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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20250462 151 Van Dam St Area Variance NODPage 1 of 2 CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS  CITY HALL - 474 BROADWAY SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK 12866 518-587-3550 WWW.SARATOGA-SPRINGS.ORG Gage Simpson, Chair Brendan Dailey, Vice Chair Shafer Gaston Amanda Demma Jonah Cohen Otis Maxwell Chris LaPointe Chris Maslak (Alternate) Robert West (Alternate) #20250462 IN THE MATTER OF THE APPEAL OF Amy Burton 151 Van Dam Street Saratoga Springs NY, 12866 WHEREAS, the City of Saratoga Springs Building Inspector has denied that certain application involving the premises at 151 Van Dam Street in the City of Saratoga Springs, New York (“City”) being tax parcel number 165.50-1-54 (the “Zoning Denial”). WHEREAS, the Applicant appealing such Zoning Denial, has applied for an area variance under the UDO of the City to permit the demolition and construction of a new garage in the Urban Residential-3 District and public notice having been duly given of a hearing on said application held between July 14 and July 28, 2025. WHEREAS, in consideration of the balance between benefit to the applicants with detriment to the health, safety, and welfare of the community, the Applicant has requested the following area variance for the following amount of relief: Type of Requirement District Requirement Proposed Relief Requested Max. Building Coverage 40% 44% 4% (10%) NOW, THEREFORE, the application, as per the submitted plans (as revised), or lesser dimensions, be APPROVED for the following reasons: 1. Achievability by Other Means. The Applicant has demonstrated that this benefit cannot be achieved by other means feasible to the applicant. The applicant desires to construct a modern two-car garage with bathroom on the first floor and home gym on the second floor. Alternative designs would have required additional variances. 2. Undesirable Change. The Applicant has demonstrated that granting this variance would not produce an undesirable change in neighborhood character or a detriment to nearby properties. Numerous nearby residential properties have similarly-situated garages in the rear of their lots. 3. Substantiality. The Board finds that the requested variance is not substantial, the applicant submitted examples of comparable sizes of detached garages and building coverages in the neighborhood. 4. Adverse Effect or Impact. The Board finds that this variance would not have a significant adverse physical effect on the neighborhood or district. District permeability requirements will still be met even with the increased size of garage, and the expansion of the existing footprint does not intensify use or concern with runoff management. Any potential adverse impact is mitigated per above. 5. Self-Created Difficulty. The alleged difficulty is considered self-created insofar as the Applicant desires to build a new garage, however, this is not necessarily fatal to the application. It is so moved. Page 2 of 2 Dated July 28, 2025 Passes by the following votes: AYES: 5 (B. Dailey, J. Cohen, C. LaPointe, O. Maxwell, A. Demma) This variance shall expire 18 months following the filing date of such decision unless the necessary building permit has been issued and actual construction begun as per the Unified Development Ordinance. I hereby certify the above to be a full, true and correct copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the City of Saratoga Springs on the date above mentioned, seven members of the Board being present. SIGNATURE: 08/15/2025 CHAIR DATE RECEIVED BY ACCOUNTS DEPT.