Zoning board approves Elm Ridge addition despite 0.33 FAR

The New Rochelle Zoning Board of Appeals on May 5 approved a homeowners’ request to add living space at an Elm Ridge Drive property, authorizing a floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) variance that will raise the home’s FAR from 0.20 to 0.33, above the 0.30 maximum allowed.

Architect Stephanie Malinski said the owners reduced the proposed addition by roughly 500 square feet since the April hearing to lower the requested variance; she described design changes that removed a two‑story family‑room volume and added landscaping to screen the house. "We are now asking for only 493 square feet over the allowable," Malinski said at the hearing. The board reviewed comparable FARs in the neighborhood and the applicant’s submission and concluded the five‑factor test favored approval.

Chair Erica Azner explained the board must permit only the minimum variance necessary and consider neighborhood character; after discussion a board member moved to approve and the motion carried unanimously. The approval authorizes the addition and related site work as presented; the board recorded no conditions beyond the project drawings and plans provided to staff.

Speakers quoted in this article are from the board hearing record and include architect Stephanie Malinski and Chair Erica Azner. The application is listed as Case 12 on the May 5 agenda; supporting materials referenced FAR figures and neighborhood comparisons supplied by the applicant.