Grand Island ZBA denies oversized storage and fence variances on Staley Road, approves six other variances

The Grand Island Zoning Board of Appeals on Oct. 2 denied multiple variances sought for 3012 Staley Road while approving variances for six other properties across the town.

The board refused requests to allow an oversized detached storage building, increased building height, a taller front-yard fence and reduced front-yard setback at 3012 Staley Road, a proposal that drew dozens of residents to the public hearing and widespread opposition. The board approved variances for accessory structures and garage expansions at other addresses and granted a sign-size variance for the Town Tavern on Grand Island Boulevard.

The denials at 3012 Staley Road followed prolonged public comment from neighbors who described the proposed structure as industrial in scale and out of character with the surrounding R-1 residential area. Sherry Kern, a Staley Road resident, told the board, “We will not be boiling frogs,” urging the board to preserve the road’s rural character. Other commenters cited the applicant’s business history and potential environmental risks noted in news reports involving Buffalo Biodiesel and state enforcement actions.

The applicant, identified in the hearing as Summit Majamdar, sought multiple variances including an increase in permitted detached storage area from a cited maximum of 1,700 square feet to roughly 8,300 square feet, raising building height from a cited 21 feet to about 27 feet, a front-yard fence increase from 3 feet to 6 feet, and a…