HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BZA-1981-08-03 it
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j BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CITY OF ITHACA NEW YORK
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ii APPEAL NO. 1381 Ronald & Ann Ceurvels 2
506 Dryden Road
APPEAL NO. 1381 Executive Session 11
APPEAL NO. 1382 Richard J. Genest CNO ONE SHOWED) 12
jl 227- 231 Linden Ave.
f APPEAL NO. 1383 Jonathan Daitch & Anita Fatland 12
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409 Cascadilla Street
APPEAL NO. 1383 Executive Session 14
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APPEAL NO. 1384 Clayton Vickers (NO ONE SHOWED) 15
326 Center Street
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APPEAL NO. 1385 Hovanec Builders (POSTPONED) 15
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202-204 East Falls St,
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APPEAL I NO. 1386 Linda Youngman 15 407 Cascadilla Street
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APPEAL NO. 1386 Executive Session 18
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APPEAL NO. 1387 WSKG-TV-FM (HELD OVER)
815 South Aurora Street
CERTIFICATION OF RECORDING SECRETARY 19
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BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
j COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS
ij CITY OF ITHACA NEW YORK
I� AUGUST 3 , 1981
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4CHAIRMAN AMAN: I would like to call the August meeting of the
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Board of Zoning Appeals to order . The Board of Zoning Appeals ,
as you probably know operates under the authority of the Ithaca
Zoning Ordinance and the Ithaca Sign Ordinance . Tonight we have
j four members of the Board here - this is generally a six member
aboard. Present: Peter Walsh
Morris Angell
�i Charles Weaver
William Wilcox (arrived 9: 00 PM
Fred Aman, Chairman
Thomas D. Hoard, Building Com-
missioner & Secretary to the Bd.
Barbara Ruane , Recording Secy
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ABSENT : Margaret Haine
I� I should say that in view of the fact that we have four members of
lithe Board here tonight , I guess the summer months being what they
are - lost to vacations - petitioners those seeking a variance -
Ido have the right to withdraw their case if they so wish. There
are only four members here and you do have that right. I take
that back - here comes our fifth member (Mr . Wilcox) - so now we
have five members so if we could just delete that last sentence we
( will be alright. The procedures that we follow here, for those of
you who haven' t been here before, are as follows: we' ll call the cases
in order and when your case is called we ask that the petitioner,
lin other words the person asking that a variance be granted, come
forward and speak at this podium, We do not operate under strict
rules of evidence but we do base our decisions on the record, on
the evidence that we hear and that evidence is taken down by Mrs .
�11, Ruane,
and is recorded here -, we have a tape recorder and a trans
' cript of the proceedings is developed that way.. So it is very
important that you come forward and speak at this podium because
; that way it is picked up on the tape and it ' s much easier to make
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van accurate transcript of the proceedings , We ask that those
�lseeking the variance state their case, tell us why it is you think
you are entitled to the variance and then you will respond to
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�iquestions from the Board. After the Board is finished with their
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iquestions ,
I will then ask whether there is anyone else in the
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audience who wishes to speak on behalf of the proposed variance -
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' in other words , in support of it . And then I will ask whether
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for not there is anyone out there who wishes to oppose it. I 'd
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dike to take it up in that order. Everybody for it and then
Ileverybody against it, After we have heard all the cases , the
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; Board meets in executive session, which means we will clear the
,( chambers and deliberate privately. And then we re-emerge - go
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! back into session and announce our decisions at that time - depend
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ing on the docket - that may take anywhere from a half an hour to
� an hour, or even longer but we will , in all likelihood, announce
; our decisions - all of the decisions tonight. So with that by
way of introduction, Mr. Commissioner if you will call the first
! case .
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�1SECRETARY HOARD; Before I call the first case, I 'd like to say -
Ifor anybody who is waiting for certain cases - three cases have
; been postponed. Appeal number 1367 , that 's the appeal of Beatrice
I; Dennis for 1025 N. Tioga Street, another one is appeal number 1385
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appeal of Hovanec Builders for a use variance for 202.204 E. Falls
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Street and the third one that is postponed is appeal number 1387 ,
! appeal of WSKG TV-FM for a special permit for a radio tower at
1815 S. Aurora Street. So the first cane then that is on the sched le
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j, for tonight T.s appeal number 1381 ;
Appeal of Ronald and Ann Ceurvels for use and
` area variance under Section 30 . 25 , Columns 2
and 11 and Section 30 .49 to permit the construc -
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onstru -tion of a one,story addition to the rear of the
apartment house at 506 Dryden Road for a den-
tist' s office. A dentist 's office is not a
�! permitted use in the R-2a (residential) use
district in which the property is located and
the property is deficient in front yard setbac .
