Skaneateles Zoning Board upholds code office ruling that 12 Orchard Rd accessory building is a carriage house

The Village of Skaneateles Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously on Jan. 28, 2026, to uphold the code enforcement officer's determination that a proposed accessory building at 12 Orchard Rd is a carriage house and must obtain a special use permit. Chairman Michael Stanczyk said the Board's decision rested on measurements and structural features, noting "the second level here has greater than 600 square feet; the total structure of the total area of the proposed structure is 748 square feet; we don't think it's consistent with limited household storage as defined in the garage."

Bill Murphy, speaking on behalf of applicant Bonnie Dries, argued the upper level was intended for storage and not habitable space, saying placing ceiling joists at 5.9 feet above the floor made the area non-habitable and therefore consistent with a garage. Chairman Stanczyk and other members disagreed, citing the full staircase, a second-level floor-to-roof height of 10 feet 6 inches, and the proposed overall height (noted in the application materials as 21'8.4") as evidence the structure could be used as a story rather than limited attic storage. Member Michael Balestra said the carriage-house definition should capture structures that do not neatly fit a one-story garage and recommended evaluating proposed use and impacts through the special-use-permit process.

The board's motion to uphold the code officer's determination, moved by Chairman Stanczyk and seconded by Member Balestra, carried 5'–'0. The transcript records the meeting concluding at 7:42 p.m.; the Board's action means the applicant will need to pursue the special use permit required for carriage houses under the village code (the board read relevant definitions from the village code during the hearing; a specific citation was not provided in the record).