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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BZA-1977-06-06 it I 1° TABLE OF CONTENTS 11 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, ITHACA, e I jNEW YORK JUNE 6, 1977 Pte_ ?; Appeal No. 1159 Peter & Robin Trowbridge 2 i; 1002 Cliff St/200 Brookfield Rd. I� Appeal No. 1159 Executive Session 7 �I Appeal No. 1160 Anthony Albanese 8 102 Adams Street ,' Appeal No. 1160 Executive Session 20 1 Appeal No. 1161 T.C. Red Cross 22 201 W. Clinton Street f Appeal No. 1161 Executive Session 29 I I, Appeal No. 1158 Steven Mensch 30 ii 120 Highland Place ; Appeal No. 1158 Executive Session 34 I .'' Certification of Recording Secretary 35 I! I! j I (i f I( i li I' I :i !I is l i1 Ij �I ii ii I i� I? 'I !i i I l !i �� 11 is E i i I I! f ' s �F f ti BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, CITY OF ITHACA CITY HALL, ITHACA, NEW YORK 14850 j; JUNE 6, 1977 A regular meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals , City of i =,Ithaca, was held in Common Council Chambers, City Hall , Ithaca, i *ew York on June 6, 1977. (PRESENT: Peter Martin, Chairman ii C. Murray VanMarter i! Gregory Kasprzak ij Martin Greenberg Edgar Gasteiger Edison Jones, Deputy Building Commissioner Secretary L' BSENT: Barbara Ruane, Recording Secretary Judith Maxwell 93 IiChairman Martin opened the meeting listing members of the Board I,lpresent. One member of the Board, Miss Judith Maxwell, is absent s ithis evening. That means that for those of you seeking relief i 11from the Board you will nonetheless have to get four affirmative ',votes out of the five present, rather than four out of six. If ?i any of you want to improve your odds by holding over until the next ; 1�month, of course, you have the right to do so. Let me briefly ex- ;plain the procedures of the Board for those of you who are not 'already acquainted with them. The Board operates under the provisions ! of the Ithaca City Charter and the Zoning Ordinance of the City of 1 is i;Ithaca. Our procedures are not governed by strict rules of evidence. 111We operate as follows : we hear first in public session all of the i, ,cases before the Board this evening. We hear them in order with, i1 ,t first people who wish to speak on behalf of the requested action f r !!having an opportunity to speak and those then who are opposed, � jspeaking second. We ask that all of those who want to present r testimony on a case, come to the front, identify themselves clearly! �jby name and address before presenting their testimony. We ask that ; 3j gall of those who speak, limit their remarks to the issues that are I ybefore the Board in a particular case and not go into extraneous ;natter of personality or other conflicts , We have as our secretary, `'this evening Mr. Edison Jones, Deputy Building Commissioner. Mr. I ii �I is � s I! i' 2 j IlSecretary what is our first case? R i. !=Secretary Jones announced the first case to be heard: �Mr. Chairman, the first case has asked to be set back and heard at l i! 1 flthe end of the meeting, so we will start with Appeal No. 1159. !E ; APPEAL NO. 1159 : The appeal of Peter and Robin Trowbridge for i an area variance under Section 30. 25, Column } 11 , and a variance under Section 30. 37, 5A tol e� construct a parking area with screen wall i enclosure and garden storage area within the Ij Brookfield Road front yard at 1002 Cliff i Street/200 Brookfield Road, in an R-1 use district. �Mr. Peter Trowbridge is here to present his case. II I jPETER TROWBRIDGE: I am Peter Trowbridge from 1002 Cliff Street, i also known as 200 Brookfield Road. My wife Robin is also with me. The piece of property which we now reside at has two front yard j i set back requirements, being a corner parcel. And also, being a triangular corner parcel, we really dontt have side yards. The d Iside and rear yard is all combined in one so that, that combined i with severe topographic restructions on the property, within 200' I s long the Brookfield Road boundary the property drops 451 , given l ithin that area there is a flat section where the house sits - it14 I 4�asically a severe topographic situation. The area that we propose o build a screened parking area is within the front yard set back requirement on Brookfield Road. It is the only flat topographic I i rea on the property which we can park a vehicle. The problem i rises that it is a front yard and that we require parking within he set back requirement of front yard areas in the City of Ithaca. hat we are planning to do is to screen the parking area with a II architectural fence and canopy which we discussed with most of the eighbors and to date have no objections and actually have been i i ncouraged. . . I HAIRMAN MARTIN: Screen it, so as to shield it from the street? R. TROWBRIDGE: Well, to screen it from both - to enclose the rear and area which we do not we don' t have much yard area so we are a reating a yard area as well as making it more attractive from the l i treet. i .i I¢ �I i( I !o f p - 3 - 1 l �R. GASTEIGER: Do you have a sketch of your plan? �R. TROWBRIDGE: Yes we do. We submitted drawings as well. . . I ' HAIRMAN MARTIN: There is a full set here but what they . . . R. GASTEIGER: I just find it very hard to visualize what they arel r ! oing to do. r R. TROWBRIDGE : What we are planning to do is an area - what we Consider the rear of the house - the house was designed originally ��bout thirty-five years prior to Brookfield Road and the Cliff Stre t entrance was always the historic entrance to thehouse. This (point-, 'ng) has been historically the rear of the house. Consequently, f�f I hen Brookfield Road was built, the house was non-complying. The Itchen and living room were sitting in the right-of-way and it ' s al very tight site, needless to say. Having no relief or any yard s I pace at all and having only one bedroom, we are in the process of j a onverting the attached garage into a second bedroom which eliminats ur existing parking area. What we plan to do is create a small and as well as park within the property bounds with some substanti 1 ut non-complying front yard parking. I R. GASTEIGER: Where would your screen be? r R. TROWBRIDGE: This is the screen wall (pointing) - here is the is ketches of that. This basically is the parking area. The car ould park under the trellis and within that screen wall area, It ' sl �ather architectural looking structure. This is the plan view of f that screened area as well as two elevations of that. It ' s basically fence; its posts with clapboard siding not really an enclosed I r tructure at all - not a garage nor a car port it' s basically a ence with a trellis over the top of that as well within that there s some storage for outside garden equipment and there is some dogwo�d n the rear side of that. . . OR. GASTEIGER: Would the car be under this trellis . . . ? OR. TROWBRIDGE: The car would be under the trellis. There is parkig !; 11 pace for three cars within the property limits . R. GASTEIGER: Now you have begun construction converting the garag� �lready? r� 1 n iE I� I i I - 4 - I's i j I MR. TROWBRIDGE: Yes , we have permits for both the new entrance ;!that has been added to the house as well as the conversion of the I jlgarage into a second bedroom. We've also done some regrading on !the site so it is pretty ripped up and open at this point but the I, jgrading has allowed for the most efficient location of this pro- posed parking area to move that as far back as we possibly can froml lithe street and still give us some effective yard area. With the �1given set back requirements on the site plan - the 25 ' set back on ij ,the front yard - as you can see these squares are 10 ' square one inch equals 10' - we have to park the car immediately adjacent to `the house, build a garage almost attached to the house which would reclude any windows in the bedroom - which is not legal or possibl�. jbr park the car not in an enclosure but immediately outside of the house which would preclude any rear yard space, ,�R. KASPRZAK: How long have you owned the house by the way? ! (i IR. TROWBRIDGE: Nine months. Are there any other questions? (II R. GASTEIGER: How close is the nearest structure to - what, west j I suppose? I OR. TROWBRIDGE: Yes, the Kaspen residence - and its probably - its topographic difference but the - in vertical difference its i ,�robably 15 to 18 ' and horizontal distance it' s probably about 85. ,'here is also vegetated screening between the parking area and them# - ; �� he parking area would actually be considerably below where they ;r f ould not even perceive it from there from their property. i R. KASPRZAK: How long will it take you to implement the plan that ! 