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If you could come up to the podium please.
IDR. CEURVELS; Good evening.
!CHAIRMAN AMAN; If you would please state your name and address
jfor purposes of the record?
1DR. CEURVELS; Okay, my name is Ronald Ceurvels , 214 Tudor Road,
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! Ithaca, New York. And as Mr. Hoard has stated, we are seeking a
'area variance and a use variance for our property at 506 Dryden
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iJRoad, Ithaca, New York. The area variance - there is a violation
iwhere the front porch of the building is within 25 ' of the sidewal
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- I think right now it is 20 ' and this - as I recently found out -
(;, this is not allowed in the R- 2a zone , which - switching, I guess ,
Tito an R-3 zone would allow a 10 ' distance from the sidewalk to the
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front porch. As it is it would be an extremely difficult and costly
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iproject to completely destroy and dismantle the front porch of the
1Ibuilding in order to comply with the code. The second or the use
iivari.ance that we are seeking , is basically being sought for a
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number of reasons but the main problem is that the first floor
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apartment which now exists - it ' s a two-bedroom apartment, violates ,
1I think, three sections of the Municipal Housing Code and basicall
11the layout of the building - of the first floor apartment makes it
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ijan extremely number 1 - difficult to rent the apartment and maki g
1the necessary changes to bring it into compliance would involve
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raising ceilings and actually switching the number of rooms from
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i rental unit would thea.r present positions and basically as a xe a u t be
(really not very feasible in order to make these large financial
�linvestment or to make these changes that would be necessary to
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(comply to the Housing Code, and so this is basically why we are
seeking the variance that we are requesting . A second thing I
would like to do if its permissible is to make a statement relative
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jto last Monday nights Planning Board meeting which, due to the set
up of the meeting, I was unable to have any chance to answer the
problems that were brought up with the plan that we had distributed
to our neighbors,,
CHAIRMAN AMAN: Sure, before you do that, could I ask how the build
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ling presently is being used?
DR. CEURVELS; Right at present?
CHAIRMAN AMAN Right.
IDR, CEURVELS; Okay, it is used as. apartments. There is an apart-
Iment on the first, second and third floors of the building. Okay,
I think you have a layout of the first floor - a diagram and. . ,
,CHAIRMAN AMAN; You are saying that there are violations of the cod
iin its present use?
R. CEURVALS: In its present use, yes .
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!, CHAIRMAN AMAN: And to correct those violations , will involve some
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, financial expenditures?
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DR. CEURVALS: Yes , fairly large amount of expenditures to correct
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these problems . Okay . . .
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' CHAIRMAN AMAN: How do they compare to the amount of money that is
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necessary to convert this to a professional building?
' DR. CEURVALS: Well if you basically want to go strictly on fin-
lances - when its basically converted to a professional practice -
yone could justify the cost, okay, with the expected income as com-
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,Ipared to the income that is allowable from the apartment. There
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is only so much that you can charge people , reasonably, for an
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�iapartment . And the amount of costs that would be involved to do that
kind of conversion would be much harder to justify as a rental unit
fas opposed to the changes that would have to be made for a dental
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office.
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CHAIRMAN AMAN: The standard for a use variance is a stringent one
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jand requires that you really have to show that there is just no
'jreasonable return that is possible you know that you are real!
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' down to the scraping bottom - that the property is essentially non
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economically viable.
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DR. CEURVALS: Well as it is , it ' s a difficult problem even now to
rent it because of the way the first floor lavatory is - there is
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16 ' ceiling in there - in the lavatory that makes it very limited
, as to who you can rent the apartment to , Also , the traffic patterIL
�linvolves - in order to get to one bedroom, you have to go through
another bedroom and through the lavatory and so this set up really
makes it more difficult place to rent it - and at present it isn' t
3rented for the coming year. Well , basically, if I could just ad-
! dress what was decided , . .
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CHAIRMAN AMAN; Yes I didn't mean to interruptyou but I wanted t
jget those questions out.
