DRAFT

TOWN OF SARATOGA

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MINUTES

JULY 26, 2004

7:30 PM

 

 

Chairman Stephen Bodnar called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.  

 

Chairman Stephen Bodnar explained the Rules of the Board. 

 

Clerk Ruth Drumm called the roll: Chairman Stephen Bodnar – present, Thomas Carringi – present, Barbara Faraone – present, Clifford Hanehan – absent, William Schutz – absent, Joyce Waldinger – present, David Hall – present, and Alternate James Burke – absent

 

Also present: Zoning Officer Robert Hathaway, James & Elena Grotto, Stephen & JoAnn Goldblatt, and Andrew Schoonmaker

 

Approval of Minutes: All board members present had read the minutes of the

May 24th, 2004 meeting.  A motion was made by David Hall and seconded by Barbara Faraone to accept the minutes of the May 24th, 2004 meeting as written.  Chairman Stephen Bodnar – aye, Joyce Waldinger – aye, Thomas Carringi – aye, David Hall – aye, Barbara Faraone – aye, William Schutz – absent, Clifford Hanehan – absent, Alternate James Burke - absent.  Carried 5-0

 

Order of Business:

Information

 

James & Elena Grotto

946 Route 29

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

S/B/L 156.-1-26  Rural Residential

 

James & Elena Grotto addressed the board about placing a garage on their  .71 acre +/- pre-existing lot located next to his Train and Hobby shop at 946 Route 29.  He stated that he would like to move the Train and Hobby shop into the new garage on this lot.  Chairman Stephen Bodnar explained that he would need to go to the Planning Board for a Special Use Permit.  The applicants also inquired if they could put a house on the lot in the future in place of the business.  Chairman Stephen Bodnar replied that he didn’t know of any law preventing that since it should remain a viable building lot since it predates zoning, regardless of any future amendments to the Zoning laws and that they could convert the building to a home.  Chairman Stephen Bodnar asked Zoning Officer Robert Hathaway for his opinion and he commented it is grandfathered but a Special Use Permit is needed and that the Planning Board may question if it’s an accessory building.  The applicants stated that it could meet the setbacks for an accessory building.  They stated that the lot has 143.5 feet of road frontage.  James & Elena Grotto said that the building would not exceed 1,000 sq. ft.  The board encouraged the applicants to bring a sketch plan to the Planning Board with the building placement on it along with driveway and

 

 

parking areas noted.  The board felt the Planning Board may require a well and septic system but the applicants thought that only a restaurant type business would require that.   

They will have electric to it.   Applicants will go to the Planning Board for a Special Use Permit. 

Area Variance

 

Case # 04-14A & 04-14 B Andrew J. Schoonmaker

                                           111 Franklin Beach Road

                                           Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

                                    S/B/L # 193.6-1-47 Lake Residential

 

#04-14 A (Home replacement): Andrew Schoonmaker addressed the board seeking an area variance.   He is hoping to replace a 14’ x 70’ doublewide home that has a 12’ x 30.5 ‘addition (1284 sq. ft.) with a modular home 27.5’ x 60’ (1,650 sq. ft.). The new home, a single story ranch style, is rectangular where the existing home is in an “L” shape.  The new home will be narrower than what is there now with larger back and sidelines.  Zoning Officer Robert Hathaway suggested that he get an engineer to assess the floodplain.  Joyce Waldinger commented that it would be an improvement.  Chairman Stephen Bodnar read the neighbor notification letter that Andrew Schoonmaker had signed by his neighbors who had no objections to what he was proposing. 

 

Proof of notice having been furnished Chairman Stephen Bodnar opened the Public Hearing: No one spoke for or against the variance.

 

Joyce Waldinger made a motion to grant the area variance for the modular home of 1,650-sq. ft. to replace the existing doublewide with additions of 1, 284 sq. ft. as it would be an improvement.  Barbara Faraone seconded it. Chairman Stephen Bodnar – aye, Joyce Waldinger – aye, Thomas Carringi – aye, David Hall – aye, Barbara Faraone – aye, William Schutz – absent, Clifford Hanehan – absent, Alternate James Burke - absent.  Carried 5-0  GRANTED

 

 #04-14 B (Garage Roof): Andrew Schoonmaker is also seeking to replace the deteriorating garage roof with a new roof that will overhang 24”, the present roof overhangs 5”.  He would like to increase the pitch so that a storage space would be available.  Zoning Officer Robert Hathaway recommended limiting the height of the new roof.  The board suggested that the trusses sit on the existing walls with 8’ maximum height at the center and would be used for storage only, never to be used as living quarters and that there would only be electric service to the garage. 

 

Proof of notice having been furnished Chairman Stephen Bodnar opened the Public Hearing: No one spoke for or against the variance.

 

David Hall made a motion to grant the variance with conditions.  The conditions are that the trusses must sit on the existing walls and be no more than 8’ at center and the area is to be used for storage only, not to be used as living quarters.  There is to be electric service only to the garage.  Barbara Faraone seconded this. Chairman Stephen Bodnar – aye, Joyce Waldinger – aye, Thomas Carringi – aye, David Hall – aye, Barbara Faraone – aye, William Schutz – absent, Clifford Hanehan – absent, Alternate James Burke - absent.  Carried 5-0  GRANTED WITH CONDITIONS.

 

 

 

Old Business:

Chairman Stephen Bodnar read the Notice of Action sent to him by the Planning Board stating that the Special Use Permit for a mining operation along Route 29 by R.J. Valente has been denied for a lack of the required 400 feet of contiguous road frontage. 

 

New Business:

A Memorandum of Understanding agreement was received by Chairman Stephen Bodnar from the Saratoga County Planning Board.  The purpose of this is to reduce the time required to process referrals to the County Planning Board of projects which are deemed by the County Planning Board to have no significant county-wide and/or inter-community impacts.  It was noted that either party may terminate this agreement at any time upon issuance of a thirty- (30) day notice.  A motion was made by Joyce Waldinger to grant Chairman Stephen Bodnar the authority to enter into the Memorandum of Understanding with the Saratoga County Planning Board in order to reduce the time to process referrals that are deemed to have no significant county-wide and/or intercommunity impacts.  Barbara Faraone seconded this. Chairman Stephen Bodnar – aye, Joyce Waldinger – aye, Thomas Carringi – aye, David Hall – aye, Barbara Faraone – aye, William Schutz – absent, Clifford Hanehan – absent, Alternate James Burke - absent.  Carried 5-0

 

The next regular meeting will be August 23rd, 2004 at 7:30 p.m.

 

A motion to adjourn was made at 8:50 p.m. by Chairman Stephen Bodnar and seconded by Thomas Carringi.  Chairman Stephen Bodnar – aye, Joyce Waldinger – aye, Thomas Carringi – aye, David Hall – aye, Barbara Faraone – aye, Clifford Hanehan – absent, William Schutz – absent, and Alternate James Burke - absent.   Carried 5-0

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Ruth L. Drumm

Clerk

 

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