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Board of Zoning Appeals grants variance for EV chargers at Acropolis Cooperative, 110 Columbia St.
Summary
The Ithaca Board of Zoning Appeals voted to grant variance No. 3289 to allow electric vehicle chargers inside the parking lot of the Acropolis Cooperative, a landmarked building at 110 Columbia Street; the board found no significant neighborhood impacts and noted the action is Type II under local SEQR rules.
The Board of Zoning Appeals on Jan. 7 granted variance No. 3289 to allow electric vehicle chargers in the parking lot of the Acropolis Cooperative at 110 Columbia Street.
The Acropolis Cooperative appellant, Jen Beau Care Smith, told the board the landmarked building houses multiple apartments and that “we have 4, I think now 5 electric vehicles and no electric charger.” She said the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission had approved chargers in the parking lot but that the proposed location would be closer than zoning allows, so the co-op filed an appeal.
The board cited site-specific constraints in granting the variance. Member Andre Gardner, who moved approval, described the proposal as the most feasible option given the existing parking configuration and a likely NYSEG utility line routing. Gardner read findings into the record, calling the application a Type II action under the City of Ithaca Environmental Quality Review Ordinance and the State Environmental Quality Review Act and saying the proposal is not subject to environmental review. He wrote that the requested variance is “proportionally substantial” but that it will not cause significant neighborhood impacts and that redesigning the parking would be costly and disruptive.
Board members polled and voted yes: Michael Cannon, Donna Fleming, Andre Gardner, Joseph Kirby and David Barkin. The motion was approved; the board chair told the appellants the board would provide a written copy of the decision and that they could proceed with building permit steps once they received it.
The board and staff discussed alternatives before the vote, including placing chargers on the building (the applicant said landmark rules restrict that placement) and routing power from an existing pole on Columbia Street if NYSEG so determines. Staff advised the applicants to reference the site’s current layout and topography in any follow-up submissions.
The variance allows the cooperative to move forward with permitting to install chargers in the parking lot; the board did not require further environmental review under SEQRA for this action.
Staff note: the board recorded the action as variance No. 3289 and will issue a written decision to the applicants.
