Dobbs Ferry ZBA Tables 25 Sandrock Deck Variance After Neighbor Privacy Concerns

The Dobbs Ferry Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday tabled an application to build a first‑floor deck at 25 Sandrock after neighbors raised privacy and height concerns.

Property owner David Schack told the board he and his wife, first‑time homeowners, want a deck off the first floor to provide shade and a safe outdoor area for their young children. Schack said the architect advised the proposed footprint is the smallest feasible to accommodate a table and chairs and required footings. “We respectfully request the permission to be able to do this,” he said.

Neighbors who live directly behind the property, Jerry Galderisi and his wife Kathy Galdarizzi, said the house at 25 Sandrock sits well above their yard and that a new deck 12 to 15 feet above grade would allow occupants to look directly into their private yard and windows. Galderisi and Galdarizzi urged the board to deny the variance, describing the proposal as encroaching on their backyard and harmful to privacy.

Board members and the building official noted a discrepancy in sizes reported during the hearing; the plans on file show the deck extending roughly 9.79 feet beyond the existing patio, not the larger figure initially cited by the applicant. The board asked whether a shallower deck or other mitigation — including plantings or extending the patio at grade — might address neighbor concerns.

Rather than rule that night, the board encouraged the applicant to work with neighbors and the architect and formally tabled the matter to the next meeting to allow time for revised plans or a negotiated compromise.

The decision pauses the zoning variance request for a rear-yard setback (from 25 feet to roughly 15.27 feet) and a minor side-yard reduction; the applicant may submit amended plans to the building department and return to the board if a variance is still required.