Cheektowaga ZBA tables Empire 1 FCU use‑variance request after neighbors raise traffic, property‑value and construction concerns

The Town of Cheektowaga Zoning Board of Appeals on an unspecified date tabled an application from Kelly L. Sizer, CEO of Empire 1 FCU, seeking a use variance to establish a commercial office on two residential lots at 0 Crisfield Avenue.

Architect Laurie Hower told the board the planned structure is designed to read as a single small house — roughly 1,300 square feet with a two‑car garage and a rear ramp for accessibility — and that the intended use would be back‑office operations rather than a public branch. “It is designed as a house,” Hower said, adding that staff access and parking would be limited and that “public doesn’t come there.”

The board emphasized the legal standard for a use variance under New York law and outlined the four criteria the applicant must satisfy: (1) demonstrate the property cannot yield a reasonable return if used only for permitted residential uses (dollars‑and‑cents proof), (2) show the property…