Rome Zoning Board OKs variance to rebuild fire‑damaged house at 6651 Williams Road

The City of Rome Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 April 2 to grant an area variance allowing Joel Amidon to demolish a fire-damaged single-family house at 6651 Williams Road and rebuild a new single-family dwelling with an attached garage that will reduce the western interior side setback to 24 feet where 30 feet is required.

The variance lets the new house retain the existing nonconforming eastern setback and increase the eastern lot‑line depth from 24 feet to 28 feet. Board Chair John Cerbelo opened the single-item meeting by reading the application and the portions of the Rome zoning code relevant to reconstruction of damaged nonconforming structures and dimensional standards in the AA (airport approach) district.

Applicant representative Dave Sullivan, who identified himself as the builder from KD Homes, said the rebuilt house would be slightly wider than the original but would have a smaller overall footprint because the earlier home included a detached garage that extended closer to the west boundary. "The house is a little wider than the original home, but it's not as big as the footprint that was there because it had a detached garage on the left hand side that was closer to the west boundary than we're proposing," Sullivan said.

Two neighbors spoke in support. Pat Mudry, who said she lives next door on the east side, said, "I have no issues with it." Terry Shank, the neighbor on the west side who is most affected by the reduced setback, said he "has no issues" with the plan and concurred with the applicant.

Chair Cerbelo also read a March 20, 2025 planning department response from Oneida County that checked the box for "no recommendations as to final action." The board reviewed the five statutory standards for area variances, including neighborhood character, alternative solutions, substantiality of the variance, environmental impact and whether the difficulty was self‑created.

Zoning Board member Raymond Tucker said, "I approve the application," and members Lou DeMarco, Jim DeCastro, John Magdaleno and Chair Cerbelo each voted in favor; DeMarco said, "I say yes," DeCastro said, "I'm in favor," and Magdaleno also voiced his support. The board approved the variance 5-0.

Before closing, Cerbelo advised the applicant to consult Mark Domenico in Code Enforcement prior to beginning construction. The board noted the application was presented as a rebuild following fire damage and referenced Rome zoning code section 80-20.3(e) (damage or destruction) and table 80-10-2 (AA district dimensional standards) in its discussion.

The board's approval allows demolition and reconstruction consistent with the approved plans; any required building permits and compliance checks remain subject to review by city permitting and code enforcement.