IDR. CEURVALS : Okay, I pretty much made up a written statement
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to try and go along. At the Planning Board meeting last Tuesday
, night we felt we were at a significant
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(; neighbors had a clear idea about what our plans would be and on th
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mother hand we had no idea as to what their objections or reservati i
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'might be until the night of the meeting. We feel that the plans
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! we had proposed are flexible and definitely amendable . In light o
! last weeks decision, basically I would like to submit a modified
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'plan which would eliminate the use of Oak Avenue as an access to
jthe proposed dental office. This was the main objection about in-
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dcreasing congestion and traffic on Oak Avenue and this was brought
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1up by one neighbor at the back of the property - on Oak Avenue and
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I 've made another diagram here - if I may distribute it - if that ' s
allowable?
CHAIRMAN AMAN: Oh sure, please do.
' DR. CEURVALS: Basically the original plan that we submitted, like I
said, is very flexible - we just basically want idea to gain access
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to off-street parking for the office.. And, like I said, the Planning
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!!Board' s concern that I gathered from the meeting -- was about an
increase of traffic or congestion and with the Dryden Road access -
I�since my patients at this point in time drive on Dryden Road, actu-
rally within a one block area of the proposed dental office the
i,actual number of patients coming into this one block area would
Tremain the same and I just felt that - I had no prior idea or
knowledge as to what people had objected to last week and the de-
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�'cision was actually made before we could really have any idea that
�it would address this problem. Basically we would like to - if
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this is granted, we would like to do everything we possibly can to
,go along with- the feelings and desires of our neighbors and I
�jbasically spoke to one neighbor that had the objection about the
laccess to Oak Avenue, which was a Mrs. Shanze and she submitted a
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!jietter which I delivered to Mr. Hoard this morning 7 relative to
IIthis modified plan and has basi..cally changed from a unfavorable
view of it to a favorable view so basically that's about the only
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thing I 'd like to say relative to last weeks meeting.
R. WEAVER Do you have any figures of any sort that would support
your general statement that it would be too costly to bring this
; house into conformance with the housing code? Itis my understanding
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that you are non conforming with that?
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!j DR. CEURVALS : No I haven't obtained any estimates from any builde s
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! at this particular time . Actually I just received earlier in the
year - in the spring - the inspection from the Housing Department
! and so it has been fairly recent that we 've tried to approach the
Board for the variance. So in that respect I 'd have no figures to
I` present.
! MR. WALSH: Doctor, is the house as it presently exists not in con
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! formance as to all three floors or merely as to the first?
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DR. CEURVALS : Well there are minor things on the upper floors whi h
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!! need to be corrected; locks on doors and a few lighting fixtures
�jbut structurally nothing that couldn't be corrected at a very small
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;! cost relative to the first floor.
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I!' MR. ANGELL: Have you received an estimate as to the cost of the
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proposed addition's
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1DR. CEURVALS : No I haven' t. I felt anything like that at this ti e ,
would be fairly premature. I have to add also relative to these
proceedings that it' s the first time I 've every been before the
Board and I really didn' t know what was required as far as having
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; these figures available before . Actually I didn' t realize that
jthis was necessary.
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j� CHAIRMAN AMAN: One of the most difficult variances to get is a us
it variance where that in effect requires - in a way a sort of a
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change in the zoning for one particular parcel of land within
j another unit that is zoned entirely differently. Legal standards
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�! are very stringent and they require a strong showing of severe
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!� financial hardship .
DR. CEURVALS; Well I don't know how this figures into it, but thef
building I am in now is in the exact same zone and is a dental of-
fice withtwo apartments in it. i
j MR. ANGELL: How long has it been there? How long has it been
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existing as a dental offices?;` !
i! DR. CEURVALS: As a dental office? Probably twenty years ,
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CHAIRMAN AMAN: You see a lot of these were what we call "grand-
fathered" in when the zoning changed the way, it was done they
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I1 tried to tighten up the zoning or move toward more residential -
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away from commercial , let' s say, in any particular area but they
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liwould do it by saying those non-conforming uses are allowed to
�Iremain as long as that particular person uses it that way but show d
they ever cease, then it has to revert to the strict zoning of the
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DR. CEURVALS: I realize that but you know - you are talking within
four houses changed to an R-3 zone with a gas station, a large
ilapartment building - I mean it is very close to that particular
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l tend to think a professional building would - from the standpoint
of comparing it to a gas station, I think it would upgrade the are
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it to a much greater extent than what you call commercial venture .
