Board of Zoning Appeals

CITY OF ITHACA 108 E. Green Street — 3rd Floor Ithaca, NY 14850-5690 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING, BUILDING, ZONING, & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Phyllis Radke, Director of Zoning Administration Telephone: 607-274-6550 Fax: 607-274-6558 Email: cpyott@cityofithaca.org LEGAL NOTICE CITY OF ITHACA BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS (BZA): Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Section 325-40. B. (2) (g) of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Ithaca, that Public Hearings will be held Tuesday, April 7, 2015, at 7:00 P.M. in Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 108 E. Green Street, Ithaca, New York to consider the following appeals: APPEAL #2957 402 S. CAYUGA STREET (INHS) Appeal Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) for the owner, Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA), owner of 402 South Cayuga Street for Area Variances from Section 325-8, Column 11, Front Yard, requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. The applicant proposes to construct a new townhouse with four attached three-story, single-family units to be located at 402 South Cayuga Street. The building measures approximately 34’ x 72’8” and the new townhouse will contain three 2-bedroom units and one 3-bedroom unit. Parking for one car will be provided at the lowest level of each unit. The property at 402 South Cayuga Street is on the corner of South Titus and South Cayuga Streets and has two front yards. The proposed construction will cause the Cayuga Street front yard to be deficient. The proposed front will be 5’1” of the required 10-foot front yard setback. This proposed project is in the R-3b Zoning District, where the proposed use is permitted. However, Section 325-38 requires Area Variances be granted before a Building Permit is issued. Note: This Zoning Appeal was rescheduled from its original 3/3/15 BZA meeting date, due to a meeting cancellation. APPEAL #2974 134 E. STATE STREET (ITHACA CAYUGA OPTICAL) Appeal of F. Alexander Wood for a Sign Variance from Sign Ordinance, Section 272-4 A. (1), which limits the distance in which signs can project from the face of a building wall. In order to make Ithaca Cayuga Optical, at 134 East State Street, more visible to customers, the applicant proposes to add a new sign at the entrance of his business. This new sign advertising the store will be 4.5 SF in size and will project 36” over the store’s entrance; the Sign Ordinance only allows wall signs to project a maximum of 18 inches from the face of a building. Cayuga Optical at 134 East State Street is located in a CBD-60 Zoning District where signs are permitted. However, Section 272-18 requires that the Board of Zoning Appeals grant a Variance allowing the increased projection before a Sign Permit can be issued for this proposal. Note: This Zoning Appeal was rescheduled from its original 3/3/15 BZA meeting date, due to a meeting cancellation. APPEAL #2976 102 FRANKLIN STREET (COSENTINI CONSTRUCTION, INC.) Appeal of Sue Cosentini, Cosentini Construction, Inc., for Susan and Eric Mueller, owners of 102 Franklin Street for Area Variances from Section 325-8, Columns 4 and 12, Parking and Other Front Yard, requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. The applicant proposes removing a dilapidated two-story porch on the south side of the building that faces both Franklin Street and Short Street. It will be replaced with a one-story porch. The footprint of the existing porch is 13’1” x 5’9”. The proposed porch will be about 37 SF larger and will measure 14’ x 8’. While the existing porch is compliant with the 10-foot front yard setbacks, the new porch will be constructed in line with the existing east side of the building that faces Short Street and will encroach one foot into this required front yard setback. There is an existing deficient condition at this east wall, as well. This wall bumps out near the rear yard and encroaches three feet into the required 10-foot front yard setback. The property at 102 Franklin Street is also deficient in parking. A garage designed for one car was constructed in 1979. However, because the building is a two-family unit, the Zoning Ordinance requires two off-street parking spaces. The property at 102 Franklin Street is in the R-2b use district where two-family homes are a permitted use. However, Section 325-39 requires the Board of Zoning Appeals grant Area Variances for the above deficient conditions, before a Building Permit can be issued. APPEAL #2977 122-124 W. BUFFALO STREET (TOMPKINS LEARNING PARTNERS) Appeal of David H. Smith for Tompkins Learning Partners, Inc. for a Sign Variance from Section 272- 6 B. (2), Number of Signs, and Section 272-9A, Setbacks, requirements of the Sign Ordinance. Tompkins Learning Partners is requesting to erect a wall sign and a freestanding sign on its property located at 122-124 West Buffalo Street. Section 272-6 B. (2) only allows one free-standing sign or two wall signs in the zoning district where the property is located. The wall sign is approximately 1.67 SF and will be located just east of the entry stairs on the exterior wall facing Buffalo Street. The proposed free-standing sign will be erected in the front yard of West 122-124 Buffalo Street on 7- foot tall aluminum post. Section 272-9 A. requires all signs to be set back a minimum of 10 feet from any public highway or street right of way. This sign will be located approximately 5 feet east of the Geneva Street sidewalk and approximately 3-4 feet north of the Buffalo Street sidewalk. The property at 122-124 West Buffalo Street is in the B-1a use district where signs are permitted. However, Sign Ordinance, Section 272-18, requires that Sign Variances be granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals before the applicant is issued a Sign Permit. ACCESSIBILITY: If you have a disability that requires special arrangements to be made in order for you to fully participate in the hearing, please contact the Clerk’s Office at 274-6570 by the Friday before the meeting. Phyllis Radke Director of Zoning Administration & Secretary to the Board of Zoning Appeals Publication Dates: March 16, 2015 & March 18, 2015