9d �, e are looking at? I R. TROWBRIDGE: About ten days . R. KASPRZAK: I don't mean to draw the plan that we are looking ati I ut to implement the plan in its vegetation. . . . R. TROWBRIDGE: Oh, about ten days . The vegetation is there. It j, .s existing vegetation and we've already graded the site to either �,ro with this plan or move the parking back in and screen it with i ,home existing major vegetation. And the other construction is al- eady within a week of completion - the entrance and the bedrooms . j �E I`. �j i i ! j I` fl - 5 - iI I 3 I i I MR. KASPRZAK: It is there, oh. �ICHAIRMAN MARTIN: Are there further questions from the members of I tithe Board? l�iMR. TROWBRIDGE: It's basically a rather hardship situation where Ithere really is no other location to locate anything on the site . I s �JMR. GASTEIGER: Well you can have windows in that bedroom on the . . . i� 1IMR. TROWBRIDGE: On the north side but it would preclude any lawn ii area. It would also be a rather unattractive room having only north, sunless windows. I�CHAIRMAN MARTIN: You speak of hardship although the need for new r r parking is greeted by the loss of the garage space in order to i achieve a second bedroom. SMR. TROWBRIDGE: Tg uess the need for the second bedroom is some- times - should be an obvious one. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: So that - essentially you are asking us to look ! at the practical difficulties imposed by the location, the sheer drop-off there and the size of the lot which was created when the road was put through after - well, after the house was buili, well after the house was built. 1 i�MR. GASTEIGER: May we look at the . . . j MMR. TROWBRIDGE: Oh, sure. �ICHAIRMAN MARTIN: And we have a set here. Are there further ques- lIti.ons? i i MR. VAN MARTER: I have a question about the curb cut. Do you havef a permit for this curb cut? IMR. TROWBRIDGE: The curb cut - the existing curb cut is shown �Ithe existing curb cut is that width. j i� ( MR. VAN MARTER: As is shown? MR. TROWBRIDGE: The garage, the driveway right now because you ' renter it from two directions at such an angle it's already worn I it down probably 251 in width. The driveway is rather extensive. I IMR. VAN MARTER: Is there a curb? i MR. TROWBRIDGE: There is no curb as such. It just has been worn because of manuevering vehicles in and out of the driveway. i jr i i! 6 if 1 MR. VAN MARTER: There is no curb? There is no sidewalk pavement ! on that street? �! MR. TROWBRIDGE: There is no sidewalk pavement on either side. li MR. VAN MARTER: There is no sidewalk on the opposite side of the I street? MR. TROWBRIDGE: No. No sidewalk on either side. i MR. VAN MARTER: What would happen if one were to be constructed? ( MR. TROWBRIDGE: Within the right of way? MR. VAN MARTER: Certainly yes. ' MR. TROWBRIDGE: There would be - as far as our scheme - really nothing. Nothing would change this scheme. There would be no parking, certainly within the right of way. The parking is clearly within the properties. MR. VAN MARTER: The surface on the driveway is shown other than hardtop, is that right? lMR. TROWBRIDGE: It is shown as gravel . � MR. VAN MARTER: Gravel. I guess my question is if that would be lacceptable to the Department of Public Works, I, MR. TROWBRIDGE: A gravel driveway? M i MR. VAN MARTER: Yes, other than permanent or semi-permanent. . . MR. TROWBRIDGE: I don't understand the distinction. MR. VAN MARTER: Whether they would accept from the street a pave- I ment surface other than the permanent. i MR, JONES: Murray, I showed this to Philip Cox, the City Engineers 0 and he has no quarrel with this and his thinking is that it doesn'ii 4 look like the sidewalks will ever be put on Brookfield Road. lMR. VAN MARTER: You and I are walking on them every day where the I� shouldn' t have been. MR. JONES: Right. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Are there further questions? I guess not. Thanl� , you. Is there anyone else who would like to be heard on this case?Il i ! First, anyone else who would like to be heard in favor of the re- t ; quested area variance? Is there anyone who would like to be heard lin opposition to it? We will move on then to the next case. I f! ' I - 7 - I !j 1 BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS CITY OF ITHACA June 6 , 1977 EXECUTIVE SESSION APPEAL NO. 1159 j MR. VAN MARTER: I would move that the requested areal variance be granted.. �4 j MR. KASPRZAK: I second the motion. FINDINGS OF FACT: I 1. As related by the testimony, the9 topography of the lot creates a ! problem for providing any off-street ) parking. s! ' Z. There is no access to the lot ` from Cliff Street. I 3. The plan shows access to the 1otl � f i from Brookfield at a reasonable televation. ,o 4. The maintenance of existing plantings as a screen from neighbor ing properties is most desirable. VOTE: YES 5 NO 0 ABSENT 1 t AREA VARIANCE GRANTED - UNANIMOUS l If !, I I I �i I � I 1� ii M _ 8 _ j BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, CITY OF ITHACA CITY HALL, ITHACA, NEW YORK ' JUNE 63, 1977 � Secretary Jones announced the .next case to be heard: 11 APPEAL NO. 1160 : Appeal of Anthony J. Albanese for a use variance under Section 30. 25, Column 2 , to add the following uses to the premise yat 102 Adams Street; (1) a small construe- tion company involved in remodelings and i( renovations ; (2) an electrical fixture repair shop; (3) a sign shop; and (4) an appliance repair shop and warehouse. ii The four businesses will occupy between I 1 , 000 and 2, 000 square feet of the firstl floor of the building, the former Ithaca ll Calendar Clock building, which is located jl in an R- 3 use district. I {� Mr. Anthony Albanese is here to present his case. Mr. Albanese. l CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Mr. Albanese before we begin, let me outline thel lsituation as I understand it, I understand that this Board has by 11prior action, made the findings of hardship that would warrant a ! use variance on this property and so our only question in such ,icases as you now bring before us are the nature of the proposed Buse and, in specific, their compatability with the neighborhood - f so why don't you - if you share my understanding - proceed in 11telling us about the kinds of uses that are proposed. k 1 IMR. ALBANESE: My name is Anthony Albanese and I am here in regard " to - for a variance for three businesses . ,The fourth one I would �Ilike to have deleted because I don' t have anything more tangible l!ithan just a verbal heresay so for the time being I would like to I ` have the fourth one scratched. I { ,: CHAIRMAN MARTIN: That 's the appliance repair shop and warehouse? MR. ALBANESE: Right. E �IMR. GASTEIGER: Are these businesses listed on the appeal? jfCHAIRMAN MARTIN: They are not on the application but they are on the announcement. I 'i MR. ALBANESE: The first one being Sawtooth Builders - a construct'lon II 11company that was similar to an original company that we had there -! f; like Taughannock Construction. They do remodeling and renovating laway from the building and they will have a small carpentry shop !