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Board declares lead agency for 201 Oak Ave. project; applicants present 5‑unit renovation and new 9‑unit building
Summary
The board declared itself lead agency for the 201 Oak Ave. project and provided initial design feedback after the team presented a concept for renovating an existing building to five units and building a new four‑story structure with nine units.
The Planning and Development Board unanimously declared itself lead agency for environmental review of a proposal at 201 Oak Avenue on Jan. 28 and provided early design comments after the project team presented an initial schematic.
Project representatives said they propose to renovate the existing structure on the parcel into five rental units totaling 11 bedrooms and to construct a new four‑story building with nine units and roughly 30 beds. The team showed a conceptual site plan configured on a triangular lot between Oak Avenue and Summit Avenue and said they plan to retain seven existing parking spaces on Summit Ave. The applicant said the rear yard setback would be reduced from the 20‑foot zoning standard to 10 feet under the requested variance due to the site's two front yards and lot geometry. The team also reported they had refined the basement level to provide an accessible unit at grade and to minimize window‑well depth.
Board members praised preservation of the existing building but raised concerns about the narrow courtyard and how it would function as a shared circulation space. Members asked for tighter design integration between the existing structure and the new building, stronger screening of mechanical equipment, more attractive integration of the dumpster enclosure and details clarifying how the additional units would be accessed. Several members said the project's two front yards and corner condition present design and circulation challenges that should be refined before a formal vote.
Board members suggested the applicant take the comments on aesthetics and materials and return with stronger facade and massing studies and with more robust plans for the courtyard, lighting and the window‑well dimensions. Planning staff and the board noted the applicant will need variances from the Board of Zoning Appeals for rear yard setback and parking deficiencies; the project team said they planned to pursue BZA relief.
The board took no final land‑use vote at the meeting but recorded its lead‑agency determination by unanimous show of hands so the team can proceed with SEQR documentation and return with required variance and site‑plan applications.
