Zoning Board Agendas and Minutes

MINUTES OF THE COHOES ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS HELD IN THE COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF COHOES CITY HALL ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. John Hughes, Chairman Mr. Randy Koniowka Mr. Mark Cotch Mrs. Joyce Baranski ABSENT: Mr. Francis Houle, Vice-Chairman ALSO PRESENT: Mrs. Melissa Cherubino, Director of Building and Planning CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 28, 2015. Chairman Hughes called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. The Chairman asked the recording secretary to take attendance. Member Cotch moved to approve the minutes of January 28, 2015. Member Koniowka seconded the motion, roll of call was taken and the motion passed unanimously. YES NO ABSTAIN John Hughes X Joyce Baranski X Randy Koniowka X Frank Houle ABSENT Mark Cotch X CONSIDERATION OF AN AREA VARIANCE FOR PARKING AT 137 MOHAWK STREET Bob Marion owns rental property at 137 Mohawk Street. The Assessor’s records indicate the building is a three-family structure. However, the third floor had been a separate, fourth residential unit approximately five years ago. At that time a neighboring structure which provided a second form of egress from the third story was demolished. Approximately three months ago Mr. Marion asked code officers how to remedy the problem and was advised to install sprinklers on the third floor. As a result, the applicant installed third floor sprinklers and called a code officer to inspect and approve the installation. However, the applicant did not realize he needed building permits for the work because the space used to be an apartment. The lot contains a garage sufficient for one off-street parking spot. However, the expansion of use requires eight off-street parking spaces. The applicant told the Board that his tenants park in the OTB or library parking lot. He also described a neighboring vacant lot that is for sale and may be a potential parking lot for the structure. Chairman Hughes explained that neither the vacant lot nor the OTB can be considered as off-street parking without a written agreement. \\cohoes.local\CoC-Data\Users\mashline-heil\Boards, Commissions, & Agencies\ZBA\ZBA\minutes\ZBA minutes 2015\ZBA Minutes 2.16.2015.doc The City Engineer provided tax and Google maps showing the structure’s proximity to municipal parking at the library and on Remsen Streets. One rental property owner wrote a letter of opposition to the Board citing parking and noise from the tenants as reasons for his objection. Parking has been an issue for denying other Mohawk Street requests for expansion of use. However the other applicants were north of White Street such as 130 Mohawk Street or south of Howard Street such as 157 or 244 Mohawk Street. The applicant’s building is south of White Street but within a block of the library parking lot which is owned by the City of Cohoes at SBL 10.67-3-11. Chairman Hughes asked for the size of the apartments by number of bedrooms and amount of rent for each since Mr. Marion indicated the new owner will occupy the third floor and cannot obtain a mortgage without the fourth unit. Mr. Marion described the first floor as a two bedroom apartment he rents for $600; the second floor contains two one bedroom apartments which garner $550 each; and the third floor is a studio apartment which is rented at $475. The building is under a sales contract for $140,000. Mr. Marion spent $3500 on the sprinklers. Member Koniowka moved to approve the application due to the proximity to municipal parking; the uncongested nature of Canvass Street which flanks the rear of the property; and because the applicant installed the sprinklers upon advice from Code Enforcement. Member Baranski seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO ABSTAIN John Hughes X Joyce Baranski X Randy Koniowka X Frank Houle ABSENT Mark Cotch X Member Koniowka moved to adjourn at 7:10 PM seconded by Member Baranski. The motion passed unanimously. \\cohoes.local\CoC-Data\Users\mashline-heil\Boards, Commissions, & Agencies\ZBA\ZBA\minutes\ZBA minutes 2015\ZBA Minutes 2.16.2015.doc