North Salem Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing – May 14, 2026

The Town of North Salem Zoning Board of Appeals met in person and via Zoom on May 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM. Only three board members were present, so every application required a unanimous vote. The board set its next meeting for June 11, 2026, approved the April 9, 2026 minutes, and conducted public hearings on a special permit renewal, a farm stand special permit, and an area variance.

Call to Order & Administrative Items

• The meeting was called to order with three board members present; the board noted that applicants could hold applications over without prejudice or additional filing fees, but none did.
• The board set the next meeting date for June 11, 2026.
• Minutes from the April 9, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Nicholas Barron, 38 Hilltop Road, a neighboring property owner through a small sliver of land, asked whether the GR, LLC application was simply a continuation of current operations. The board confirmed that it was a 10-year renewal with no proposed changes. Barron thanked the board for clarifying and raised no objection.

Discussion Items

BA26-14 – Titicus Farm, LLC (132 Titicus Road) – Held Over

• The applicant requested a special permit for a roadside farm stand selling fruits and vegetables grown onsite on the approximately 35.46-acre R-2 property. The agenda noted the stand would be more than 15 feet from the street or lot line and would have at least two parking spaces.
• The board held the application over, stating the application was not complete without a proper site plan, elevations of the proposed farm stand building, and a more detailed description of how the stand would operate.
• The applicant said the material was ready, but it had not been submitted in the required number of copies to the secretary.
• The board did not open a public hearing, but offered to provide informal comments after the meeting.

BA26-13 – GR, LLC (451 & 376 Grant Road; 1-29 Bogtown Road) – 10-Year Special Permit Renewal Approved

• The application sought renewal of Special Permit BA16-11 for keeping up to 54 horses and operating a commercial horse-boarding and breeding operation on the approximately 116.4-acre R-4 property, with no site improvements proposed.
• Elizabeth Miller, owner of GR, LLC, said the farm operates as Stay Cell Farm, primarily at 451 Grant Road, with retired horses at 376 Grant Road and trail riding on the Bogtown Road parcel. She stated the farm typically has approximately 24 to 44 horses and has operated for 20 years.
• The board praised the farm as well-run, beautifully maintained, and a gateway to North Salem.
• The building inspector said he had inspected the property about three weeks earlier and found minor issues to address, mainly fire extinguisher updates and recharging.
• The board’s resolution cited continuous horse keeping and breeding since 1981, no anticipated neighborhood impact, and no neighbor objections. The renewal incorporates prior conditions, compliance with the updated Dark Sky law, a manure removal plan, a fly control plan, and correction of all deficiencies noted by the building inspector.
• The board voted unanimously to classify the action as Type II under SEQRA, and then voted unanimously to grant the renewal for another 10 years.

BA26-15 – Michael & Bonnie Kramer (7 Old Schoolhouse Road) – Area Variance Approved

• The applicants sought an area variance to reconstruct a fire-damaged single-family residence on an approximately 0.2-acre lot in the R-1/2 district.
• The agenda stated the request is for a building coverage increase of 2.3%, where 10% is permitted, 11.8% is existing, and 12.3% is proposed, and an FAR increase of 0.034, where 0.2 is permitted, 0.217 is existing, and 0.234 is proposed.
• During the board’s resolution, however, existing building coverage was stated as 11.3%, not 11.8% as listed in the agenda; the proposed coverage remained 12.3%.
• The applicants’ representative explained that the front of the house would remain unchanged, the first floor would extend about 1.5 feet as a rear cantilever over the basement, and a bathroom would be added on the second floor toward the rear. The exterior would remain clapboard siding.
• The board found no feasible alternative that would avoid the need for a variance, found the variance did not appear substantial, and noted that although the difficulty was self-created, it arose from a fire and did not preclude relief. The board imposed a condition that no exterior lighting be visible from its source.
• The board voted unanimously to classify the action as Type II under SEQRA, and then voted unanimously to grant the area variances.

Key Outcomes

• BA26-14 was held over; the applicant must submit a complete application, including site plans, elevations, operational details, and proper copies, to the secretary.
• BA26-13 was approved unanimously for another 10 years, subject to the conditions described above.
• BA26-15 was approved unanimously, granting the requested area variances with the zero-visible-light condition.
• The next meeting was set for June 11, 2026.