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Dobbs Ferry ZBA grants variances for addition at 29 Bel Air Drive
Summary
The Dobbs Ferry Zoning Board of Appeals approved four variances to allow a small addition at 29 Bel Air Drive, citing functional access and the lot’s undersized dimensions; the board recorded aye votes after closing the hearing.
The Dobbs Ferry Zoning Board of Appeals approved variances Thursday allowing an addition to a single‑family house at 29 Bel Air Drive.
The board granted relief from four requirements: the front‑yard setback (code: 25 feet; proposed: 20.5 feet), a reduced side yard (proposed 4.53 feet), a second side‑yard adjustment (proposed 15.54 feet) and a slight increase in lot coverage (proposed 25.58% versus a 25% maximum). Eva, the project architect for owner Eric Larson, told the board the 0.58% overage represents roughly 35–40 square feet and that the property itself is undersized (about 6,700 square feet in a zone where the minimum lot size is 7,500 square feet).
Eva said the house’s formal front faces Magnolia Drive and is reached by steep stone steps, so the family typically uses the lower entrance on Bel Air Drive. The proposed work would enlarge the kitchen, create a small mudroom for coats and shoes and make the primary day‑to‑day entrance more practical, she said.
Board members asked whether coverage could be reduced; Eva said the design is already tight and that removing about 30 square feet would make the addition functionally impractical. After closing the hearing, a motion to approve the variances was moved and seconded and the board voted in favor.
The board did not require additional conditions beyond the plans presented. The applicant was wished well at the conclusion of the vote.
