Meeting Overview

 

MINUTES

ZONING  BOARD  OF APPEALS MARCH  20. 2013

 

MEMBERS  PRESENT:

 

 

DANIEL  SULLIVAN JOAN  SALOMON NANETTE  ALBANESE

LEONARD  FEROLDI,  ALTERNATE

 

 

ABSENT:                                    PATRICIA  CASTELLI MICHAEL  BOSCO

 

 

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:

 

 

PUBLISHED   ITEMS

 

 

APPLICANTS                                                      DECISIONS NEW  ITEM:

 

 

 

TAPPAN  GOLF RANGE SIGNAGE  & LOCATION

74.19 I 1  I I; LI zone

SIGNAGE  APPROVED ASMODIFED

ZBA#l3-20

 

 

 

 

 

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 motion  duly made, seconded  and carried,  the meeting  was adjourned  at  8:00 P.M.

 

Dated:  March  20, 2013

 

ZONING  BOARD  OF APPEALS TOWN  OF ORANGETOWN

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTION:

By~

Deborah  Arbo lino

Administrative   Aide

 

APPLICANT

TOWN ATTORNEY

DEPUTY TOWN ATTORNEY ASSESSOR

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT SUPERV1SOR

TO\VN BOARD MEMBERS

BUILDING INSPECTOR (Individual Decisions)

DEPT.  of ENVIRONMENTAL      MGMT.  and  ENGINEERING Rockland   County   Planning

 

 

 

 

 

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DECISION

SIGN SIZE APPROVED; SIGN LOCATION APPROVED AS MODIFIED

 

 

 

To: Donald  Brenner  (Tappan   Golf)

4 Independence  A venue

Tappan,  New York  10983

ZBA # 13-20

Date:  March  20, 2013

 

 

FROM:  ZONING  BOARD  OF APPEALS:   Town of Orangetown

 

 

ZBA#  13-20: Application  of  Tappan  Golf Range for variances  from Chapter  43 (Zoning) Town  of Orangetown,   Section 3.11, LI District,  Column  5, # 7 ( 60 sq. ft. sign permitted,

139.2  sq. ft. existing  & proposed),  and from Column  5 #8 ( 30′  setback from front lot

line required,  O’, 3.6′  and 4.3′  existing)  for three existing  signs. The business  is located at

• 116-118 Route 303, Tappan, New York  and are identified  on the Orangetown  Tax Map as Section   74.19, Block  1, Lot I; LI zoning district.

 

 

 

Heard  by the Zoning  Board  of Appeals  of the Town of Orangetown  at a meeting  held on

Wednesday,   March 20, 2013 at which time the Board  made the determination  hereinafter set forth,

 

 

 

Donald  Brenner,  Attorney,  appeared  and testified. The following  documents  were presented:

1. Site plan dated 11/14/2012  signed and sealed by William  Youngblood,  L.S. with location  of signs.
2. Sign setback table prepared  by William  Youngblood,  L.S ..
3. A letter dated February  22, 2013 from the County  of Rockland  Department  of

Planning  signed by Thomas  B. Vanderbeek,  Commissioner   of Planning.

4. A letter dated March  5, 2013 from the State of New York Department  of

Transportation   signed by Mary Jo Russo,  P.E., Rockland  County Permit  Engineer.

5. A letter dated March  13, 2013 from the County  of Rockland  Department  of

Highways  signed by Sonny Lin, P .E ..

 

 

Mr. Sullivan,  Chairman,  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,  Mr. Sullivan   moved  for a Board  determination  that the foregoing  application  is a Type II action exempt  from the State Environmental   Quality  Review Act (SEQRA), pursuant  to SEQRA Regulations   §617.5 (c) (7}; which  does not require  SEQRA environmental  review.  The motion  was seconded  by Ms. Salomon  and carried as follows: Mr. Sullivan,  aye; Ms.  Salomon,  aye; Ms. Albanese,  aye; and Mr. Feroldi,  aye. Ms. Castelli  and Mr. Bosco  were absent.

