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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BZA-1970-03-02 BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, CITY OF ITHACA, CITY HALL, MARCH 29 1970 APPEALS NOS. 865 and 866 PRESENT: JOHN BENTKOWSKI, Acting Chairman DONALD LUCENTE JAMES ROGAN FRANK ALO BEVERLY MARTIN EDISON JONES, Building Commissioner & Secretary THE CHAIR: Opens meeting, informing Appellants that he is acting as such Acting Chairman until the full Board is present, and that there will be only five members voting at this meeting. Both appellants wish to be heard. THE CHAIR: The first case is Number 8651, the Appeal of Robert J. C1une as agent for Barbara Stewart of 1009 Beachwood Lane, Vestal, New York, for an exception and variance at 210-225 North Aurora Street, Ithaoa, New York, and 307 East Buffalo Street, Ithaca, New York. Exception pertains to side yard requirements, and variance to expansion of non-conforming use under provisions of Section 7, Columns 2 and 141, in a 3-2 district. -2- ROBERT J. CLUNE: Mr. Temporary Chairman, as some members may recall, an appeal was before this Board on December 2nd, at which time the application was denied without prejudice, to return, to answer certain questions. This appeal involves Patterson's Mobil Station premises, What Was originally before this Board was an appeal, which would change what is now Jim's Fixit Shop, which is on North Aurora Street, into an additional bay, as well as the razing of the building on East Buffalo Street, directly in back of the gas station. At that time the Board denied the appeal, and asked us to return without prejudice with more definite plans with respect to the parking area proposed on the site where there is now a house, on the south side of Buffalo Street east of the intersection with North Aurora Street. This house is immediately next to George Solomon's home on Buffalo Street. We are also here to show how many oars would be acoommo- dated in such proposed parking area, by tearing down that structure immediately to the rear of the gas station; also as to how many parking meters would be affected by the approval of this variance, as well as indiotting what curb outs would be necessary. I have for your considera- tion this evening plans which we did not have at the previous meeting, which should show what these answers are. L Appellant's Exhibit 1 marked for identi- ficationg being proposed plan MR. CLUNE: And I would call Mr. Boehleoke to answer some questions. ROBERT BCEHLECRE, questioned by Mr. Cluneq answered as follows: Q. What is your profession? A. Architect. Q. Are you duly licensed to practice your profession inthe State of New York? A. yes. Q. For how long have you been so licensed? A. Five years. Q. Do you practice that profession in Tompkins County? A. Yes, with offices at 119 West Green Street, Q. I show you Appellant's Exhibit 1, and ask if you can identify that? A. Yes, this exhibit is plans which I prepared. Q. Is that exhibit relevant to the proposed variance at the intersection of Aurora and Buffalo Streets with respect to the Patterson Mobil Gas Station? A. Yes, they reflect his plans. -3- Q, By the way, have you shown these plans to the City Engineer and the Department of Public Works? A. Yes, I have at one time and discussed it and made minor changes and discussed the plans again, and he felt at that time that it was sat- isfactory to him. Q. They have approved these plans as refTeoted in Appellant's Exhibit 11 A. I do not know if it is a formal approval. He indicated it was satis- factory. r Q. Did you discuss any proposed curb cuts? A. Yes. Q. Did you agree with them that there would be no curb outs whatsoever on East Buffalo Street? A. That is right - agreed not to alter the existing curb outs. Q. Is there a storm sewer on East Buffalo Street at present? A. Yes, with a catch basin just to the east of the curb out. It does not show on this drawing. Q. Would you mark in the general area where that is? A. Yes. �.. Q. Do the plans as they appear on Exhibit 1 in any way affect in any fashion that storm sewer? A. No, they do not. Q. In your plans does it demonstrate the number of parking areas that would be available in the area where the existing house is? A. Yes, a minimum of thirteen oars could be parked very easily. Q. Referring to the same exhibit, are there any curb outs necessitated on Aurora Street? A. Yes, as shown, it would require extending the curb out approximately 15 feet back to the south to allow easy access to the new service bay. Q. Was that proposed to the City Engineer and the Department of Public Works? A. Yes. Q. Now, referring to Exhibit 1, do you have on page 2 of that exhibit the additional bay that would be in the area of Jim's Fixit Shop? A. Yea, the upper drawing on the right hand side, the door on the right would be new and from that point on over, labelled "New", would replace Jim's Fixit Shop. Q. Prior to drawing these plans, did you make any observations with respect to the present stricture, Jim's Fixit Shop? A. Yess I looked at it in a slight manner and talked to some one at the gas station, who mentioned that they were cold in there, not much insulation in there. -4- Q. Is it the proposal of the appellant to tear that shop down and put this additional bay in? A. Yes, it would come down completely. Q. Is there any shrubbery planned for any of the area along Buffalo Street? A. Mr. Patterson indicated that he would like to plant shrubbery between the sidewalk and the low retaining wall that would be required between parking and the retaining wall. Essentially it would soreen the oars from the street. Q. At present is there a