Rome zoning board approves multiple variances for homes and hotels, denies gravel driveway request

The Rome Zoning Board of Appeals on June 12 approved a series of area and use variances for projects across the city but rejected a request to permit a gravel driveway at a commercial property.

Board members voted unanimously, 5–0, to allow a homeowner at 6760 South James Street to replace an existing 6‑foot fence with a 96‑inch (8‑foot) fence, exceeding the 72‑inch limit in the RR zone. Dennis Morris, who identified himself as the owner’s father, told the board the taller fence was sought "for noise abatement from 365." The board instructed the applicant to consult the city’s codes office before applying for permits.

The board also approved two area variances for a multi‑building commercial project at the Geiger Hill Road/State Route 825 roundabout proposed by Indis Hospitality Group. Peter Vars, the project’s civil site engineer, said Indis plans two four‑story hotels on a roughly 5.9‑acre site and that brand requirements and site constraints make a taller building "economically viable" and reduce the development footprint. The board approved the height relief for the first hotel (about 55 feet) and for the second parcel (about 48 feet), both of which exceed the 35‑foot/three‑story limit specified in the GB‑SC district. Vars told the board prior SEQR and site‑plan approvals from the planning board were conditioned on obtaining these variances, and Oneida County Planning submitted a letter with no recommendation.

An interior lot‑line adjustment at 8105 Pine Brook Lane that would reduce a pre‑existing nonconforming side‑yard setback from 23 feet to 19.7 feet also won a 5–0 vote. Surveyor Jeffrey Moore told the board the change aligns the recorded line more closely with the physical lot and building locations.

At 6545 Fairview Lane, the board approved an area variance to allow a 9‑by‑18‑foot open front‑yard deck, a feature the applicant said appears elsewhere in the neighborhood. The applicant said the existing small landing was in poor repair and extending the deck avoids placing it in front of a window.

The board granted a use variance to John Francisone to construct a 24×25‑foot storage building at 311 South Doctator in a C2 zone, a use otherwise listed as prohibited. Francisone said he has owned the property more than 50 years and that a larger warehouse sits across the road; the board characterized the location as a unique circumstance and approved the request 5–0.

Francisone’s separate request to build a gravel driveway at the same address failed 3–2. The C2 code requires paved or otherwise durable all‑weather surfacing (asphalt, concrete, turf, stone, or an approved product). Board members debated whether allowing gravel in this dead‑end service stub would set an undesirable precedent; Raymond Tucker favored flexibility given existing gravel conditions, while other members said past decisions require consistent enforcement. The board denied the gravel‑driveway variance and advised Francisone to work with the codes enforcement officer on acceptable surfacing options.

For items that received approval, board members repeatedly reminded applicants to coordinate with the codes office to secure building permits and ensure compliance with any conditions attached to approvals. Oneida County Planning’s communications on several applications were entered into the record and noted as offering no recommendation to the board.

The board adjourned with members exchanging informal remarks about the evening.