Meeting Overview

MINUTES

ZONING  BOARD  OF APPEALS APRIL  17, 2013

 

MEMBERS  PRESENT:

JOAN  SALOMON NANETTE  ALBANESE PA TRICIA  CASTELLI MICHAEL  BOSCO

LEONARD  FEROLDI,  AL TERNA TE

 

 

ABSENT:                                            DANIEL  SULLIVAN

 

 

 

ALSO PRESENT:                   Dennis  Michaels,  Esq.

Ann Marie Ambrose, Deborah  Arbolino

Deputy  Town Attorney Official  Stenographer Administrative  Aide

 

 

 

 

This meeting  was called to order at 7: 00 P .M. by Mr. Sullivan,  Chairman.

 

 

Hearings  on this meeting’s  agenda,  which  are made  a part of this meeting,  were held as noted below:

 

 

APPLICANTS

PUBLISHED   ITEMS DECISIONS

 

 

NEW  ITEM:

 

 

 

WONG

77.10 / 2 / 56; r-15 zone

FRONT  YARD VARIAN CE APPROVED

ZBA#l3-25

 

 

ADDITIONAL    BUSINESS:

 

In response to requests  from the Orangetown   Planning  Board, the Zoning  Board  of Appeals:  RESOLVED,  to approve  the action of the Acting  Chairperson  executing  on behalf  of the Board   its consent  to the Planning  Board  acting   as Lead Agency   for the State Environmental   Quality  Review  Act (SEQRA)  coordinated  environmental  review of actions  pursuant  to SEQ RA Regulations   § 617 .6 (b)(3) the following  applications:  Baked by Angels  Cafe, 3 Veterans  Parkway,  Pearl River, NY 69.05 / 2 / 76; CO zone; and FURTHER  RESOLVED,  to request   to be notified  by the Planning  Board of SEQ RA proceedings,  hearings,  and determinations   with respect  to these  matters.

 

THE DECISIONS  RELATED  TO THE ABOVE  HEARINGS  are inserted  herein and made part of these  minutes.

 

The verbatim  minutes,  as recorded  by the Board’s  official  stenographer  for the above hearings,  are not transcribed.

There being no further business  to come before  the Board, on motionduly made, seconded  and carried,  the meeting  was adjourned  at  7:30 P.M.

 

Dated:   April  17, 2013

 

 

DISTRlBUTlON:

APPLICANT

TOWN ATTORNEY

DEPUTY   TOWN  ATTORNEY

TOWN BOARD MEMBERS

BUILDING   INSPECTOR   (Individual    Decisions) Rockland   County  Planning

 

ZONING  BOARD  OF APPEALS TOWN  OF ORANGETOWN

ny/7x/~~t///J

Deborah  Arbolino

Administrative Aide

 

 

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DECISION FRONT   YARD  VARIANCE   APPROVED

 

 

 

To: Frank and Marcia  Wong

46 Western  Highway

Tappan,  New York  10983

ZBA#   13-25

Date:  April  17, 2013

 

 

FROM: ZONING  BOARD  OF APPEALS:  Town of Orangetown

 

 

ZBA#  13-25: Application  of  Frank and Marcia  Wong for a variance  from Chapter  43 (Zoning)  Town of Orangetown,  Section  3.12, R-15 District,  Group M, Column  8 (Front Yard: 30′  required,  22′  proposed)   to rebuild  existing  stairs and front entry at an existing single-family  residence.  The premises  are located  at  46 Western  Highway,  Tappan, New York and are identified  on the Orangetown  Tax Map as Section  77.10, Block 2, Lot 56;

R-15 zoning district.

 

 

Heard by the Zoning  Board  of Appeals  of the Town of Orangetown  at a meeting  held on Wednesday,                     April  17, 2013 at which time the Board made the determination  hereinafter set forth.

 

 

 

Frank Wong,  Matt Wissell  and Meeka  Van Derwal  appeared  and testified. The following  documents  were presented:

1. Site plan.
2. Design plan  for proposed  bluestone  and cultured  stone entry.

 

 

 

Ms. Castelli,  Acting Chair, made a motion  to open the Public Hearing  which motion  was seconded  by Ms. Salomon  and carried unanimously.

 

On advice  of Dennis  Michaels,  Deputy Town  Attorney,   counsel  to the Zoning  Board of Appeals,  Ms. Castelli   moved for a Board  determination  that the foregoing  application  is a Type II action  exempt  from the State Environmental   Quality Review  Act (SEQ RA), pursuant  to SEQRA  Regulations  §617.5 (c) (9), (10), (12) &/or (13); which  does not require  SEQ RA environmental   review.  The motion  was seconded  by Ms. Salomon  and carried as follows:  Ms. Albanese,  aye; Ms. Salomon,  aye;  Mr. Feroldi,  aye; Ms. Castelli, aye; and Mr. Bosco,  aye. Mr. Sullivan  was absent.

 

 

 

Frank Wong testified  that he and his wife have owned the house since  1968; that the existing  stairs are getting  difficult.

 

Matt Wisse 11,  testified  that Mr. Wong has had issues with his hip; that the current

stairway  is getting difficult  to navigate;  that the ne proposed  staircase  has a more gradual incline with five steps and a landing  and five more  additional  steps; that there will also be a railing that would  help with the stairs and make them safer.