CHAIRMAN AMAN: Yes , I don' t want to prejudge it . The Board of
Appeals - our function is somewhat more limited. We can' t - we
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have to go with the zoning as it is given and, although many of
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the arguments that we hear make good sense, that a particular area
is in transition and slowly changing toward something quite diffe-
rent and probably would be good for the community if it did go in
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that direction - our function is to work within the Zoning Ordi-
nance as it exists , so . . .
I' DR. CEURVALS: I realize that. You know - the point too is that t e
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area even since zoning has been in effect has really changed radi-
cally because its mostly apartments around that whole area and from
a residential standpoint - that 's a commercial venture when you haie
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absentee landlordship in the area and you know I read the Zoning
Ordinance and T know there are different division and different
things allowed and again, as you are saying, the rhyme and reason
of it to some extent passes me by, as to why one thing is alright
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in one area and not in another but that 's probably another subject
CHAIRMAN AMAN Any further questions from the Board? I take it
not.
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DR, CEURVALS; Thank you.
CHAIRMAN AMAN: Is there anyone here who wishes to speak on behalf
j; of the requested variance? Is there anyone here who wishes to speak
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in opposition?
1 MR. CHUREY: On behalf. My name is John Churey and I live at 504
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;{ Dryden Road, immediately adjacent to this property. I 'd much pref r
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to see this as a dental office or professional building to get rid
;hof this obnoxious noises at night and this office and any profes-
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! sional building, would be a quiet area - much quieter than a bunch
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Iof students running around and one of the things that they would d
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11would be to remove or have parking spaces available off the street
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'i and this could be utilized by some of the tenants in the particula
area. That ' s what I much prefer to see. To see what I mean, you
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"! would have to live there - come up tonight and see what I mean.
j� CHAIRMAN AMAN: I know what you mean.
I� MR. CHUREY: Thank you.
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CHAIRMAN AMAN: Anyone else here wishing to speak on behalf of the
it variance? (no one) Is there anyone here wishing to speak in
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position? (no one)
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! DR. CEURVALS: Could I add one more thing?
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CHAIRMAN AMAN; If you would come forward and do it quickly,
DR. CEURVALS : The only other thing I would like to add - there is
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H also in this same zone - as far as commercial ventures go - there
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is also an in-house beauty salon within the same R-2a zone which
does exist. I don' t know if that has any bearing on it but as far
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ii as commercial businesses in there and I really don' t think it de-
tracts from the area at all . Thank you.
I� CHAIRMAN AMAN: Thank you. We do have some letters which the Com-
missioner will read into the record, or will summarize :
SECRETARY HOARD: Okay, the first letter is a card "Dr. $ Mrs ,
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Ceurvals - We strongly support your appeal for your property at
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�j 506 Dryden Road. Mary L. Carey, owner, 503 Dryden Road" and we
!� have two letters from Leah Schanze the first one was in opposition
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as the doctor says , the second one said "To Whom It May Concern:
In regard to Dr. Ceurvals appeal for a variance to open his dental
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I practice at 506 Dryden Road. We have recently discussed his will
jl ingness to have the driveway open on Dryden Road rather than Oak
Avenue. If this were the case, I would have no objection to the
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dental office at 506 Dryden Road. In fact , it might be better than
�i noisy tenants . I would suggest that you reconsider his case.
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�iSincerely, /s/ Leah Schanze". Here is one from Mary N. Gordon
i"Board of Zoning Appeals , 108 E . Green Street, Ithaca, New York
!'Dear Sirs : I have received the notice of appeal regarding a vari-
Iance for 506 Dryden Road requested by Dr. and Mrs . Ronald Ceurvals ,
I,jappeal no. 1381 . I have no objection to the proposed changes at
1506 Dryden Road. Fewer tenants would probably make for a quieter
(neighborhood at night, and the improved maintenance and landscaping
1sof the property would be an advantage to my property adjacent.
�!Sincerely, /s/ (Mrs . ) Mary M. Gordon. Mary Schano and Edward A.
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ISchano , "Zoning Board, City of Ithaca, Ithaca, N.Y. , Dear Sirs :
We have no objection to Dr. Ceurvals establishing a dental office
,at 506 Dryden Road. We feel that this move would be very beneficial
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to the neighborhood. Sincerely, /s/ Mary Schano f /s/ Edward A.
