Neighbors press board over parking, fire access for proposed 6-unit rebuild at 18–20 Stowe Ave

Dan Carlin of Hudson Valley Home Restoration presented plans to reconstruct a six-unit residential building at 18–20 Stowe Avenue after the prior building burned. He said the applicant attempted to replace the prior six-unit footprint and had retained a civil engineer and plans addressing prior staff comments.

Neighbor Matthew Hogan, who lives on Prince Street, urged the board to consider parking, traffic and emergency access: “My concern with that property is the fact that there's 0 parking,” he said, describing narrow one‑way streets, icy winter conditions and a 10-foot access at the rear he said could block fire access. Hogan also said the neighborhood has limited on-street parking and flagged concerns about increased traffic from nearby developments.

Carlin replied that the lot historically held six units, that the applicant had proposed a narrow driveway in back but that driveway might be removed because it is tight, and that he believed zoning did not require parking for the proposed building. Staff confirmed the fire department had no outstanding concerns and recommended adjustments to window sizing per the staff recommendation. The board declared the application complete, recognized the item as an unlisted or Type II action as appropriate, and scheduled a hearing for June 17.