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Neighbors press board for floodproofing and documentation as 714 The Crescent variance stays open
Summary
At a hearing on setbacks, a small addition and a replaced deck, neighbors urged the board to require V‑zone flood design documentation; the applicant’s team said the proposal removes impermeable area and adds on‑site flood storage while engineers agreed to file detailed floodplain materials and revised planting plans.
The ZBA kept open a contentious application for variances at 714 The Crescent after lengthy presentations from the applicant’s project team and detailed public comment from neighboring property owners about flood risk, setback impacts and site changes.
Project counsel Kristen Motel outlined three variance elements: a 118‑square‑foot bump‑out addition, a replacement deck pulled farther from property lines, and a minor balcony change. She said revised plans eliminate an outdoor kitchen and remove more than 1,000 square feet of existing hardscape in the rear yard. Hudson Engineering’s Shay Graham said the civil design adds roughly 241 cubic feet of flood storage on site through regrading and removal of former asphalt/boat‑ramp surfaces to improve runoff and create storage pathways.
Neighbors, led by Suzanne McCrory, pressed the board to require that the applicant submit the professional V‑zone (floodplain) design documentation now rather than later, saying the code requires certified design plans and that omission leaves flood‑safety questions unresolved. “The code says these plans and specifications shall be developed or reviewed by a licensed professional engineer or architect,” McCrory said, asking that the record include those materials for independent review. The applicant’s team said they will file the full floodplain development package before construction and that they will engage a structural engineer, but that some detailed structural plans are not yet prepared at this early permitting stage. The building inspector and team said the village uses an external engineer for detailed flood reviews as part of the floodplain permitting process.
Board members asked for precise dimensions for deck encroachments and a clarified planting plan for screening; the applicant agreed to submit updated planting and dimensional plans and noted the matter will return for further review. The hearing remains open to allow the board and outside reviewers to evaluate flood documentation and final site dimensions.
What’s next: Applicant to provide updated dimension tables, planting plans and the floodplain/submittal documents requested by the board before the next hearing session.