 

 

 

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Wong

ZBA#13-25

Page 2 of 4

 

 

 

 

Public Comment:

 

No public comment.

 

 

The Board members made personal inspections of the premises the week before the meeting and found them to be properly posted and as generally described on the application.

 

 

A satisfactory statement in accordance with the provisions of Section 809 of the General

Municipal Law of New York was received.

 

Ms. Castelli made a motion to close the Public Hearing which motion was seconded by

Ms. Salomon and carried unanimously.

 

FINDINGS  OF FACT AND  CONCLUSIONS:

After personal observation of the property, hearing all the testimony and reviewing all the documents submitted, the Board found and concluded that the benefits to the applicant if the variance(s) are granted outweigh the detriment (if any) to the health, safety and welfare of the neighborhood or community by such grant, for the following reasons:

 

 

 

1. The requested front yard variance will not produce an undesirable change in the character of the neighborhood or a detriment to nearby properties. The additional landing and more gradual incline is necessary for safety reasons for the applicants, and the new staircase will be more attractive and enhance the house.

 

 

 

 

2. The requested front yard variance will not have an adverse effect or impact on the physical or environmental conditions in the neighborhood or district. The additional landing and more gradual incline is necessary for safety reasons for the applicants, and the new staircase will be more attractive and enhance the house.

 

 

 

3. The benefits sought by the applicant cannot be achieved by other means feasible for the applicant to pursue other than by obtaining variances.

 

 

 

4. The requested front yard variance is not substantial.

 

5. The applicant purchased the property subject to Orangetowns Zoning Code (Chapter

43) and is proposing a new addition and/or improvements, so the alleged difficulty

was self-created, which consideration was relevant to the decision of the Board of

Appeals, but did not, by itself, preclude the granting of the area variances.

 

 

 

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DECISION:  In view of the foregoing  and the testimony  and documents  presented,  the Board: RESOLVED,  that the application  for the requested  front yard variance  is APPROVED;  and FURTHER  RESOLVED,  that such decision  and the vote thereon  shall become  effective  and be deemed rendered  on the date of adoption by the Board of the minutes  of which  they are a part.

 

 

 

 

General  Conditions:

 

 

(i) The approval  of any variance  or Special Permit  is granted  by the Board  in accordance with and subject  to those facts shown on the plans  submitted  and, if applicable,  as amended  at or prior to this hearing,  as hereinabove  recited  or set forth.

 

 

(ii) Any approval  of a variance  or Special Permit  by the Board  is limited  to the specific variance  or Special  Permit requested  but only to the extent  such approval is granted herein  and subject to those  conditions,  if any, upon which  such approval  was conditioned which are hereinbefore   set forth.

 

 

 

(iii) The Board  gives no approval  of any building  plans,  including,  without  limitation, the accuracy  and structural  integrity  thereof,  of the applicant,  but same have been submitted  to the Board  solely for informational   and verification  purposes  relative to any variances  being requested.

 

 

 

(iv) A building  permit  as well as any other necessary  permits  must be obtained  within a reasonable  period  of time following  the filing  of this decision  and prior to undertaking any construction  contemplated   in this decision.  To the extent  any variance  or Special Permit  granted herein  is subject to any conditions,  the building  department  shall not be

obligated  to issue any necessary  permits  where  any such condition  imposed  should, in the sole judgment  of the building  department,  be first complied  with as contemplated hereunder.  Occupancy  will not be made until, and unless,  a Certificate  of Occupancy  is issued by the Office of Building,  Zoning  and Planning  Administration   and Enforcement which legally permits  such occupancy.

 

 

 

(v) Any foregoing  variance  or Special Permit  will lapse if any contemplated   construction of the project  or any use for which  the variance  or Special  Permit is granted is not substantially  implemented  within  one year of the date of filing of this decision  or that of any other board of the Town  of Orangetown  granting  any required  final approval  to such project,  whichever  is later, but in any event within  two years of the filing of this decision. Merely  obtaining  a Building  Permit  with respect  to construction  or a Certificate  of Occupancy  with respect  to use does not constitute  “substantial  implementation”   for the purposes  hereof.

 

 

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The foregoing  resolution  to approve  the application  for the requested  front yard variance was presented  and moved by Ms. Castelli,  seconded  by Ms. Albanese  and carried as follows:  Mr. Bosco,  aye; Mr. Feroldi,  aye;  Ms. Albanese,  aye ;Ms. Castelli, aye; and Ms. Salomon,  aye.  Mr. Sullivan  was absent.

 

The Administrative   Aide to the Board  is hereby authorized,  directed  and empowered  to sign this decision  and file a certified  copy thereof  in the office of the Town Clerk.

 

DATED:   April  17, 2013

 

 

ZONING  BOARD  OF APPEALS TOWN  OF ORANGETOWN

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTION:

 

APPLICANT

ZBA  MEMBERS SUPERVISOR

TOWN BOARD MEMBERS TOWN ATTORNEY

DEPUTY TOWN ATTORNEY OBZPAE

BUILDING INSPECTOR-R.O.

 

Administrative   Aide

 

 

TOWN  CLERK

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT ASSESSOR

DEPT. of ENVIRONMENTAL

MGMT. and ENGINEERING FILE,ZBA, PB

CHAIRMAN,  ZBA, PB, ACABOR

 

 

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