Schano , 513 Dryden Road, Ithaca, New York 1485011. This one is
Kenneth Evett, 402 Oak Avenue, "Board of Zoning Appeals , Ithaca,
fNew York, The proposal to introduce a commercial dental office in
an area zoned for residential use jeapordizes the character and
! quality of an entire neighborhood. Not only would such an enter-
prise be the opening wedge for further commercial exploitation of
the area, it would complicate the traffic on Oak Avenue , a one-way
street at the proposed site . I urge the Board to reject this
variance. /s/ Kenneth Evett , 402 Oak. Avenue . " and this is from
Katherine Hnchliff of 400 Oak. Avenue, "Board of Planning & Develop-
ment, Board of Zoning Appeals , City of Ithaca, Ithaca, N.Y. ,
Gentlemen; As a long time resident and owner of property within
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200 feet of 506 Dryden Road, T am opposed to any variance being
granted to allow the establihsment of a dental office at that ad-
dress . The reasons or m opposition areas follows: 1 I do
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not wish any change in the residential nature of the area. 2) I
am 85 years of age , and confusion bothers me. 3) Confusion is
! bound to result from the increased traffic problems ; a) The plan
to have a parking space off Oak. Avenue makes no sense . That section
,of the avenue is ONE WAY. Persons seeking the parking space would
1,be required to come down Oak Avenue from Ithaca Road. That would
11create a mess at the intersection of Dryden Road, Ithaca Road, Oak
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;Avenue and Maple - particularly for those unacquainted with the
jarea. b) The creation of the proposed parking space might encourage
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!;traffic violations . Some persons might try to sneak up that part
pof Oak Avenue which is ONE WAY. Also , they might be tempted to park
;illegally where there is NO PARKING on that part of Oak Avenue . c)
Any increase in the number of cars parked in this immediate area is
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Abad. Students park here all day already. Any added cars constitute
a nuisance and a problem. Very truly yours , /s/ Katherine M.
}Hinchliff." That 's a11 .
CHAIRMAN AMAN: Hearing nothing further we'll take the next case .
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j BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CITY OF ITHACA NEW YORK
AUGUST 3 , 1981
i' EXECUTIVE SESSION
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ii APPEAL NUMBER 1381
'ilThe Board considered the appeal of Ronald & Ann Ceurvels for use
l�jand area variance under Section 30. 25 , Columns 2 and 11 and Section
130 .49 to permit the construction of a one-story addition to the
,`•,, rear of the apartment house at 506 Dryden Road for a dentist ' s
; office. The decision of the Board was as follows :
jJMR. WALSH: I move that the board deny use variance re-
quested in appeal number 1381.
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CHAIRMAN AMAN: I second the motion.
FINDINGS OF FACT: 1) There has been no demonstration whatsoever of
financial hardship sufficient to qualify for
use variance.
2) The location is such that any non-residential
use injected into a neighborhood which is al-
ready densely inhabited and traveled might
well cause a deterioration in quality of life
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for adjacent residents.
{I VOTE : 4 Yes ; 1 No; 1 Absent Denied
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Ij BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CITY OF ITHACA NEW YORK
i' AUGUST 3, 1981
j SECRETARY HOARD: Okay, the next appeal is appeal number 1382 :
Appeal of Richard J. Genest for a special
permit under Section 30 . 26 to permit the use
of a portion of the property at 227-231 Linde
Avenue (WVBR Building) for a neighborhood
li health store. The property is located in an
!I R-3b (residential) use district in which a
neighborhood commercial facility may be per-
mitted under a special permit from the Board
of Zoning Appeals.
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Is there anyone here to present this case? (no one showed) We' ll
move on to the next one , appeal number 1383 :
Appeal of Jonathan Daitch and Anita Fatland
for an area variance under Section 30. 25 , Co-
lumns 11 and 12 to permit the construction
of a single story solar room addition to the
rear of the house at 409 Cascadilla Street.
The property, which is located in an R-3b
(residential) use district is deficient in
front yard and one side yard setbacks .