� l j i l 9 i ;!there at the premises. They will occupy approximately 1 ,100 square ii ('f!feet, on the Dey street side of the building. I� i !!CHAIRMAN MARTIN: 1, 100 square feet on the Dey Streetside. These I !fare all limited to the first floor, is that right? j I i0R. ALBANESE: Right - first floor. And the !second one on the same !;floor - Dey Street side - is the Circuitry. They repair TVs , radio, ;!they are an electronic repair business. They will be occupying e !!approximately 1, 300 square feet. And the third one is the Ad �EPeople - they make signs and paint signs, vehicles - they will be j in the rear of the building where the Taughan ock Construction was i I originally. And the fourth one will be stricken. .i ! CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Alright. Could you review how these three new i+ ++ i I1businesses in the first floor, relate to the whole, Do they pretty! jjwell fill it up? ;SIR. ALBANESE: No, this would there would be three more rentals o F ithe first floor that we are still working on., 1CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Still working on. Alright. And how much of the i; Hoff-street parking of the site will these various three uses be i !!allocated? !�R. ALBANESE: I showed a plot map to the Planning Board and the i !;Circuitry will have four designated parking areas. Sawtooth Bu lde�s ;will have two and the Ad People will have two, which would leave jabout seventeen more parking spaces empty then. li ,ICHAIRMAN MARTIN: That ' s counting those that are already allocated !!to Clever Hans. STIR. ALBANESE: Right. iCHAIRMAN MARTIN: Okay. I have a copy up he e of that plan. Do yoo ;have representatives of some or all of the tenants here, who can J �3 ,give us some information about the kind of traffic they anticipate i igenerating, and so forth? MIR. ALBANESE: Yes we do. For the Circuitry we have Dan, is it? ipne will represent . . . ',CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Alright, let me first see if there are any furthe' 1�uestions for you before we bring up the tenants. Are there furthezt I 10 - �I � t1questions for Mr. Albanese? I, MR. GASTEIGER: Well, I guess I 'm worried about this question of 11eventually - of hardship and the ability to carry the building. II h1his is the first statement that the building is not fully rented ` I Mand unable to carry itself financially, and I don't find that I p }have data by which I can judge that. I think that is the only �i oint that I want to make. HAIRMAN MARTIN: Alright. I ' ll recall for you that in the in a ease now some time back, the first case that involved this building re made findings of hardship associated with the character of the 1!! I puilding and at that point found that it could not reasonably be �Ised for purposes permitted in an R-3 and then reserved to ourselvel j urther actions the decision about specific tenants specific non- I Es i esidential uses . R. GASTEIGER: I remember that - it's just that if this is an argu-1 ent I have no basis for evaluating that. f IHAIRMAN MARTIN: Well, why don' t we proceed then with the tenants , j i �AN HUNT: My name is Dan Hunt and I 'm from the Circuitry. We are I' it 1 . resently located at 310 Fourth Street in Ithaca. I 'm not sure i i xactly what questions you want me to answer. i 0AIRMAN MARTIN: Well , essentially our concern is with the compati-I #ility of your and the other proposed uses with the residential 4 i Z eighborhood. This is an R-3 zone so we are concerned about such shings as how many people in the course of the day will drive up i automobiles to bring TVs or other things to be repaired by you. i i iAN HUNT: Okay. I 'm not sure. . . �HAIRMAN MARTIN: How much noise your particular. . . etc. ;E *N HUNT: Okay. Right now we are in a residential zone in that we i re right across from the Hancock Housing projects and we've been ere for, I think, four years April - and apparently haven' t causd t I y problems because I 've never received any complaints . As far as i, 4p' ise is concerned, it would be negligible - it would be non-existen I �ecause most of what we are working on is going to be TVs, some i eros but when you work on stereos you don't turn them up particulaily js o I !� I I '.loud - you run them into dummy loads . As far as traffic is con- i jcerned, probably - I think the most traffic we 've every had is 1paybe three cars parked out in front - customer cars and most of the ;Mime usually it' s a situation where one customer comes in, leaves , ianother customer comes in and leaves so I don' t think there would ( e any significant amount of traffic. There is very little parking l I here we are located presently - like two spaces and there has neve] een a parking jam so apparently its not a problem. R. GASTEIGER: How many cars from your employees? AN HUNT: Right now there would be well right now there are four mployees but at any one time there is usually only two cars there. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: So of your four designated spaces, presumably two �i ill be used by your employees and that would leave two for custome S. AN HUNT: Yes - correct. i HAIRMAN MARTIN: And - I don' t have the plan in front of me but ar he two that are designated for you reasonably close to the portion f the building which you will be occupying? AN HUNT: Yes. HAIRMAN MARTIN: Question? I R. VAN MARTER: I 'd like to ask the hours of operation please? I i PAN HUNT: We are .open to the public from 9 to S - Monday through hursday; 9 to 7 on Friday and 10 to 1 P.M. on Saturday. I R. VAN MARTER: Thank you. �R. KASPRZAK: Do you make house calls? �AN HUNT: We do from time to time, yes, on some things. ! ii R. KASPRZAK: It' s not -an everyday event kind of thing? AN HUNT: No - right now we do it if we do it at all , we do it o ! Tuesdays and Fridays and we don't have a van at this point. It ' s �I one with a car. HAIRMAN MARTIN: Further questions? What sort of sign will you j ave? )AN HUNT: Probably the same sign that we have now which is about - i ($ would guess 3 x 3 maybe. It' s just a painted sign mounted against) the building. =i If t I - 12 - ,� 1 i IPHAIRMAN MARTIN: Further questions? Thank you. ;DAMES TURNER: I was waiting to see if there was any opposition, or # 'anything. I 'm representing the Ad People, my name is James Turner I 14nd I 'm a sign painter by profession and my business partner is ii ernard Rowe who has an advertising agency. Together we combined I tur talents and for the past four years we have been located right ;.round in the joining building here on South Cayuga Street. Well, j is a pretty nice third floor suite but its pretty hard to get 4 xI sheets of plywood in to paint up for some signs and even though we haven' t received any complaints from anyone yet, we do have a table aw up there that I know makes some noise and trying to letter a 1fruck is definitely out of the question. So figure that I lose a 1t 'f business by not having a garage so that I can perform these r ecessary services in. This particular building is about the most s E 11actical thing for a site for our operation mainly because of the eight of the ceilings . We do a lot of sub contract work for Park utdoor and with the height of the ceilings we are able to get in he size of the outdoor panels, paint them up there instead of having o count on the weather to run out and paint them in the field or ij ravel to Elmira to their plant. And even their plant in Elmira ; i oesn' t have the actual ceiling height that this one does. Now our i lans are that there is a big overhead garage door — there are two i ! �Lctual garage door entrances - its all stone structure - its got a Oig furnace in it that will be completely enclosed with the 2 hr. iating. We plan on putting in a partition with a second story art oft so that when you walk in the main door you would enter a small i �ffice, we would have a small conference room for working out detail #nd a loft where we can do some of our art work, for newspaper layo#s 4nd that sort of thing. The remainder of the shop which would be �" bout 28 ' wide by the 40 ' length