Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The North Salem Zoning Board of Appeals met on April 10, 2025, at 7:30 PM via in-person and Zoom. The meeting was called to order, the next meeting date was set for May 8, 2025, and the minutes from March 13, 2025, were approved. One held-over item (BA25-03, Wheelhouse Group) was adjourned at the request of the applicant's attorney. Two public hearings were conducted: BA25-08 (Smick) and BA25-09 (Gillis), both resulting in unanimous votes to grant the requested variances.
BA25-08 – Joseph & Lisa Beth Smick, 88 Blackberry Ridge Road: The applicant sought four area variances to construct a 6 ft x 6 ft two-story addition on the north side of the existing residence to house a residential wheelchair lift. The requested variances were: front yard setback (30 ft required, 17 ft proposed), building coverage (10% permitted, 15.56% proposed), development coverage (25% permitted, 27.2% proposed), and floor area ratio (0.2 permitted, 0.246 proposed). The architect Richard Vale presented the plans, noting that the placement minimized impact and integrated well with the existing structure. The Bloomside Cooperative had approved the application. Board members expressed no concerns, noting the variances were not substantial and the benefit to the applicant outweighed any detriment.
BA25-09 – David & Lori Gillis, 31 Lakeside Drive: The applicant requested seven area variances to demolish an existing cottage and construct a new four-bedroom single-family residence. Variances included front yard (35 ft required, 14 ft proposed), combined side yards (20/50 ft required, 5/14 ft proposed), side yards for A/C condenser and propane tank, building coverage (10% permitted, 33.8% proposed), development coverage (20% permitted, 54.3% proposed), and floor area ratio (0.2 permitted, 0.59 proposed). Architect Richard Vale explained the proposal includes a two-story house with walkout basement, new retaining walls, and off-street parking. The Bloomside Cooperative approved the plan contingent on a groundwater retention system (a buried culvert to collect roof leaders and sheet flow). Board members noted the lot is narrow and the existing cottage is uninhabitable; variances were seen as substantial but necessary given the lot's under-conformity. Compliance with the dark sky policy was required. No generator was proposed, and if added later, would require a separate variance.
Okay, there we go. Recording in progress. Wow, okay. She's loud today. Yeah. All right. Um, we will call this uh meeting of the town of North Salem zoning board of appeals to order. Um anyone in the members of the public that have green cards, please turn them in to the secretary. Uh and let's see, we will set the next meeting date uh for May 8th. And can we have a uh motion on the minutes from the March meeting, please? Second. Second. Uh Emily? Aye. Cindy? Hi. And chair votes aye. Uh BA twenty five-03 uh is is adjourned, held over at the request of um applicant's attorney. So we will start with BA twenty-five-08. Uh Joseph and Lisa Beth Smick, 88 Blackberry Ridge Road, an area variance for construction of a two-story six foot by six foot addition off the north side of the existing residence to house a residential wheelchair lift in an R1 zoning district consisting of approximately 289 acres per Article 5, Section 250-15, and Article 14, Section 250-79A, because the non-conforming lot is subject to R one half bulk requirements. The following variances are requested. Uh front yard variance of 13 feet, 30 feet required, 20.83 uh feet existing, 17 feet is proposed, uh building coverage variance of 5.56%, 10% is permitted, 15.2% is existing, and 15.56% is proposed. Development coverage variance of 2.2%, 25% is permitted, 26.8% existing, 27.2% proposed, and uh floor area ratio variance of point oh four six, point two is permitted, point two four two is existing, and point two four six is proposed. Uh good evening, uh I'm Richard Vale. Um uh and uh Lisa Beth Smith's architect. And um yeah, so we are proposing a uh a six by six uh two-story edition uh would would house a uh wheelchair lift off the uh from the north side of the house. Um I've got it uh highlighted in in pink on the the site plan you can see there. Right. Off that corner. Um and also on the plan. Um we we looked in the house for a while and started trying to find a way to get it to work inside and we just couldn't come up with a solution, so this was our best uh way to do it. We felt um by just having this uh small addition constructed on the north side of the house. So that's where we ended up. Right, okay. And so it's not a ramp, it's actually a lift. It'll be a lift, yeah. Basically, we're making a uh a small addition, and then it's a uh freestanding kind of plug and play unit that would kind of go up and uh bring bring them up to the second floor. Uh I see, okay. All right. Um pretty straightforward. I I didn't have any questions. Um any questions from members of the board. No, it seems to make sense because it you know it's not closer to any houses there either. There's no one like on that side of the house, and it doesn't really stick out any further than the cover like the covered entrance way. So I don't think it will really be much different than the current footprint of the house.