Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Appeals Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Garden City Board of Zoning Appeals grants nine variances, one matter adjourned
Summary
At its June 16 meeting the Garden City Board of Zoning Appeals approved nine variance requests for home additions, porticos, A/C placements and a gazebo; one application (Rafferty, 64 Second Street) remained adjourned. The board imposed screening and design conditions on several approvals; the chairman recused on one item.
Garden City, N.Y. — The Incorporated Village of Garden City Board of Zoning Appeals approved nine appeals at a June 16 public hearing, clearing a series of variances for residential renovations across several neighborhoods while adjourning one application.
The board, chaired by Michael T. Schroder, granted relief for additions, front porticos and porches, side-yard air-conditioning units, a rear sunroom and a pre-engineered gazebo. Board members repeatedly explained the rationale for approval in similar terms: "I move that the appeal be granted because I believe the benefit sought by the Applicant is greater than the potential detriment to the neighborhood," said Board Member Richard Williams during the Kramer/Leavy appeal at 110 Harrison Street. Motions on the cases were seconded by board colleagues and carried, with voting members recorded as voting "aye."
Why the decisions mattered: the appeals collectively amended building-area limits and setback requirements that govern how close new construction or equipment may be to property lines and primary structures. Approvals included an increase in allowable building area to about 26.4% at 110 Harrison Street (Kramer & Leavy), a combined first- and second-floor addition plus cellar access at 64 Jefferson Street (Parisi), a front portico and stoop at 28 Colonial Avenue (28 Colonial LLC), and a second-floor addition with a front porch at 91 Mulberry Avenue (Robert O'Hara). Other approvals permitted a portico at 19 Princeton Street (Amispell Ventures), the side-yard placement of a single A/C compressor at 57 Dartmouth Street (David & Emily Logan) conditional on screening, a 200 sq. ft. rear sunroom at 127 Meadow Street (Harry & Darlene Simeone), multiple variances for 29 Franklin Court East (Patricia & John Wilton 2003 Irrevocable Trust) and a 192 sq. ft. gazebo at 115 Sackville Road (Tom & Gina Stentiford).
On technical details: several approvals involved modest exceedances of the 25% building-area threshold (examples include 26.4% at 110 Harrison, 26.47% at 127 Meadow, and roughly 28.32% at 19 Princeton). In the Wilton case at 29 Franklin Court East the board authorized a larger building-area increase to 33.3% after board members noted that several attached properties in that enclave have historically carried higher coverage; the board recorded that additional fire-protection measures would be implemented as part of that approval. For the Parisi matter, the board relayed the architect's explanation that the A/C compressors could not remain in the rear because construction of an on-grade patio necessitated relocation; the architect (Daniel Fabrizi, R.A.) told the board he had measured the new clearance at 5.3 feet.
Conditions and screening: the board commonly conditioned approval of side-yard A/C placements and exposed equipment on permanent screening with shrubbery or a wall. For the Stentiford gazebo and the Logan A/C request, the approvals explicitly required plantings to obscure equipment from view. For 28 Colonial Avenue, the board noted prior Architectural Design Review Board approval of the portico and steps.
Recusal and procedural notes: Chairman Michael T. Schroder recused himself from the Wilton matter involving 29 Franklin Court East; the remaining members voted to approve that appeal. One appeal (Michael & Kathryn Rafferty, 64 Second Street) remained adjourned from an earlier meeting and was not acted on.
What happens next: the Board of Zoning Appeals entered formal motions and votes on each acted item; successful applicants will proceed with building-department permitting consistent with the variances and any conditions the board imposed. The hearing concluded after the board approved the final listed appeal.
Meeting attendance and record: the hearing was held at Village Hall, 351 Stewart Avenue. Present were Chairman Michael T. Schroder and board members Christine Rio, Richard Williams, Alex Bachowski and James Van Schoick; Village Attorney Gerard Fishberg and Building Department staff were noted on the record. Court reporter Barbara Daniels certified the transcript.
