HomeMy WebLinkAboutZBA Minutes 2024-08-27 Town of Ithaca
Notice of Public Hearing
Zoning Board of Appeals
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 @ 6:00 p.m.
215 N. Tioga St.
ZBAA-24-11 Appeal of Matthew Bollinger and Ann Weber, owners of 232 Troy Rd,
Ithaca, NY, 14850; are seeking relief from Town of Ithaca Code sections 270-56C
(Permitted accessory buildings and uses) and 270-219.2A (limitations on home
occupations) Town of Ithaca Code section 270-56C allows for a maximum aggregate
footprint of all accessory buildings to exceed 600 sq.ft. where the lot is less than 3
acres, where the applicant is proposing to exceed the total aggregate footprint area for
all accessory buildings on site by approximately 555 sq.ft. due to the lot only being 1.9
acres. Town Ithaca Code section 270-219.2A allows for a maximum area of 25% of the
floor space of the dwelling or 500 sq.ft. to be used as a home occupation (whichever is
less), where the applicant is proposing to use approximately 1 000 sq.ft for a home
occupation. The current property is located in the Low-Density Residential Zone, Tax
Parcel No. 45.-2-11.
The meeting will be held in-person with the option for the public to also attend by video
conferencing through the Zoom App. The meeting can be accessed, and you can
provide comments during the public hearing by going to www.zoom.us - Join Meeting -
Meeting ID 852-5587-1576. You can also call into the Zoom meeting by telephone at +1
(929 436 2866) to listen to the meeting and provide comments during the public
hearing. You can also provide comments via email before and during the meeting to
Town Clerk Paulette Rosa at townclerl<�townithacany.gov. For more information on
how to access the meeting and project application meeting materials, or how to submit
a comment before or during the meeting, please visit the Town of Ithaca s website and
click on Meeting Agendas. If there are any questions pertaining to this public hearing,
contact Marty Moseley at mmoseleyatownitha.cany. Gov or 607-273-1783.
Marty Moseley
Director of Code Enforcement
Town of Ithaca
Zoning Board of Appeals
August 27, 2024
Minutes
Present: Board Members David Squires, Chair; Chris Jung, Connor Terry, Kim Ritter (via
ZOOM), and Matthew Minnig
Mairty Moseley, Director of Code Enforcer cnt; Ashley Colbert, Deputy Town Clerk; and Susan
Brock,, Attorney for the Town
Mr. Squires opened the meeting at 6:00 p.m.
• ZBAA-24-11 Appeal of Matthew Bollinger and Ann Weber, owners of 232 Troy Rd,
LDR, TP 45.-2-11, seeking relief from Town of Ithaca Code sections 270-56C
(Permitted accessory buildings and uses.) which allows for a maximum aggregate
footprint of all accessory buildings not to exceed 600 sq.ft. where the lot is less than
3 acres, where the proposal is to exceed that by approximately 555 sq.ft. on a lot of
1.9 acres; and 270-219.2A (limitations on home occupations) which allows for a
maximum area of 25% of the floor space of the dwelling or 500 sq.ft. (whichever is
less), to be used as a home occupation, where the proposal is to use approximately
1,000 sq.ft for a home occupation.
Mr. Squires complimented Mr. Bollinger on his application re-submission, saying it was one of
the most thorough he has seen in his tenure.
Mr. Bollinger thanked him, saying he learned a lot at the previous meeting, and he took pains to
address all of the concerns raised.
He said he added more drawings of the proposed building and there were concerns about future
uses for industrial work and he hoped the additional drawings would show that that would be
difficult.
Public Hearing
Mr. Squires opened the public hearing. There was no one present and the hearing was closed.
Determination
Mr. Squires noted the issue at the last meeting was regarding the home occupation and it not
being listed in the legal ad as it was an unknown use until the meeting.
He asked if any members had concerns with the area variance or the home occupation.
There were none.
ZBA 2024-087-27 (Filed 9/17) Pg. 1
SEAR Determination
It was noted that SEQR is required for the home occupation use.
ZBAA-24-11 SEAR
232 Troy Rd, LDR, TP 45.-2-11
Resolved that this Board makes a negative determination of environmental significance based
upon the information in Parts I & 2 and for the reasons stated in Part 3.
Moved: David Squires Seconded.- Connor Terry
Vote- ayes — Squires, Terry, Jung, Mining, Ritter
Determination
ZBAA-24-11 Area Variance
232 Troy Rd, LDR, TP 45.-2-11
Resolved that this Board grants the appeal of Matthew Bollinger and Ann Weber, owners of 232
Troy Rd, LIT, TP 45.-2-11, seeking relief from Town of Ithaca Code sections 270-56C
(Permitted accessory buildings and uses) and 270-219.2A (limitations on home occupations), to
be permitted to construct a 1,000 sift accessory building to be used as an artist stud 1 o/workshop,
with,the following
Conditions
1. That the building be constructed substantially as shown on the application materials
submitted for the August 27, 2024 meeting, and
2. That the hone occupation being granted is that of an artists studio/workshop only
and with the following
Findings
That the benefit to the occupant outweighs any detriment to the health safety and welfare of the
community., specifically
I That the benefit the applicant wishes to achieve can be achieved by any other means
feasible in that there are commercial spaces elsewhere, but, nevertheless, the applicant
has provided evidence that the space needed is scarce in the area and prohibitively
expensive, and sufficient space for the unique type of art practiced is not readily
available,, and
Page 2 of 3
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.2. That there will not be an undesirable change in neighborhood character or to nearby
properties as the design is complementary to the existing home and will be located on the
lot and in a position that it will be hidden from the street view by topography and existing
mature vegetation and the home occupation will not generate an increase in traffic above
normal anticipated traffic in the neighborhood, and
,-. 3. That the request is substantial in that 500 sqft is the maximum permitted for a home
occupation where 1,000 sqft is being approved, and the maximum aggregate of accessory
buildings is 6 00 sq ft where 1,15 5 sqft is being granted, but, this is mitigated by no S EQR
needed for the area variance and the placement of the building and the limited home
occupation and associated traffic, and
4. That there..will not be an adverse,,phy si cal. or environmental affects.as evidenced by the
negative determination under SE , and
5. That the alleged difficult is-self-created in that the applicant wishes to have his
studio/workshop on his property rather than elsewhere, but this is mitigated for the reason
stated above, and additionally, the type of.art the applicant practices involves very large
structures and canvasses that are not easily accommodated in standard commercial or
residential structures.
Moved: David Squires Seconded: Connor Terry
Vote: ayes— Squires, Terry, Jung, Mining, Ritter
Other Ik
Mr. Moseley previewed upcoming appeals.
The meeting was adjourned upon motion by Mr. Squires, seconded by Mr. Terry; unanimous.
Submitted by
Ashley Colbert, Deputy Town Clerk
ZBA 2024-087-27 (Filed 9/17) Pg. 3