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Board approves Hurt application after owner says unit is family‑occupied
Summary
The ZBA approved ZBA 26‑23 for 35 Yale Terrace after hearing a neighbor's letter about possible rental conversion; applicant said owner has lived there since 1998 and that the downstairs configuration predated current enforcement. The board recorded approval in the transcript.
Board approves Hurt application after owner says unit is family‑occupied
The Orangetown Zoning Board of Appeals voted to approve application ZBA 26‑23 for Robert Hurt, concerning legalization of interior changes and recognition of existing infrastructure at 35 Yale Terrace.
A notarized affidavit and a letter raising neighborhood concerns were placed in the record. A neighbor’s letter expressed worry that the single‑family property would be converted into a two‑family rental; the applicant’s representative disputed that characterization, saying the owner has lived in the house since 1998, that the downstairs entrance and kitchen existed from earlier permits, and that the intended use is owner‑occupied family use rather than a commercial rental.
The applicant presented building‑department files, certificates of occupancy and a 1959 survey showing the patio/steps and an existing lower‑level entrance. Board members probed building‑permit history, the presence of prior COs, and whether interior areas were previously counted as living space. The applicant said some interior work was permitted in the 1996–97 files and argued the current proposal primarily legalizes existing conditions.
A board member moved to approve the application, noting approximately 862 square feet of existing infrastructure and that corrections to the bulk table should be made in the record; the mover also reiterated that the owner has lived in the house since 1998. The transcript records assent from board members. The record does not show a complete roll‑call vote or a recorded second for the approval motion; the formal written decision should be consulted for conditions or findings.
