Valley View planning board fails to act on Hub Parkway site plan after variances receive no motion

Mayor Matt March presided over a November 12 Planning Board caucus in Valley View where developer representative Sam Messina sought site-plan approval and multiple variances for 7465 Hub Parkway, including additional parking, reduced setbacks and permission to keep an exterior storage container.

The board discussed a proposed change to two parking spaces at the front of the lot and whether they could be relocated to the rear; engineer Todd Sciano said moving those spaces would reduce the requested right-of-way variance from 68 feet to 53 feet. Messina said he would consult with his client: “I’ll need to check with the occupant,” he said.

Board members pressed for tighter landscaping and screening along the roadway. Secretary Marty Johnston said the board preferred a well-maintained buffer similar to the nearby Roto-Rooter property and expressed reluctance about approving exterior storage containers. Messina said earlier trees would be moved to improve front-yard screening and that he would encourage the owner to clean up the frontage.

The specific variance requests described to the board included: a right-of-way setback variance (initially 68 feet, discussed as 53 feet if parking is relocated), a 76-foot variance from the south property line and a 62-foot variance from the west property line for existing parallel parking spaces, and a one-foot width variance to allow 9-by-20-foot stalls where the code requires 10-by-20-foot spaces. The applicant also asked for permission under Section 1252.03(f) to place an exterior storage container on the lot rather than an enclosed structure.

No member of the board moved any of the variance requests or the overall site-plan application. Each request was recorded as failing for lack of motion. Mayor March told Messina to regroup with the property owner and return with changes the board could support.

The meeting concluded with a roll-call motion to adjourn at 5:17 p.m.