April 23 ZBA Public Hearings

The April 23 Zoning Board of Appeals agenda consisted of two public hearings

• Property on Old State Road in an HB Zoning District - which requires some commercial use. This property has been neglected for some time, and it is great to see a property owner willing to invest in the property. It consists of two structures, one residential and the other a combination of residential/commercial. The code requires 25% commercial use, where the applicant is proposing 13%. Given the pressures on the housing market and the abundance of empty commercial space - this request makes sense. The Board approved the variance.

• Property on Easter Road in Chelsea. During the discussion it appears that part of the issue in accessing properties on Easter Road -- is that a bridge is closed because it is in disrepair. While the Zoning Board Chair mentioned that addressing t his is outside the purview of the Board, other members of the board felt that a letter to the town board asking them to address the situation is necessary. To provide access to the property, the applicants asked for a variance of 35 feet to create a flagpole lot enabling a driveway to be built. The Board granted the variance.