would house the truck lettering bay; i 6 4nd our basic construction. �HAIRMAN MARTIN: Questions? R. GASTEIGER: Just the two employees - there are two automobiles? i' i! 13 - I j! :�R. TURNER: Yes, right. Probably at any given time there wouldn' t ! i ,�e any more than two people there - there might be a salesman and a !Client or something. We get a lot of salesmen. SIR. GASTEIGER: I didn' t get the bit about painting trucks. Is 1� here a garage entrance or . . . H �R. TURNER: Yes. It does. It actually has two overhead doors Ili robably only one of them we would actually use and its a large doo r (� 2 ' x 13' high, I believe, and the driveway goes right around the ack of the building and Mr. Albanese is in the process now of clear_ o ng it up and I 've been down there doing a fair share myself. Theyj ave poured concrete where it was necessary for the start of the Renovations . IFHAIRMAN MARTIN: The kind of painting you do is not painting that I igenerates fumes or . . . iKR. TURNER: No sir. Very little spray painting. I wouldn' t say that there wouldn't be any because sometimes there is but we don't et into any say - massive highway signs where you spray. Spray Minting would only be on something like maybe a plastic sign face s nd the fumes would be very very nil. HAIRMAN MARTIN: And the amount of traffic in the course of the ay - people coming and going? R. TURNER: Well - what can I say - probably wouldn' t be more than I ne-half a dozen people a day coming and going. It would be kind ofl ice if it was more you know, business-wise, but I couldn't guarante hat. ]JR. GASTEIGER: How about your own sign? Where would you place it? ow large would it be? f'IIS R. TURNER: Well, that' s something I haven' t had an awful lot to etermi-ne about. Being way in the back of the building, I was hopin ossibly - I realize I would have had to - you know submit some kind! 1 f a sketch for approval anyway but there are or there is a clause it 4 n the sign ordinance that says that you are allowed a directional was I i n and just kind of ho g j ping for maybe a small one out on the I It i ;I �i i; i - 14 - , I I f! Iey Street side to point people in to the back of the building and I{ then maybe a small sign - needless to say, I realize that it is 5 quare feet in that area - a sign that would be suitable just to i ijail on the wall - I mean lag - screw a lag on the wall - so people bnow that if they do come in from the Dey Street side that that ' s ou� I building and then something over the door on the opposite side which it I s - parallels Dey - I can' t think of the name of the street - I uburn Street, is it? , C HAIRMAN MARTIN: Further questions? R. GREENBERG: What would be the fire hazard of your operation? R. TURNER: Wouldn' t be any at all. It ' s mostly we 'd have just I I few gallons of paint and, of course, we keep them tightly covered.; here wouldn' t be any wood stored where the paint would be. Most ofi, -Jhe paints are not what you consider a high volatile paint. They �re a synthetic paint which are used primarily for lettering in the ' ign trade. Nothing with fumes or combustible material. j CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Any more questions? Thank you Mr. Turner. I , ONATHON CATRELL: My name is Jonathon Catrell and I am a partner n Sawtooth Builders , the building company. Presently we are working i ut of 770 Elm Street Extention and hope to get a shop downtown where e can consolidate our business and have an office where we can keep I I ecords, storage, etc. I I HAIRMAN MARTIN: Your work will be done really off premises, or ost of it will? r R. CATRELL: Most of it, yes . We would do some shop work there but ost of our work is new construction and remodeling which would be i one on the premises . However, we would be interested in having a i hop where we could do some shop work - some cabinetry work and that' ort of thing instead of doing it on the job as we presently do, be-! ause its much easier to control the work process if you can work I :In an area where the tools are set up and that sort of thing. R. KASPRZAK: Would that be the largest items that you would be i onstructing on in the shop, cabinetry? 1IR. CATRELL: Cabinetry - yes, definitely. �I I I� I I I I {- i w i 11:MR. KASPRZAK: You wouldn' t be doing wood trussels and that sort Ilof thing would you? !MR. CATRELL: Oh no. We do that on the job, if we did it. E MR. GASTEIGER: But you would have to have a table saw? IIMR. CATRELL: Yes, we would have a table saw, �ICHAIRMAN MARTIN: How would you baffle the sound that you generate,) {from the other tenants? i �iMR. CATRELL: Well, we plan on the Circuitry is going to be right j next door to us and they have to have it very Quiet because they i have to listen to a lot of very low tones on electronic gear so �Iwe are going to put up a double insulated wall between us and if that is not adequate we're going to put sound proof panels on the 1 wall over that. The building itself is of masonry construction I and we are going to put up frame walls inside, insulate those and f put sheet rock over them. And there is also an inside courtyard which we can open windows to if we need ventilation if we are making noise so we don' t open it out into the street. 4 CHAIRMAN MARTIN: And what vehicles are associated with your busine s? { MR. CATRELL: We have one truck at the present time and may have another one - pick-up truck but that is - at the most it would be I I there in the morning and in the afternoon picking up and dropping toff supplies and I would imagine during the course of the day, ther0 I would be at most probably two people or two vehicles there most people being out on jobs . The limited amount of space would limit the number of people who could work there efficiently. As far as customers go very you know, once or twice a week I would imagin� something of that sort we don' t have much. I CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Alright, are there questions? R. VAN MARTER: Number of employees? R. CATRELL: There' s eight partners at the present time. R. VAN MARTER: Is it possible they might all assemble at one time; l,at the shop? I �R. CATRELL: I would think so yes , possibly in the morning they would all be there. Not necessarily though. { 1 ;f 1 I I - 16 - I JIMR. GASTEIGER: You have a doorway into one of your parking spaces .' 11It seems to me that may be an impractical arrangement . . . Is that I' jkyour main doorway to your area? IMR. CATRELL: The double door? Yes it is. It will be Mr. Albanese .and we are going to put in a double door now instead of an overhead 'door which we would be able to be one-half be opened. I think the i I�parking place has an intention of being far enough away from the ibuilding so that there would be a walk space behind it 3 or 4' dike a sidewalk area or . . . I CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Further questions? , MR. VAN MARTER: Are there existing double doors on that Dey Street side now? I MR. CATRELL: There ' s an overhead door there' s a large garage overhead door. And to allow easier access without having to con- stantly be opening a large door we thought it would be better to put in two doors that open from the center out so that one would i operate just like a normal 3' wide entryway. ! CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Any more questions? 1 i MR. GASTEIGER: And his sign. What are you going to do about a sigh? qMR. CATRELL: I think we would just have a simple small - it would i be like the style of the sign that Clever Hans has up - just with Sawtooth Builders written on it block letters about 3 - 4 ' long by 6 8" high, I guess. On the corner of the building there E facing Dey Street. