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Daniel Mendelsohn seeks variance for 160-square-foot addition in Red Hook
Summary
Daniel Mendelsohn asked the Town of Red Hook Zoning Board of Appeals to approve a variance for a roughly 160-square-foot addition that would increase an existing side-yard setback nonconformity; the board scheduled a public hearing for July 8, requested an architect's letter verifying dimensions, and provided a certified-mail memo for neighbor notice.
Daniel Mendelsohn, the applicant for ZBA case 26-02, asked the Town of Red Hook Zoning Board of Appeals on June 10, 2026, to allow a roughly 160-square-foot addition to his single-family house at 130 Station Hill Road that would reduce the side-yard setback to about 22 feet 2.75 inches. Mendelsohn said he had received a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Planning Board but was not told then that a variance would be required.
The ZBA, chaired by Chris Carney, heard evidence that the existing structure is nonconforming under Town of Red Hook Zoning Law: the current side-yard setback measures 23 feet 4.5 inches where a 30-foot setback is required for an existing lot of record. The board identified two provisions cited in the application packet: Section 143-26 A (Non-Complying Buildings) and Section 143-13 A.(4)(a) (classification of non-complying buildings). ZBA Attorney Janis Gomez Anderson noted the property identification number on the Planning Board Certificate of Appropriateness did not match the number on the ZBA application, and board members asked for clarification of the dimensions shown on the submitted drawing.
Board member Kate Karakassis, who said she was familiar with the parcel, asked about traffic near the house; Mendelsohn replied the property sits near the end of a dead-end road and that the only regular vehicle nearby is the caretaker for the Edgewater property. Town Board Liaison and architect Kristina Dousharm and board members pressed for precise measurements. The board and Mendelsohn agreed he would supply a letter from his architect confirming the origin and accuracy of the measurements depicted on the submitted drawings.
The board voted to schedule a public hearing on the application for its next regular meeting on July 8, 2026. Clerk Rubin handed Mendelsohn a certified-mailing memo documenting the cost of notifying neighbors within a 300-foot radius; the board recorded the submission deadline for the July 8 meeting as noon on June 30, 2026. Chair Carney also designated Alternate member Susan Grover as a full voting member for the session.
Procedural business concluded with the ZBA approving its May 13, 2026 draft minutes (motion by George Jahn, seconded by Kate Karakassis) and adjourning the meeting at 7:23 p.m. The board advised applicants to contact Zoning Enforcement Officer Brandon Mullins in the Building & Zoning Office to apply to the ZBA.
What happens next: the board will consider the application at a public hearing on July 8; Mendelsohn must provide an architect's letter verifying the measurements and complete certified neighbor notification per the clerk's instructions.
