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, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Mark Cotch Mr. Gary Sawyer Ms. Theresa Thibodeau, Chairman Mrs. Joyce Baranski, Vice-Chairman Mr. Justin Gregory Mr. Michael Briggs ALSO PRESENT: Mrs. Melissa Cherubino, Director of Building and Planning CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 26, 2016. Chairman Thibodeau 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 September 28, 2016. Member Briggs seconded the motion, roll call was taken and the motion passed unanimously. YES NO ABSTAIN Michael Briggs X Joyce Baranski X Mark Cotch X Gary Sawyer X Theresa Thibodeau X Justin Gregory X CONSIDERATION OF AN AREA VARIANCE FROM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR A SECOND APARTMENT AT 27 LANSING STREET Sanel Klapija sought a parking variance in order to expand the single family at 27 Lansing Street to a two-family. He recently purchased the investment property believing it was a two-family since two electric meters serve the two stories. The seller advertised the building as a two- family. Mr. Klapija submitted photographs of the on-street parking on Lansing Street different days and different times. He purchased and renovated other investment properties in Cohoes, and submitted photographs of his previous work. Member Briggs asked what next steps the applicant would need to take if the board granted the parking variance. Mr. Klapija will need to submit a building permit and drawings to code enforcement. Since the building is located in the MU-1 mixed-use zoning district he does not need a variance for the two-family use. As a result, Chairwoman Thibodeau moved to approve the area variance. Member Baranski seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO ABSTAIN \\cohoes.local\CoC-Data\Users\mashline-heil\Boards, Commissions, & Agencies\ZBA\ZBA\minutes\ZBA Minutes 2016\ZBA Minutes 11.23.2016.doc Michael Briggs X Joyce Baranski X Mark Cotch X Gary Sawyer X Theresa Thibodeau X Justin Gregory X CONSIDERATION OF AREA VARIANCES FROM HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS AND MAXIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS FOR A MIXED-USE BUILDING AT 12 WHITE STREET Scott Townsend proposed increasing the number of units and building height for new construction at 12 White Street. Previously part of the Sargent St Mosaic Village project, DHCR suggested separating the projects. As a result the new construction would be privately funded, resulting in the need for additional units in order to create sufficient return on investment. Mr. Townsend explained that elevations along Remsen Street illustrate that the proposed construction would match four building heights within a block radius. Moreover, the developer shrunk the floor heights from 12’ to 10’6” in order to minimize the height keep the building within the elevations along Cohoes’ Remsen streetscape. Even so the additional 10 units – the former proposal of 20 would increase to 30 – still meets the zoning code’s intended density as the parcel size would allow for subdivision and construction of at least three buildings. Each building could contain 10 units. As to parking, the proposal was granted the zoning code exception as a project within 500’ of municipal parking. A resident expressed concerns about parking, claiming that at dinner Remsen Street on-street parking is full. He suggested that Judo classes, restaurants serving dinner and residents returning from work create the conditions. Chairwoman Thibodeau had dinner before the meeting at the Sushi restaurant next to a municipal lot at 175 Remsen Street. She did not see the same parking problem. Instead, half of Remsen Street from White Street to Ontario Street, was empty. She also thought that residents living in a downtown would expect to walk. She enumerated the number of spaces available in municipal lots within a block of the proposal. Mrs. Cherubino added that the Remsen Street improvements will include angled parking that will add 30 additional spaces. The neighbor appreciated that the City had thought about the issue and was content with the project. As a result, Vice Chairwoman Baranski moved to approve the area variances from height and number of units. Member Briggs seconded the motion which passed unanimously. YES NO ABSTAIN Michael Briggs X Joyce Baranski X Mark Cotch X Gary Sawyer X Theresa Thibodeau X \\cohoes.local\CoC-Data\Users\mashline-heil\Boards, Commissions, & Agencies\ZBA\ZBA\minutes\ZBA Minutes 2016\ZBA Minutes 11.23.2016.doc Justin Gregory X YES NO ABSTAIN Michael Briggs X Joyce Baranski X Mark Cotch X Gary Sawyer X Theresa Thibodeau X Justin Gregory X Vice Chairwoman Baranski moved to adjourn at 7:30 PM seconded by Member Briggs. The motion passed unanimously. \\cohoes.local\CoC-Data\Users\mashline-heil\Boards, Commissions, & Agencies\ZBA\ZBA\minutes\ZBA Minutes 2016\ZBA Minutes 11.23.2016.doc