Glens Falls Zoning Board approves three area variances, accepts negative declarations

The Glens Falls Zoning Board of Appeals on July 21, 2025 approved area variances for three properties after reviewing short-form environmental assessment forms and discussing neighborhood impacts.

The board accepted lead agency status and issued negative declarations under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) for the applications before voting to grant the variances. The actions covered: an area variance for a chemical storage tank at 21 Rogers Street; a use/area matter for a unit at 57 Leonard Street; and an area-variance and fence-height variance at 82 Sherman Avenue, which the board approved with a condition limiting one corner’s fence height.

The board first considered an application identified as Area Variance 25-0003 for 21 Rogers Street. Brett Walters, representing the property owner (tax map number 303.18-8-1), said the applicant seeks a front-yard setback relief of 3 feet from a 50-foot minimum to install a chemical storage tank tied to industrial process improvements. Board discussion noted that the applicant had reduced the product concentration to 27.5%, which a presenter described as changing its classification to a lower hazard class, and that lot coverage would change only slightly — from 79.65%…