HomeMy WebLinkAbout615 Cayuga Heights Rd Application.pdf illage of Cayuga Heights
Zoning Board of Appeals
Application Form
BA A lication : $100 For Off e Pse Only
Date Received �
heck A 1 That A Cash or Check
_L4reo Varianel Zoning District
Applicable Sectio s) f Vil a Cod-
Use ariance
Intei retation ltell,, nest
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roperty ddress: axp arcel: �
oning C ricer's Metminatiort
eque rv�ai nterpre ation:
eason(s sled v iance or interpretation should be granted:
See a fe e critei is that the ZBA must use_ a Use additional sheets if necessary.
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lease a ach any tional information that will help the ZBA to evaluate your appeal,
uch as 2 narrative, su rvey p, photos, building plans, etc.
y filing this applicati on,you grant permission for Village of Cayuga Heights ZBA
embe and Village Staff tc enter your property for inspections related to your appeal.
weer/ plicant:
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ignaturc Date: tiz
Phone nu ber(s):
Email ad ress:
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Applic ition for rea Va lance
Nat 11 P. Baker
615 C ga Heil; Road
Ithaca New Yor
I am ma kin!),this a plication for an Area Variance for the fence that encloses
the po 1 on my property a 615 Cayuga Heights Road. This fence is located on the
southE n side ofrny prope ,and part of it is within the 15 foot setback of the lot
line. 7 is proper properqr is own d by me, and I live there alone, as my husband passed
away i 2008.
My busband and I t ought this property in 1958. We built a pool in 1964, and
the fer ce was c ructed then. We surrounded the pool with fencing for safety
reasor s, and th e fen de that was originally built exists there today. The
southE n side and cne-hall'of the western side are made of wooden, stockade
fencin materfa , r d they stand 6 feet high. The western side is joined in
appro imately t h 2 1 niddle by a four feet high chain link fence. The eastern side of
the fer e is fou high, and it is made entirely of chain link fencing. The northern
side of the encl s Lire is my home.
My unde nding is that fences that stand 6 feet tall must now have special
permil s to existalso understand that, since the portion of my fence that stands 6
feet to I is within side etback, I am not able to be granted a permit,and must
apply I or a vari
Let me sla by saying that my husband and I were, and I still am,very proud
to owl this prope ty. We lave always meticulously maintained the house and the
landsc ping; thi s takel a lot of time and effort on our part. In fact, last year, I
spent everal thou and do tars re-landscaping major portions of my lot,in an effort
to rep nt areas t t had b een destroyed by the herds of deer that roam my yard.
Furth ,we have 1 ays b en good neighbors, and we have paid our property and
school taxes pr tly an without protest or delay. Although it is a challenge, it is
my go I to stay y horn and keep it up in its current condition for as long as I am
able t do so.
In the 48 years thal this fence has stood,we have:
1. mainLained tin excellent condition. It has always been painted and
h en in xcellent working order.
2. not lad one complaint from a neighbor regarding the fence.
3. not lad a co plaint from the Village of Cayuga Heights regarding it.
4. nev r had air incident where a deer has been injured in an attempt to
leap thesix foot fein ce. The deer, however, routinely leap the fencing that is
four feet in height ii order to get into the pool area and eat my shrubs and
flowers.
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Since this ce ha been at its same location,and is of the same height and
matey als as it has been fo 48 years, it is clear that it will neither produce an
undes rable change in the character of the neighborhood nor will it become a
detrirr ent to ne prop rties if a variance is granted. It is mostly shielded from
view om the'r Cayuga Heights Road,by three pine trees that stand
appro imately et tall Further, approximately 50 feet of bushes and trees
separ e it fro house of the neighbor to the south, so again, it is barely visible
to tha neighbo .
Allowing to kee this fence, further,would not be considered a
substa tial action n beha f of the Zoning Board of Appeals as many of my neighbors
and fri nds have mmen ed that this fence should simply be "grandfathered" into
permil eduseuni r the V llage's new fencing ordinance, as a matter of course. I
certaiii ly agreewit this a sessment, and I was dismayed to learn that this option
was n t availab me.
As a resideift of Ca uga Heights since 1958, I would consider the granting of
thispermittob a reasomble solution to this issue,as my fence has stood,without
issue, I r 48 ye rs, which, would guess, is well before this fencing ordinance came
into e ect. CauqinD me to remove it, alter it, or replace it would force tome incur
costs o d more stress thar I have already endured because of this issue. There will
be abs lately no detrimen to the health, safety and welfare of the human habitants
of the eighborhood or coi nmunity by granting my application. Finally,as a woman
in her ighties, l Wing alon ,this has been a very upsetting matter to me.
I ask the Bo2rd tog ant this application for a variance for the reasons stated
above.
Respectfully submitted,
Natalie P. Baker