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Okay. Thank you. Now, are there any more ques- I� i tions for Mr. Albanese before we invite any other people here to i speak? Mr. Albanese could you return for a final summary? i R. GASTEIGER: What are the depths of your parking spaces? NIR. ALBANESE: They are 12 ' x 81-,' - oh, they are 18 ' x 81-,.1 . Wouldnrt I get much of a car in there. There is about 27 parking spaces on th� i ��hole building, We 'd be using less than half of them, I HAIRMAN MARTIN: Can you clear up the problem . . . I mean R. GASTEIGER: I just don't see . . . . this can be counted as a ; arking space, that' s all. You've allotted two spaces to Sawtooth i i I; I � I 17 - ?} E i `i Builders and you are putting in a double door in one of these << spaces. It would seem to me that . . . .i I MR. ALBANESE: Could I take a look at it with you? (Mr. Albanese and Mr. Gasteiger studied the plot plan which out- Pined the parking spaces . Their exchange of conversation was not ipicked up by the tape recorder. ) ! CHAIRMAN MARTIN: If we are having exchanges which should go in the ! record then . . . MR. ALBANESE: Well, I have the - there is one parking lot here in front of the door which they could use . . . ' CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Right - one . . . alright one spot in front of the door. MR. ALBANESE: I don' t know whether you could use it or not. There, are two, five, ten . . . MR. GASTEIGER: Well, I was just raising the objection that this should not be counted as a parking space, j �IMR. ALBANESE: Yes, but that could be used as a parking space it � I 11is a useable parking space. I wouldn' t want anybody else in this ; area but they could probably park there. I�MR. GASTEIGER: Well, if they have eight partners and only two 1lparking spaces, one of them having to do with getting into and out ! 11of their shop, it just doesn' t seem like a very good arrangement, LMR. ALBANESE: Well, there will be able to park over here - this ids Mall one parking area. This here is a driveway, it goes all the wayj 1 ! around the building here. There is a drive here, and one here. I LMR. GASTEIGER: Could I ask you something that has to do with the general appearance of the building - one of the early things dis ' cussed was maintaining the appearance in that this was what they Ithe Landmark Improvement? i t MR. ALBANESE: It was proposed but it never went through, j MR. GASTEIGER: I was wondering if there is no way that you could arrange for uniform signage on the whole building instead of having" Leach person express himself. I don't suppose that' s relevant is its? ti li f �� I - 18 - I ! Is that our business or not? l l ( CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Well , it becomes our business if they start ask- ' ling for sign variances - or variances from the sign ordinance but i lits not our business , I would think, as long as they are planning [ on complying with the space and location. �lMR. GASTEIGER: It' s just I was concerned that it' s going to be cui : up in a great variety of signs and it will also lose its original jappearance. MR. ALBANESE: I would like to keep them uniform, I mean if that' d ; at all possible. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Murray you had a question? MR. VAN MARTER: Yes . Early on a variance had a stipulation of no ' outside storage. Does that apply also to each of those tenants that we are considering tonight? } i MR. ALBANESE: Right. i MR. VAN MARTER: I would like to have that in the records. ', CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Alright. i IMR. VAN MARTER: Number two, I would like to question the parking of an enclosed trailer van on the lot as outside storage. MR. ALBANESE: Well , those are temporary. We usually keep them ons Ila job but we are planning on getting rid of those. That 's part of ! i the parking right now. But those are only temporary. i CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Are there further questions for Mr. Albanese? MR. TURNER: May I make a statement? ' MR. MARTIN: Yes . i; �MR. TURNER: As a sign man, I would like to first of all say I ii would object to having to have a sign to identify my business that i looks like Clever Hans because Clever Hans made their own sign j E after using some of my expertise free advice, and went out and j i made their own with these store bought letters and I don' t particu- larly care for them. Mine would be a hand painted sign reflecting the character of my business but I would be more than happy to work' i with Tony in the development of other signs to have some form of conformity. �i i ;i II - 19 - .I I. MR. GASTEIGER: You may not be aware but there was sort of a his- I Itorical aspect to this - it' s in an R-3 zone and there was some Dearly discussion about trying to maintain this building and some E � of the variances that were allowed was to tentatively maintain the ; Ijbuilding partly as a landmark. Now that has not come to a formalil �ization as I understand it. iMR. ALBANESE: Not yet, no. SMR. GASTEIGER: But we were influenced by this that' s the point i I want to make. j (I MR. VAN MARTER: Can we review the inventory of present tenants? i We 've got Albanese Plumbing, we 've got Clever Hans, the book sale still there? MR. ALBANESE: Yes . MR. VAN MARTER: Do you have another? MR. ALBANESE: NO. i MR. VAN MARTER: Okay. Three present tenants . . . CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Plus these proposed. i MR. VAN MARTER: There more, right? Thank you. MR. ALBANESE: There was one there that was down there but they are gone so . . . CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Alright. Thank you. Now, is there anyone else here this evening who would like to be heard on this case - are there others who would like to speak in favor of the requested variances? Is there anyone who would like to speak in opposition? I Alright, we' ll move on then to the next case. t I i I� w i i I I 1 11 i I� i) I i' .i i 20 - BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS j f CITY OF ITHACA I JUNE 6, 1977 Ii I i I EXECUTIVE SESSION i APPEAL NO. 1160 ' CHAIRMAN MARTIN: I move that the requested use variances I in Case 1160, be granted to permit a v 1) small construction company doing remodelings and renovations , 2) an electrical fixture repair shop and 3) j � I a sign and advertising shop in the I property at 102 Adams Street on two Is conditions : 1) that the off-street parking designated for these uses which j was the subject of testimony by the owner, be marked in some fashion so as i to show that designation to customers i and employees of those businesses and 2) that some other spot be designated for Sawtooth Builders than the specific !� parking spot immediately in front of the ; I door which furnishes access to their j premises (parking spot #21 on the map dated 2/77 submitted at the hearing. ) MR. KASPRZAK: I second the motion. FINDINGS OF FACT: 1. In earlier appeals concerning this property the Board made findings of i hardship that would support use variances!. i 2. According to the testimony presentedf the three uses which are the subject of i this variance request would not create ; undue traffic, noise or other problems for the neighborhood. I f f I III !I ! +{ I 21 - 1 I jAPPEAL-N9: -1160 (continued) j FINDINGS OF FACT: 3. A reasonable amount of off-street parking has been designated for the ' proposed uses - which with proper l ! �! identification ought to prevent a !i serious parking problem from develop ing on the street. , VOTE: YES 5 ; NO 0; ABSENT 1 i I i VARIANCE UNANIMOULY GRANTED i i i i I I i i `i i I i I I� I i I I I !i k I i 1 I I i i II it i Ij 22 - !j i BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS j CITY OF ITHACA JUNE 6, 1977 ii Secretary Jones announced the next case to be heard: i� APPEAL NO. 1161 : Appeal of the Tompkins County Chapter of the American Red Cross , for a varianc4 under Section 30. 25 , Column 4 and Section 30. 