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Carmel Board of Appeals grants four variances, holds two after lengthy session
Summary
At its meeting, the Town of Carmel Board of Appeals approved four land-use requests — including a front-yard fence variance and two commercial/self‑storage projects — and held two applications for additional information, after public comment raised safety and animal‑welfare concerns.
The Town of Carmel Board of Appeals on Monday reviewed several variance and subdivision applications, approving four and holding two for further information.
The board approved a 2‑foot front‑yard fence variance for a family at 44 Kelly Road, granted an area variance for a second‑floor enclosure at 14 Sycamore Road, and approved two commercial projects that will consolidate small lots on Old Route 6 and convert existing industrial property into self‑storage units. Two applications were held over: a mixed‑use garage and business use variance for a property on Bucks Hollow Road and a major lot‑coverage request for a five‑building self‑storage project at 100 Bucks Hollow Road while applicants provide more documentation.
Why it matters: The decisions change how several parcels in town can be used and set conditions for follow‑up reviews. The board pressed applicants for concrete financial proof for use variances and recalculated lot‑coverage figures where the town's new zoning code reduced allowable impervious surface.
Votes at a glance - 44 Kelly Road (Medina) — 6‑ft front fence where 4 ft is allowed: approved (motion carried). Applicant cited child‑safety concerns. The family said the fence has been up about three months and that immediate neighbors raised no objections. - 14 Sycamore Road (Ginsburg) — area variance to enclose existing second‑floor/deck area: approved; applicant said the house predates current setbacks and neighbors provided written support. - 61–65 Old Route 6 (Liberty Bell Trucking/Greenpoint Tree Services) — combine two lots to build an enclosed contractor‑focused self‑storage facility; lot‑area variance approved. The applicant said all storage would be inside units and that construction would be temporary; the planning board will review site plan details. - 103 Pigot Road (Bunet subdivision) — subdivide 1.898‑acre parcel into two lots: variance(s) granted after the board reviewed historic plats and septic testing that showed a three‑bedroom home could be supported on the new lot. - 112 Bucks Hollow Road (DeGaspari/garage and mixed use) — held over: the board asked for financial evidence to support a use variance, including operating costs or rental comparisons to show inability to earn a reasonable return under allowed uses. - 100 Bucks Hollow Road (Lemons self‑storage, lot‑coverage) — held over: the board asked the applicant to recalculate lot‑coverage using proposed porous surfaces (pavers, asphalt millings, stabilized gravel) and to show revised imperviousness percentages and stormwater controls.
Public comment and conditions Members of the public, including Stacy Lopez, who identified herself as working at the local humane society, urged the board to consider construction noise and its effect on shelter animals when reviewing the Old Route 6 project. Board members and applicants discussed timelines and mitigation; planners said the Old Route 6 project would not include outdoor storage and that heavy excavation around neighboring sites had been a principal source of the prior noise.
Next steps: Where applications were held over, applicants were asked to supply the requested documents (financials, revised lot‑coverage calculations, and updated site plans). Where variances were granted, the board said written decisions, including any conditions, will be available from the building department and on the town’s public access channels.
