ZBA continues 216 Union Ave variance hearing; board asks for certified survey and impervious-surface calculation

The Mamaroneck Zoning Board of Appeals continued the public hearing on a variance application for 216 Union Avenue on Dec. 5 after the board identified missing materials that prevented a final vote.

Owner Craig Langus and his architect presented a plan to remove a rear addition, restore the original front structure, add a front porch, and build a two-car garage with a bedroom above. Langus said the proposed work would preserve the historic character of the house while making the building more functional for a growing family.

Langus’s architect (introduced to the board as John Scarlato) walked members through photos and drawings. Scarlato said the existing built-out front entry is 18.4 feet from the front property line and that the proposed open porch would sit at 16.5 feet, a change that would require a roughly 3.5-foot front-yard variance. The proposed garage/bedroom addition would require side-yard and combined-yard variances; the architect described the encroachment as a small triangular area driven by the lot’s diagonal property line.

Board members flagged a critical documentation gap: the packet included a topographic plan without dimensional notes that the ZBA needs to verify exact setback distances. The board asked the applicant to submit the certified property survey that was filed with the building department (or a surveyor’s letter certifying no changes) and to provide a detailed impervious-surface calculation showing whether proposed coverage would exceed the new 45% combined building-plus-impervious maximum.

The ZBA consultant noted the application as filed lists proposed building coverage around 18.5 percent but that the full coverage and impervious-surface totals must be confirmed. Staff and the applicant agreed a certified survey (or a certification letter from the surveyor) and an impervious-surface calculation should be filed with the board; the chair told the applicant those materials needed to arrive by the filing deadline for the Jan. 2 meeting (staff gave the deadline as Dec. 19).

Craig Langus described family needs and constraints—he said the home’s limited footprint and one bathroom make modest expansion necessary so his family can stay in the neighborhood. “We have three young children…we would love to stay and continue to be members of the community,” Langus told the board.

With the requested materials outstanding, the board kept the public hearing open and continued the matter to Jan. 2 so members can review an updated survey and the impervious-surface calculation before acting.

The board emphasized that a dated or uncertified survey is not sufficient and that either an updated survey or a surveyor’s certification is required. Staff will notify the applicant of the filing deadline and the required documents.