37-A-5, to enlarge the parking areas i I at the Chapter Headquarters at 201 West Clinton Street, in an R-3 use district. Mr. Richard Davidson is here to present this appeal. ( RICHARD DAVIDSON: As Mr. Jones stated, my name is Richard Davidson, EI 'm the executive director for the local chapter of the American Red Cross. With me this evening is Mr. Charlie Barber, one of our J �o activities chairman who has also been active in this project. I ! i see also in the audience, one of our next door neighbors, Mrs . I ( Werner, who may also like the opportunity of speaking. I have com1 pleted the application submitted and fi am not sure to what extent it has been shared with you. Basically we are asking for an area E variance to increase our parking capacity. As you may recall somel i two years ago we appealed to you folks. Your gracious thoughts i, 1consented that we should increase the size of our building. You i did in your acceptance of our request for variance at that time, ask that we consider the character of the building in putting on !6 that addition. In reviewing the matter, following your decision, and through some other circumstances we have found ways of making i , I�I some alterations on the interior of the building and thus not affedt- ing the exterior of the building at all, trying to maintain the , spirit of the character of the neighborhood that surrounds us. Be-1 i cause of that increase in space and usage and because of a couple Of , �Inew factors the primary factor being the conception of the Gad-abo�I which is a transportation project for the elderly and handicapped, we have found that our existing parking facilities seem inadequate Ifor lithe activities that we are carrying forth. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: What are your present facilities? I mean, what lis your parking capacity at the moment, that you are seeking to enhance? I j I i 23 - �1MR. DAVIDSON: Parking capacity at this point really allows for j ; only about five vehicles without getting into complicated problems ! is ,, with moving vehicles so that we can get one out. One of our i , greatest concerns being should I say a quasi-emergency organiza- i (ltion - in responding to the many situations that we do, is that 11we be able to move fairly readily. For instance, in a situation in the case of a disaster, we need to be able to move without hav+ to locate somebody to move their car and the - back and forth that ! I way. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: And how much are you seeking to add to that 1 capacity by the additions that require this area variance? i MR. DAVIDSON: The actual additional space will only increase the capacity about five vehicles . However, by adding that space we ca change the arrangement of the parking in such a way that we can benefit by an additional seven spaces. Using diagonal parking and ! lining, etc. we can increase our parking capacity in that way. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Seven plus the five? MR. DAVIDSON: No, seven total. In other words , what I am saying i i is the parking facilities that we have preclude the- most efficient use of that space and by adding a little bit more we can gain more , parking then what space we are actually adding. ! CHAIRMAN MARTIN: You were explaining how the Gad-about has added � to the pressure on your parking spaces. Can you explain in more detail how that happens, I mean, do those vehicles use your space? e MR. DAVIDSON: I would appreciate the opportunity of giving a lithe ( explanation of the program which I think will help clarify it. Tho Gad-about being a transportation project for the elderly and the i handicapped, utilizes the federal funding to purchase two van type i vehicles which are parked in our facilities. We have a project i coordinator and a projects dispatcher which are paid staff who wort¢ in the building which is an additional two cars. The drivers for ! this program, the people actually on the road doing this transport- ding are all volunteers and of whom we think very highly. Those people since there are two vans there is at any time usually two ' i I � ii ! i I( - 24 - f ' drivers who also park there plus some other related traffic as a j iresult of Gad-about. So there is an increase of usually six addi- '" I ' tional cars just for that one program. With an increase of staff i; " that we have found necessary to serve the community in the way tha �Ithe community seems to need our assistance, we now have five staff li Ilmembers total, three of them at any one time are apt to be parked I' there with vehicles. One of our personnel is a custodian who is young and does not have a vehicle and this , in a four year pattern, iseems to be the case that we continually stay with a young custodian i f1who does not have a vehicle of his own to park on the premises . ;; One of our concerns is that these volunteers are parking on the i I( street, staff members are parking on the street, which, frankly dos i snot bother me as a staff member, but what does bother me is the fact that staff excuse me, that volunteers for Gad-about or Ivolunteers for other programs are parking on the street which in ! I�Ithat area - is a two hour limit. Often their volunteer commitment f �! is for greater than the two hour period. These people are giving 1jof their own time to serve, not us , but the community in general, and are finding it more and more difficult to volunteer because they simply can't find a place to park. We are able to find a parking place precluding that parking capacity for the school system, the t other two medical related facilities in the area and our fine (neighbors, that are nearby us. Usually it works to the reverse since the school starts before we do in the morning and the nursing i ( homes in our area they usually grab all the street parking and Itherefore it is not available for us when we want it. I have taker jjthe liberty of talking with neighbors we did correspond with ourj �Ineighbors, as required by the variance, The neighbors that I have ; I Italked with -- which is a total of three have had no negative ireaction to this that includes neighbors on both sides of us. Mr;. i iiJones, when initially talking about this subject, suggested that we IImiht a g g approach our neighbor on the Geneva Street side looking at some additional space there that might be available. Apparently �Ithere is enough space between houses, structures, so that we could i€ �I I - 25 - !:!purchase, legally, a few feet there and increase that, without affecting our front lawn. I have talked with that present owner, Mr. !e i Pell. His reaction was not favorable and so it appears that that i�s ;'not an option for us at this time. But we did pursue it. s (CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Could you relate the parking needs generated by ii dyour present operation to the parking that you hope to have now with this proposed variance? That is, will it provide enough parking for the staff and the volunteers? or will you still be short? I, MR. DAVIDSON: I think it will provide the basic essentials. It will not be . . . ,CHAIRMAN MARTIN: You' ll end up with 12 spaces? Five plus the i1seven you add, or is my arithmetic wrong? IMR. DAVIDSON: Approximately that, yes . I have forgotten the actual count. I believe you are correct. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: And Gad-about, you say generates about six the two vans plus two staff members plus two volunteers? Alright. 1 i ,And then . . . i SMR. DAVIDSON: And we have one additional staff member leaving space i Efor the volunteers coming and going. I �ICHAIRMAN MARTIN: Alright. , MR. DAVIDSON: Also, I ask you to kindly recall, if you have been involved in first aid classes or any other type of training j, activity that Red Cross produces which is becoming more and more II required through some of the various laws that are coming forth, there is a great deal of carrying of splints, stretchers, cots and ! blankets, if a volunteer who is teaching this activity, for in- Istance in City Hall or the Fire Station or where ever, cannot find '; a place to park to pick up these supplies has to park a block down the street - which was suggested to us through other groups , and r has to carry all of these supplies that would involve a number of trips I think we would find a very highattrition rate of volunteehrs. (CHAIRMAN MARTIN: The question was raised at the Planning Board, I know, from their report, so It11 raise it again here. It seems from (your prior request for a variance and the request you bring to us b i li 43 I` i li i I? 