MR. DYLLA: My name is Doug Dylla and I live at 109 Auburn Street
but I am representing the Daitchs on behalf of INHS who are
!f working with the Daitch.s in order to do renovations to their house
ij as well as the addition of this solar room. Primarily it is a
small addition on the back side, if you will look on your drawings
there - it will be a 12 x 10 room that will not encroach any further
on the deficient side yard. It will be only an occasional use roo
- it will not be an additional bedroom. The house will remain as
it is -- a single family unit - owner-occupied. It is part of INHS ' s
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attempt to establish, some solar projects in the downtown area as
such it is kind of an experiment . From the exterior it will
�j appear very similar to the rest of the house 7 it will have the
same siding on the northern exposure - the only the wester ex-
posure , excuse me the only side that will be unusual at all
might he the southern exposure which will have a large amount of
glass on the wall and some on the roof. In addition to this we are
also making other code related repairs as part of the package .
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CHAIRMAN AMAN; Let me make sure I understand this . It will not
I add to the deficiencies . . ,
MR. DYLLA: Right - it will not encroach any further - it is moving
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1! back on the lot rather than close to the other lots .
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CHAIRMAN AMAN: Any questions from the Board? (none) Thank you.
Anyone here wishing to speak on behalf of the area variance re-
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(i quested?
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iiMS. YOUNGMAN: My name is Linda Youngman and I live at 407 Casca-
dilla Street , which is right next door to the Daitch property and
�( I feel that a solar unit would be very pleasing from my property.
j I would be able to see it from my property but I think it is im-
portant that we do have projects like that to develop other kinds
jof energy and so I am very much in support of their appeal .
CHAIRMAN AMAN: Thank you. Anyone else wishing to speak on behalf?
II (no one) Anyone here in opposition? (no one) Okay, well call
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�I the next case.
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BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CITY OF ITHACA NEW YORK
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AUGUST 3, 1981
EXECUTIVE SESSION
j APPEAL NO. 1383 :
The Board considered the appeal of Jonathan Daitch and Anita Fat-
land for an area variance under Section 30. 25 , Columns 11 and 12
to permit the construction of a single story solar room addition
to the rear of the house at 409 Cascadilla Street . The decision
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11 of the Board was as follows :
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CHAIRMAN AMAN: I move that the Board grant the area variance
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requested in appeal number 1383 .
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MR. WILCOX: I second the motion.
( VOTE: 4 Yes ; 0 No ; 1 Abstention; 1 Absent Granted
FINDINGS OF FACT; 1) Practical difficulties have been shown.
i; 2) The proposed addition will not in any way
exacerbate existing area deficiencies nor
will it adversely affect the character of
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the neighborhood.
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BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CITY OF ITHACA NEW YORK
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AUGUST 3, 1981
SECRETARY HOARD: The next case is appeal number 1384 :
Appeal of Clayton Vickers for an area vari-
ance under Section 30. 25 , Columns 7 and 13
to permit the construction of a one-story
addition to the rear of the house at 326
Center Street for a dining room and bedroom.
l The property, which is located in an R-2b
(residential) use district , is deficient
i' in minimum required lot width and in one
side yard setback.
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Is there anyone here to present this case? (no one) Okay, we' ll
call the next case . The next case would be appeal number 1385
which was postponed and the next one is appeal number 1386 :
Appeal of Linda Youngman for an area vari-
ance under Section 30. 25 , Columns 6 , 7 , 10 ,
11 and 13 to permit conversion of the single
family home at 407 Cascadilla Street to a tw
family dwelling. The property which is
located in an R-3b (residential) use district
is deficient in minimum required lot size,
lot width, and front and rear yard setbacks ,
and the maximum permitted lot coverage is
exceeded.
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i� MS . YOUNGMAN: My name is Linda Youngman and I live at 407 Casca-
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dilla Street and I am making an appeal for a permitted use vari-
ance . The things I 'd like to stress is that the changes I want t
make would mean no change in density to the neighborhood. I am
asking for the right to be able to rent to two people in the house
j which would make a total of three people in the house. There is
I sufficient parking behind the house and I have quite a deal of
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neighborhood support , I visited sixteen of my neighbors and T
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have signatures hereof sixteen of them that were fully in support
I of my appeal . I want to stress also that the home would be owner-
occupied and this is part of a whole package that the INHS is
helping me with. to upgrade and improve the house with their help.
I 've lived in Ithaca for the past ten years and I love Ithaca
and I really wanted to get a home in Ithaca. I work up at Cornell
and on my present salary I felt it was important to get a house
that could be R part of it could be rented so it would be a very
bi.g help to me if I could make an apartment in the upper halp,
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I't 's a big house and I feel it would be easily converted to two
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�i units so I ask that you support my appeal .
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�i CHAIRMAN AMAN: Are all the changes you propose in the house, inter-
nal
nt r-nal only?
