry said the special permit commonly triggers an annual, unannounced inspection by the building department if approval is granted, and warned that converting a basement into a rental without appropriate approvals can carry heavy penalties. Henry cited a civil‑penalty range mentioned in the meeting — a daily fine figure of $1,000 and a possible larger fine up to $20,000 — as part of the warning given to applicants.
Village staff advised the Ubios to schedule an appointment with the village engineer to complete required paperwork for the special‑permit process.
No formal vote on the permit was recorded in the meeting transcript.
