Board tables pool and patio variance at 6 Mountain View Avenue, requests stormwater assessment

The Albany City Board of Zoning Appeals on Aug. 5 tabled an application for an in-ground pool and expanded patio at 6 Mountain View Avenue, citing concerns about stormwater management and the cumulative effect of impervious surfaces near the Normanskill.

Owner Tim Ellis and representative Clark Henry presented plans showing an in-ground pool and patio that would raise improved lot coverage to about 43.7 percent where 30 percent is allowed in the R1-L district. Ellis and staff referenced a USDA soil report and city stormwater mapping, and Ellis played recent video and photos from a heavy storm to show the site draining to the city system. Clark Henry summarized drainage lines and told the board that runoff from the property funnels into a culvert and then quickly empties into the Normanskill.

Board members and staff expressed concern about the neighborhood context: multiple adjacent parcels already exceed the 30 percent limit for impervious coverage, and the parcel sits close to a riparian corridor. One board member urged a “macro” view of cumulative impacts and recommended a formal stormwater-engineering assessment rather than relying solely on existing drainage maps. The board also discussed alternatives such as permeable pavers, which the applicant said would add about $30,000 to the project cost.

With time limited and outstanding technical questions, a board member moved and the board voted to table the application pending a detailed stormwater assessment and additional neighborhood input. The board requested the applicant return with an engineered analysis of how the proposed pool and patio would alter runoff under typical design-storm assumptions and whether mitigation (permeable surfaces or additional drainage features) would be required.