Zoning board keeps record open on West Babylon lot split after neighbor protest

The Town of Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals kept the record open and reserved decision on an application to subdivide a corner parcel in West Babylon into two residential lots.

Attorney David Roth, representing Frank and Nancy Appreya, told the board the proposal would split an existing 16,908-square-foot lot to create a 60-by-100-foot parcel for a new house on America Avenue and a remaining lot containing the existing home on Farragut Road. Roth said the subdivision would require modest setback variances for the new lot and existing house and asked the board to apply the balancing test under Town Law 267-b(3). He said the overall lot area is sufficient to create two legally sized lots without demolishing the existing house and urged the board to consider that the requested relief is modest and longstanding conditions on the parcel would remain unchanged.

The request drew public opposition. Donna Fisher, a nearby resident at 1071 America Avenue, said she opposes the subdivision and told the board it would “ruin the quality of my life,” describe increased traffic and loss of open space and cited earlier problems with the existing tenant. “Now they want to put another house on the property. For what? Me to be what?” Fisher said.

Roth responded that the applicant offered to accept standard covenants, including owner-occupancy, and proposed that any owner-occupancy covenant for the existing rental take effect on the first sale of that property. He also told the board the applicant will provide elevations for the proposed basement per the DEC memo and agreed to keep the record open while those materials are submitted.

Board members noted the application will require additional plan details. The hearing was closed and the board reserved decision pending submission of basement elevation information and the requested plan revisions.

The board kept the record open; no vote was taken at the meeting.