parking meter in front of Jim's PYxit Shop? A. Yes, directly in front. BY MR. ALO: There would be no other curb cuts on Buffalo Street? A. That is right. Q. Is this going to be big enough for the cars to enter and leave this parking area? A. I believe so. He is presently using the area now between the station and the house. He will use this as now, to the parking lot. BY MR. LUCENTE: What is the parking lot for? A. It is my understanding that people will drop off cars in the morning until he can work on them during the day. THE CHAIR: Is Mr. Patterson making any provisions for screening off Mr. Solomon's house to forestall his having to peer dawn into the lot? R A. There is presently a walk between the houses and that walk will remain, and he will either have a fence or a railing, and over the fence or railing a drop down about six feet to the cars. Q. How about overnight parking in that area? A. I have no idea. MR. ALO: What type of wall? A. Right now there is the basement wall of the house. It may have to be replaced when the house comes down. BY MR. LUCENTE: The new building will be set back? A. Yes. The Jim's Fixit Shop goes out to the sidewalk and the new building would be back approximately 1,5 feet from the sidewalk. MR. CLUNE: As I recall, George Solomon appeared and was concerned about the wall betweeng and we have talked to him and where that house is that is to be torn down, between the two u houses °there is-a small sidewalk that is owned by Barbara Stewart. That sidewalk will be retained so if George Solomon ever has to make repairs he can do it. Barbara -5- L MR. CLUNE (answering): Stewart, also has proposed to put a reailing along that wall And the expense of that will be defrayed by Mr. Patterson, with only shrubs along the sidewalk. MR. LUCENTE: What is the drop? A. It could be at the corner as much as six feet, in which case I am sure a railing would be in order. Q. Haw about storm drains? A. There is an existing storm drain and presumably there will be another one in the parking area. Q. So you are only losing one meter? MR. CLUNE: That is right. We brought this before the Board of Public Works and the Traffic Committee and they have approved the removal of that particular meter. Mr. Solomon is very anxious to see this building torn down, ' j this old gray house next to his, and he does not think that it could be repaired at all. MR. LUCENTE: What is the estimated cost? MR. BCEHLECKE: I have no idea at this point. THE CHAIR: The approval by the City Engineer and by Mr. Dingman, is noted on one of the plans. y. -6- THE CHAIR: The next case is the Appeal of Security Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 126 East Seneca Street, Ithaoa, New York, for a variance for 34 feet extension of existing structure under provision of Section 7, Columns 15 and 16 in a B-2 district. Who is representing? ROBERT TALLMAN: I am Robert Tallman and I am also a Director of the Security Mutual Insurance Company. We are asking fcr this addition on the north end of the building, extending current additions to the back of that house. There are three additions, I believe, first, a vault, seoond, an; _ extension over the top of the vault, and now, for the third, we now propose to go another 34 feet to the lot line, extending the width of the existing building. This would be 34 feet by 24 feet, roughly in that area. I want to say that this has been cleared with Fire Chief Weaver and he assured us there would be no objection from his standpoint as long as the right of way is maintained on the east side. We just are not building in that right of way. To the west and north are parking lots owned by Ithaca Savings Bank, and I understand Mr. Meils, our president, had a phone call from Mr. Farnsworth at the bank, to assure him that he would not object if he ever wanted to build on the north lot. This will be fire- proof and is primarily for the use of the clerks working in and out of the vault area where records are kept. The business is expanding, wholly an insurance business. Frankly, I myself, do not care one way or the other, because if we can not build here, the company will move outside the City and build a new building. But apparently there is no problem from any of the neighbors or the Fire Chief. Appellant's Exhibit 1 marked for identification, being plans. THE CHAIR: What will the structure be? MR. TALLMAN: Cinder block stucco and concrete slabs, with a flat roof, 34 feet north and south by 24 east and west, two stories. It will go right up to the property line and there will be no basement, 4 feet on the west and it feet on the east setback. The Burns building and the Telephone Com- pany would be to the east. EXECUTIVE SESSION, BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, CITY OF ITHACA, MARCH 29 1970 CASE NO. 865: LUCENTE: Move that the application be granted with a provision for fencing along George Solomon's west line and fencing or wall along East Buffalo Street for the protection of pedestrians, and this improvement to an existing facility would blend with the commercial establishments on.that street and would eliminate dilapidated existing structures. BENTKOWSKI: Second, VOTE: Yes r 5 No r 0 Motion carried; Application granted. rN M rrrr. CASE No. 866: ALO: Move that the application be granted, providing maximum utilization of existing commercial footage, and tho. _ .__; building is flanked on the west and north by parking �. lots so there is no interference with any existing structures and the existing proposed plan has been cleared by Fire Chief Weaver for ma d=m fire protection. LUCENTE: Second. VOTE: Yes - 5 Nor0 Motion carried; Application granted. rrrr�r� rr�rr