HomeMy WebLinkAboutProject narrative 207 Kelvin PlaceProposed addition at 207 Kelvin Place, Village of Cayuga Heights, New York
Project Narrative
12.1.2013
207 Kelvin Place is an existing 2-1/2 story multiple residence with 4 dwelling units containing a total of 10
bedrooms, and a 647sf garage with 3 storage bays. The property is in a Multiple Residence Zone.
Applicant proposes to renovate the existing 647sf garage space (see drawing EC-1) into living space and
add a second floor over the rear of the existing garage structure to create an additional 1061sf 4 bedroom
apartment. (Drawings A-1 & A-2) The proposed 414sf addition is to be constructed on top of the existing
garage footprint and will not increase the building footprint or existing lot coverage, nor alter any of the
current setbacks. The resulting building would have 5 units and a total of 14 bedrooms.
As documented with the City of Ithaca, the applicant currently has 8 parking spaces on the property in a
gravel parking area. Four of these spaces are currently in use by residents of the building. Because this
building is in a neighborhood with characteristics similar to residential neighborhoods in the City of Ithaca,
such as medium density, walkability, proximity to Cornell, and easy access to transit, it makes sense to
base the number of parking spaces on City standards, as opposed to some more sub-urban or rural
standard. The City standard would require one space per dwelling unit of 3 bedrooms or less, and two for
each four bedroom unit. The building currently has four units, a 1 bedroom, a 2 bedroom, a 3 bedroom
and a 4 bedroom. Therefore the 1, 2, and 3 would require one space each, and the 4 would require 2
more for a total of 5 spaces. Adding another 4 bedroom unit as proposed would require 2 more spaces,
for a total of 7.
Alternatively, because this building will in most cases be rented to a student demographic, one could
apply the parking requirements from the Collegetown Parking Overlay Zone which are in practice
generally more stringent than the general parking regulation, requiring one space per 2 bedrooms,
regardless of the number of units. In this case howev er the requirement is still 7 spaces, since there are
14 bedrooms proposed.
Regardless, the applicant proposes to retain all 8 existing parking spaces and make site improvements to
insure that they are of an appropriate size and clearly delineated. Two additional spaces can be held in
reserve if needed, though the applicant prefers this area to remain as green-space. (See site plan, L-1)
The parking is intended to remain gravel so as not to increase storm-water runoff.
The proposed addition will be in a traditional architectural style in keeping with the neighborhood, with
details such as horizontal banding and bay windows which complement the existing building. Exterior
finish materials will include wood clapboard siding and shakes, closely matching those of the existing
structure. (See drawings A-3, A-4 & A-5) The addition is entirely to the rear of the property and will not
change the appearance of the front of the building facing Kelvin Place. Though the building is in the
Cornell Heights Historic District, the applicant is not seeking historic preservation funding or any other
public funding for the project, and as such has no obligations to historic preservation.