�! MS. YOUNGMAN: They are only internal .
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�I M.K. WALSH: How many persons do you anticipate would occupy the
house with the conversion that you are proposing?
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MS. YOUNGMAN: Two people in the apartment and myself in the
downstairs so that would be a total of three.
MR. WALSH: What would be the maximum of people with occupation o
jthe house without regard to the living arrangements you propose?
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MS. YOUNGMAN: The maximum?
j MR, WALSH: Yes .
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MS. YOUNG: I 'm sure more than three could live there easily -
it' s as big as my house at home and we had more than that.
MR. WALSH: How many bedrooms would be in each of the units as yo
i� envision it?
MS. YOUNGMAN: presently there would be two bedrooms in the up-
stairs apartment and one in the downstairs apartment .
MR. WALSH: Is there parking space on the property?
MS. YOUNGMAN Yes there is .
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MR. WALSH: For how many people?
MS. YOUNGMAN: There is parking space for two, There is a garage
behind the house. And there is parking space behind the garage
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as well,
CHAIRMAN AMAN; Any further questions? (,nonel Thank you Ms .
�! Youngman. Is there anyone here who wishes to speak on behalf of
I; the requested variance?
MR. DYLLA: Doug Dylla of Neighborhood Housing , I just want to
reiterate a few things that Linda said one is that the two
family use in that area is permitted although it is a relatively
small lot and the house is sizeable enough R there will be - with
the existing plan no change in the number of bedrooms from its
conversion to one family to two family, I think it's important
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to understand, as Itm sure you are doing by the appeals that are
coming in front of you the economic pressures that are being
brought to bear against new home owners especially young home
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owners and the kinds of creative financing that has to go on in
I! order to allow, especially single head of households to own a
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�I home. I think Linda will be a good owner-occupant and as part of
i! the package of repairs that we are doing a number of code items -
a complete electrical update as well as insulation, as well as some
exterior repairs not additions but some roof work and hopefully ,
down the road, some repairs to the exterior to remove some asphal
siding.
CHAIRMAN AMAN: Thank you. Anyone else wishing to speak on behal
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of the variance? (no one) Is there anyone here wishing to speak
in opposition to the variance? (no one) . Okay, hearing nothing
further we' ll call the next case if there is one,
SECRETARY HOARD: The only case remaining is appeal number 1387
which was held over.
CHAIRMAN AMAN: Well the Board will meet in executive session to
deliberate and make our decisions and we will after we have don
that - we will reconvene and announce those decisions . It is
difficult to estimate how long this would take, I would think
half an hour to an hour probably half an hour, maybe less . It'
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a light docket tonight,
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I BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS
,i CITY OF ITHACA NEW YORK
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ii AUGUST 3 , 1981
EXECUTIVE SESSION
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l= APPEAL NO. 1386 :
ii The Board considered the appeal of Linda Youngman for an area
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variance under Section 30 . 25, Columns 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 and 13 to permt
conversion of the single family home at 407 Cascadilla Street to
a two-family dwelling. The Board' s decision was as follows :
MR. WILCOX: I move that the Board grant the area variance
requested in appeal number 1386.
I� CHAIRMAN AMAN: I second the motion.
VOTE: 4 Yes ; 0 No ; 1 Abstention; 1 Absent Granted
i FINDINGS OF FACT; 1) It will not change the character of the
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2) Since the applicant has indicated that there
will only be a total of three residents living
i there - it won't add to the denisyt of the
neighborhood.
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I , BARBARA RUANE, DO CERTIFY that I took the minutes of the Board
of Zoning Appeals , City of Ithaca, New York, in the matters of
Appeals numbered 1381 , 1383 and 1386 on August 3, 1981 at City
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Hall , City of Ithaca, New York; that I have transcribed same ,
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I and the foregoing is a true copy of the transcript of the minutes
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I3 of the meeting and the executive session of the Board of Zoning
Appeals , City of Ithaca, on the above date, and the whole thereof
11 to the best of my ability.
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Barbara C. Ruan
Recording Secree ary
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If Sworn to before me this
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D day of �,�, _ 1981
Notary Public
iJEAM J. HANKINSON
NOTARY PUBLIC, STATE OF NEW YORK
No. -,5-155".300
QUALtFI7D IN TT.._.MPKINS COUNT
MY COMMISSION EX^!RES Y?RR IC,19
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