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ZBA approves Thorpe variance for shed overhang, board cites rural character
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals granted two area variances to Jerry Thorpe to legalize an existing shed overhang, with the board finding the structure consistent with a rural residential character and imposing no further conditions beyond standard permit closure checks.
Jerry Thorpe, who described himself as a property owner and a member of the planning board, told the Zoning Board of Appeals he sought a variance for an overhang he added to a shed and asked the board to regularize the structure rather than require its removal. "I put an overhang on the back of my shed, which I shouldn't have done," Thorpe said; he asked the board to approve variances so the structure would be compliant.
The board reviewed a planning-board record (noting a September 2 meeting) and a written recommendation that, after reviewing surveys and environmental assessment, the variance request was reasonable. The board noted the parcel is roughly 1.7 acres in a 1-acre residential hamlet zone, lies within a historic-preservation overlay district, and is not in a critical environmental area. Board members described the hardship as self-created because the building was placed within the required setback, but they concluded the existing structure and an overgrown farm field to the north meant the variances would not adversely affect neighborhood character.
After a brief public-hearing period with no objections (a voicemail from a neighbor indicated she was not opposed once clarified which building the variance covered), the ZBA voted to grant the two area variances under section 2‑50 and related measurement provisions. The board recorded the variances as Type II actions under SEQRA and said no further action was required.
Board members complimented Thorpe’s property maintenance and noted the variance will regularize an already-constructed building. The board chair announced the variance had been granted; Thorpe thanked the board and indicated he would appear before the board again if needed.