 

 

 

Donald  Brenner,  Attorney,  testified  that these  signs have existed  for years; that the golf range was built in 1990 and his client purchased  it in 2001;  that sign B does not interfere with the letter  from the County;  that signs A & Care  really traffic  signs; that they  show the location  for people  traveling  along  at higher  speeds  along Route 303; that those two signs could be moved back; that the lot is extremely  large, 24 acres ofland;   that it could be carved up into two acre lots and that would  allow for more  signage;  that there is a driving  range, batting range, miniature  golf, a track and a refreshment  area; that the signs are not large for the amount  of property  that they serve; and that sign Bis  15.8′ high.

 

 

 

 

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Tappan  Golf signs

ZBA#13-20

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 ofNew   York was received.

 

 

Mr. Sullivan  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   sign size and sign setback  variances,  as modified  by moving  signs A

& C back to 1 O’  setback,  will not produce  an undesirable  change  in the character  of the neighborhood   or a detriment  to nearby  properties.  The applicants’  lot is extremely large (24 acres, in a 2 acre zone) and the amount  of signage  is not excessive  for such

a large lot. Signs A & C have been moved to accommodate   a 10′ setback  and will still

serve as directional  signs, which the Board  felt served a purpose  on Route 303 which has a 40 mile per hour speed limit in this location.

 

2. The requested   sign size and sign setback  variances  as modified,  by moving  signs A

& C back to IO’setback,   will not have an adverse  effect or impact on the physical  or environmental   conditions  in the neighborhood  or district.   The applicants’   lot is extremely  large (24 acres,  in a 2 acre zone) and the amount  of signage  is not

excessive  for such a large lot. Signs A & C have been moved to accommodate  a 1 O’ setback and will still serve as directional  signs, which the Board  felt served a purpose on Route 303 which  has a 40 mile per hour speed limit in this location.

 

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  sign size and sign setback variances,  as modified,  although  somewhat substantial,  afford benefits  to the applicant  that are not outweighed  by the detriment, if any, to the health,  safety and welfare  of the surrounding  neighborhood  or nearby

community.  Route 303 in this area has a speed limit of 40 miles per hour and the size and the location  of the signs are necessary  for motorists  to find the site without

causing traffic  problems  on the State road.

 

5. The applicant  purchased  the property  subject to Orangetown’s   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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Tappan  Golf Signs

ZBA#13-20

Page  3  of  4

 

 

 

 

 

 

DECISION:  In view of the foregoing  and the testimony  and documents  presented,  the Board: RESOLVED,  that the application  for the requested  sign size and location variances  are APPROVED  with the SPECIFIC  CONDITION  that sign A and Sign C be

moved back  further from Route  303 to a 10′ setback;  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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Tappan  Golf Signs

ZBA#13-20

Page  4 of  4

 

 

 

 

 

 

The foregoing  resolution  to approve  the application  for the requested  sign  size and

location  variances  (as modified  by moving  signs A & B back further from Route 303 to a

10′  setback) and to override the County of Rockland Department of Planning letter dated

February 22, 2013 was presented and moved by Mr. Sullivan, seconded by Ms.  Salomon

and carried as follows:  Mr. Sullivan, aye; Mr. Feroldi, aye;  Ms.  Albanese, aye; and Ms. Salomon, aye. Ms. Castelli and Mr. Bosco were 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:  March 20, 2013

 

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS TOWN OF ORANGETOWN

 

 

 

DISTRJBUTION:

 

APPLICANT

ZBA  MEMBERS SUPERVISOR

TOWN BOARD MEMBERS

TOWN ATTORNEY

DEPUTY TOWN A TIORNEY OBZPAE

BUILDING lNSPECTOR-R.O.

Administrative Aide

 

 

TOWN  CLERK

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT ASSESSOR

DEPT. of ENVIRONMENT  AL

MGMT. and ENGINEERING FILE,ZBA, PB

CHAIRMAN, ZBA,  PB,  ACABOR

 

 

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