'i 26 - i ! again this time, as though your operations are putting stress on a 1structure and site that are really too small for them. Have you i i 11explored the possibility of relocating to a place that would have it ;more capacity for parking and for courses and a range of other I ] things - very valuable things that you have grown into? 11MR. DAVIDSON: Yes we have. At the time we presented the past i� I175 when we presented that request for a variance and again now, and � I in fact through the course of the two years we were continually looking, keeping our eyes open for new possibilities. Given our I financial resources, the fact that we are voluntarily funded i i through United Fund - United Way - budget factors become a matter I fof consideration and to date we have not found or seen a capability] i of either acquiring an existing facility that would meet a greater ; !i I need or being able to build one at this point and we foresee in thel iInext few years that we would not be able to. The point was also raised at the Planning Board meeting that perhaps we could launch i ( a capital campaign which we have done in the past to do some of the renovations that we have already completed. United Way tries to control those fund campaigns for the sake of the community so that i several organizations are not knocking on your door at the same time. There are several organizations at this point which are on the United Way waiting list for capital type funding campaigns so if wej i were to begin thinking in that direction, it would be, at this I point, four years off at the earliest before we would have their i blessings in trying to raise a capital campaign for the community. I IiCHAIRMAN MARTIN: Further questions? i MR. GASTEIGER: I was wondering if it really would require a capital ! campaign? You own that property now? SMR. DAVIDSON: That is correct. ! I IMR. GASTEIGER: I just think that might serve as the capital needed'! i ,to do something else. i I�MR. DAVIDSON: It' s a possibility and if we can find something else! i 'Ithat - a way to make it, in a sense, an even exchange, dollar for I j i I j I' I I it �i i i - 27 - H ,' dollar for dollar in a sense - we would probably take that oppor- iJ tunity. ; CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Any further questions? j HDR. GREENBERG: Does the Senior Citizens or the McGraw Housing I ' has spacing that could be allowed for you? It ' s not you are not ; j `: too far away . . . i SMR. DAVIDSON: The Senior Citizens in the past, until we became ve�y i � ' congested, the Senior Citizens were using our driveway. That give 1you some concept of their capacity, and from time to time I 've had ! � to deliver or pick up a wheel chair or commode or something to McGraw House and while passing by in one of our vehicles, simply , drove in their driveway to park long enough to pick up something +land was informed by management that I was using their carefully guarded parking space so they are very tight also, i i 11CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Any more questions? Thank you. Now, you made reference to two other people who are here this evening, Would j either of you like to add to the testimony already presented? iCHARLES BARBER: My name is Charles Barber - I 'm a volunteer with i the Red Cross . I live on Linn Street. However, I have worked i with the Red Cross for approximately ten to fifteen years and I 've ; seen the needs of the Red Cross grow and if you are familiar with our present site, we have two parking spaces in the front of the ibuilding at the present time surrounded by a hedge which is out near �Ethe sidewalk. We 'd like to extend that one to make more efficient , use of it. Where our garage is now we have a fairly wide driveway ; Land if you drive over there during almost any day you' ll find cars : I parked next to a hedge that belongs to our good neighbor and the i l, fumes from these are destroying that hedge. We have constantly i �itried to talk people into not parking there. However, we have a 1Itree next to the building which precludes parking in beside the I , building and therefore, everybody pulls across the hedge. We felt ; 'jby adding this extra black top behind the hedge so that it would be . sheltered by the hedge, we could stop the people from parking in lithe driveway itself and then add a space in the back is where most ; it i i Ii - 28 !I 1of our volunteers come and go for Gad-about, etc. and we are plan- ;:fining to remove the rear steps of the - the former rear steps of lithe building that face Clinton Street which would make this space jin the back more readily available. Any questions? III MR. GASTEIGER: Would you change curb cuts at all to achieve this? !�R. BARBER: No. The curb cuts remain the same. I hope to raise 111enough money to repair the sidewalk though. i I1cHAIRMAN MARTIN: Any more questions? Thank you Mr. Barber. Now j I i is there anyone else who would like to be heard in favor of the Ir equested variance? � RCELLA WERNER: My name is Marcella Werner, 207 W. Clinton Street ! nd we live adjacent to the Red Cross. We would be very pleased to rave this new plan go through because right now, in addition to the ( damage to our hedge which, of course, is not of major concern, but till its been there for 55 years and we would kind of like to see �'t continue. With structured parking I think it would be a much eater appearance. Cars kind of park helter skelter now because hey have to and, as Mr. Davidson said, if someone comes in it in- k olves moving several cars sometimes to get the right one in and �ut. So we would be very much in favor of this . l CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like o be heard on this case anyone who would like to be heard in favor? Anyone who would like to be heard in opposition to the re_ uested variance? We' ll move on then to the next case. I a (i i� 4i y i i �i �� 6 +!+1 fi �I 29 - BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS CITY OF ITHACA JUNE 6, 1977 EXECUTIVE SESSION ! ,I ,I ;APPEAL N0. 1161 I IiCHAIRMAN MARTIN: I move that the requested area variance in case # 1161 be denied. R. KASPRZAK: I second the motion. I j FINDINGS OF FACT: I I 1. While there is no denying the public good done by the Red Cross and the value I� of the activities they carry on; the I testimony presented suggests that the I present building has difficulty furnishing i adequate quarters for them, 2 . To create adequate parking for the present activities, as the requested i variance would, causes a very significant reduction in the amount of yard not i. devoted to parking. VOTE: YES 4 ; NO 1 ; ABSENT 1 VARIANCE DENIED. i Ir s a I i I t i� I� r I �f it + I � j I H f 30 - I I i! BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, CITY OF ITHACA I• CITY HALL, ITHACA, NEW YORK j j JUNE 6, 1977 i. i�lSecretary Jones announced the next case to be heard: ! ifAPPEAL NO. 1158 Appeal of Steven Mensch for an area var- iance under Section 30. 25, Column 11, and SS a variance under Section 30. 