Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Setback Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Zoning board approves 15-foot front-yard setback variance for Wheeler Drive lot
Summary
The Clifton Park Zoning Board of Appeals approved a 15-foot front-yard setback variance for a Wheeler Drive lot, allowing a proposed house to sit 35 feet from the front property line instead of the required 50 feet; the board cited lot constraints, drainage easements and slope conditions in a unanimous 6–0 vote.
At a meeting of the Clifton Park Zoning Board of Appeals, members voted 6–0 to grant a 15-foot front-yard setback variance that will allow a proposed house on a Wheeler Drive lot to be sited 35 feet from the front property line instead of the 50 feet required by town code.
Joe Danal, the applicant's agent, told the board the lot is constrained by sewer and drainage easements and a steep ravine at the rear. “We are looking for a 15-foot relief from a 50-foot front yard setback,” Danal said, adding the proposal pulls the house away from the slope to provide a usable backyard and to avoid costly stabilization work.
Pamela Young, who said she purchased the lot in 1998 to preserve privacy for her home, told the board she is now seeking to build for a family member. “We purchased it in 1998 to keep our privacy for that home behind the vacant lot. We just wanted it as part of our parcel and now we have the opportunity of building a home for my daughter,” Young said.
Board members discussed the variance criteria, including neighborhood character, feasibility of alternatives and environmental impact. Member Mr. Klein said he did not think the variance would create an undesirable change and that there was no feasible alternative for the applicant. “I believe this is in the best interest of the neighborhood and the applicant,” he said.
Staff noted the application is a Type II action with no required Saratoga County Planning Board review and that the required legal notices had been posted; no pre-meeting public inquiries were reported. After board discussion a motion to approve the area variance as requested was seconded and carried. The roll call vote recorded six yes votes: Mr. Dudik, Mr. Brock, Mr. FBO, Mr. Klein, Mr. Styles and Mr. Shu.
The variance allows the applicant to proceed with plans as presented; no additional county-level review was required, and the board closed the public hearing before voting.
