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Zoning board grants variance to save accessory barn at 47 Ardsley Road
Summary
The Greenburgh Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously granted an area variance to allow dormers that increase the calculated average height of an accessory barn at 47 Ardsley Road so the owner can maintain second-floor access, provided the applicant obtains all required approvals and begins construction within 12 months.
The Greenburgh Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to grant an area variance for case 2607, allowing an accessory barn at 47 Ardsley Road to increase its calculated average height from the 12-foot limit to 18.91 feet so the owner can add dormers and access the second floor.
The applicant told the board the town’s historic and landmarks board visited the property, reviewed proposed plans and sent a letter outlining materials it recommended to retain. The secretary said she had forwarded a copy of the historic board’s letter to ZBA members earlier in the day. The applicant said the historic panel did not mandate changes and that he planned to reuse reclaimed barn materials where feasible.
Board members focused on the technical effect of the dormers: because of how the town calculates average roof height, adding dormers raises the measured average even though the barn’s roofline already exceeds 20 feet. The applicant said the dormers are necessary to provide safe internal stair access and to make use of the second-story loft.
Committee member moved the approval “provided that the applicant obtain all necessary approvals and file same with the building department. Construction shall begin no later than 12 months after the granting of the last approval required for the issuance of a building permit and proceed diligently thereafter in conformity with the plans.” The motion, which limited the variance to the plans submitted and allowed further review if other boards modify the plans, was seconded and passed with all votes in favor.
The board said written findings would be available through the secretary and cautioned that any future construction beyond the approved plans would require additional variances. The applicant said he was "trying to do my best here to save the barn" and expressed willingness to follow the conditions the board imposed.
The board’s approval is conditional on the applicant obtaining any other required approvals and filing them with the building department; the permit timeline and the secretary’s findings set the next procedural steps.