37-A-5 (a) to construct a parking area for five automobiles in the front yard at 120 Highland Place, ini an R- 3 use district. i R. JONES: Mr. Steven Mensch is here to present his appeal. STEVEN MENSCH: I 'm Steve Mensch and I bought the property at 120 ! Highland Place last year. I think you have maps of the existing I ( parking plan and the proposed change. If you know that neighbor- hood, it ' s right in Collegetown below the bridge. It 's a tight curving street which is very hard to get down and in the winter it ' � very difficult because the snow piles up and its almost impassable. i The existing parking of the apartment building that I bought is particularly difficult to negotiate. The terrain slopes rapidly away from the street, the parking goes downhill from the street so people have to accelerate to get up onto the street and its just, i in general, very difficult and very messy looking. So, I 've begun � to refurbish the building in general and am trying to improve the appearance of it and one of the things I would like to do is to try! to organize the parking. Not only from the standpoint of having it look better but to try to make it a little less dangerous becaus (right now there are a lot of bumped fenders and stuff right there. As you probably noted, it requires a curb cut which I which is th purpose of this variance I guess . HAIRMAN MARTIN: Right. Are you going to be increasing the amount 10 space devoted to parking or simply grading it and organizing it s you put it? R. MENSCH: Actually, its decreasing the amount of square footage It hat's parked down there. j HAIRMAN MARTIN: But increasing the amount of effective parking pace? f �R, MENSCH: Yes. You can see the existing parking pattern which i! i' 31 - I lis very inefficient. And I would like to turn some of that back i Linto planting. !CHAIRMAN MARTIN: How many units are there in the apartment house? MR. MENSCH: Four ( CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Four units . i R. MENSCH: Right. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: You will be grading then, the space so that it iso approximately level with the street? You will not have the backing! jup problem . . . 1 i R. MENSCH: As near as I can. No, I would build a retaining wall Ion the downhill side and try to bring the whole parking area up to i Ithe level of the street - as nearly as I could. , CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Do the garbage cans create a variance problem fori s or are we only concerned with the parking? R. MENSCH: I think they may. HAIRMAN MARTIN: They figure prominently enough on the drawing Ii hough maybe . . . 1 i SIR. MENSCH: I think that to bury anything that close to the curb Jkequires a variance. ! HAIRMAN MARTIN: Alright, R. MENSCH: And the ground at that point , beyond the garbage cans I � s almost vertical so there is no way to move it back. �R. GASTEIGER: Won't you have a problem protecting people from ripping on the lids of those garbage cans? Now it is built up -t is boxed in? There is not much danger of people tripping over that, R. MENSCH: Well people don' t walk there but maybe that ' s because he box is there, I hadn' t thought of that. I don't know- if that I would be - present a problem of that kind or not. There is not a idewalk there - it ' s not used as a public thoroughfare now. HAIRMAN MARTIN: The sidewalk is on the other side of the R. MENSCH: The sidewalk starts as it ' s shown in that drawing i eyond the garbage cans. HAIRMAN MARTIN: Are there questions? I I 32 - I 1 j 11MR. GASTEIGER: Will you have grading problems - it looks to me lilike you are coming back from the gorge. MENSCH: Yes . ` I SMR. GASTEIGER: Instead of going toward it so it shouldn' t be too , difficult then to achieve this. R. MENSCH: No I have to put in a retaining structure. �IMR. GASTEIGER: How many there are four apartments how are they ('typically rented - groups of students . . . R. MENSCH: - Yes, they are usually - well couples or groups. There) Aare usually three or four occupants per floor. There is one apart- ! ent on each floor. R. GASTEIGER: So that you are dealing with twelve to sixteen people. i Do you have any . . . CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Is that right? That many people? R. MENSCH: I would say yes - typically twelve. R. GASTEIGER: How many cars? R. MENSCH: Well, I 'd say - they - I 'm required to provide one per nit and that' s what I guarantee them. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Further questions? Murray . . . R. VAN MARTER: You think you can get a permit for a curb cut like this? I R. MENSCH: Well, I talked with the Department of Public Works and jit seems possible if it goes beyond this point . . . i R. JONES: There is Mr. Cox' s signature . . . R. VAN MARTER: It looks to me like quite a lot of engineering . . j you are very close to the right of way - street right of way - it would seem. j i HAIRMAN MARTIN: Okay, the red statement - or it 's not red, but on , ur zerox copy attached to the application is a notation about the ( urb cut. R. MENSCH: By who? R. JONES: Philip Cox, the city engineer. HAIRMAN MARTIN: By the city engineer. Are there further question$? I I (! i i� Ii 33 - !1IR. GASTEIGER: Yes - the notation - a minimum of a 4 ' raised curb r itis that your retaining form? i ijCHAIRMAN MARTIN: No. Talking about the curb coming on over there j from the left. The insistence that it not be all curb - all cut. I R. JONES: That' s to move it in off the property line. R. GASTEIGER: I see. This is linear 41 ? ! CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Yes. There' s a little drawing these .. I !MR. GASTEIGER: I see it. Right. Thanks. jMR. KASPRZAK: Can you in any way locate those garbage cans in i another spot? I IMR. MENSCH: Well, because of the way the land falls, really there is no other place . Within 10' of the street you are one floor lbelow the street and within another 20 ' you are two stories below the street. MR. KASPRZAK: T was wondering whether you couldn' t put it somewhere within the parking area you know, so that a truck picking it up wouldn't have difficulties looking for it - loading, reload, unload. . . 1MR. MENSCH: i don't think there would be a way to do it unless I put it beyond the cars which would not snake it any easier for the truck. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: Any more questions? � MR. GASTEIGER: Why did the Planning Board r why were they cool to this? I I�CHAIRMAN MARTIN: I don' t believe they were. IMR. GASTEIGER: Oh, I thought they were. Okay. CHAIRMAN MARTIN: I think we've heard all the questions , are there Jany further? Thank you Mr. Mensch. Is there anyone else who i would like to be heard on this case? If not, then that concludes 11 this portion of the public hearing. The Board will go into executive h ' session to deliberate on the cases it has heard testimony on and ithen we will reconvene briefly to announce the results. Meeting adjourned into executive session at 8 : 45 P.M. !I !� I ;t 34 - BOARD OF ZQNING APPEALS I CITY OF ITHACA f JUNE 6, 1977 I EXECUTIVE SESSION i�APPEAL NO. 1158 R. 'VAN MARTER: I move that the area variance be granted. i CHAIRMAN MARTIN: I second the motion. A FINDINGS OF FACT: � I 1. According to the testimony and plot i plan attached to the application there is presently provided five off-street parking I spaces. i� jj 2. The application relates to provision for improvement of the lot by re-grading )� and the alteration of an existing curb cut. ' iI Is 3, This Board does not have jurisdiction 4 i over the width of curb cut but the appli- cation was presented to permit the continu-i I ation of parking in a required front yard. (VOTE: YES 5 ; NO 0; ABSENT 1 Variance granted I i I i I I i i I I I i I I i I I I�I i li I �i I �{ I I 1� I; �II i{ I I� t I E - 36 - �j i i' I , Barbara Ruane, Do Certify that I took the minutes of the Board of Zoning Appeals, City of Ithaca, in the matters of Appeals I ;! Numbered 1159, 1160, 1161 and 1158 , on June 6, 1977 at City Hall , l PCity of Ithaca, New York; that I have transcribed same, and the � i a true co of the transcript of the minutes of the foregoing s copy p I A I{ meeting and the Executive Session of the Board of Zoning Appeals , City of Ithaca, on the above date, and the whole thereof to the s � I I, best of my ability. i I I i I Barbara C. Ruane Recording Secretary Ila i I i Sworn to before me this I da 1977 . I y of �� I Ij Notary Public Note Y c ite Cf u 64 3 QuaL:isd in T t aaty Term Exp.''- I I I 1 I � I l! I I I I� II i I I II I I � ii II it I