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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting - August 20, 2026: Public Hearing on Driveway Variance and Minutes Vote

Meeting Portal — Thursday, August 20, 2026

BodyPeekskill, New York

SessionMeeting Portal

DateThursday, August 20, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 29:28

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

To get started, I'm talking to the camera guy.

0:03

Yep.

0:08

Well, then we're all ready whenever you are.

0:10

Great.

0:12

Thank you, everybody, for your patience.

0:16

Thank you.

0:17

The zoning board, June 19th.

0:20

We have two items on the agenda this evening.

0:25

Well, one is one is uh the minutes minutes.

0:29

They count.

0:30

They count.

0:31

You can't skip those, Mark.

0:33

Um the uh application of the Peak Skill property holdings LLC and uh auto art inc.

0:42

Uh care but law 118.

0:45

Um, that's the wrong one.

0:46

I knew that was wrong.

0:47

I was like, this is you need that's what we were trying to tell.

0:50

Yep, sorry about that.

0:51

I know what day it is.

0:53

Uh sorry.

0:54

Today's yeah, this is today's um uh sorry, applicant, excuse me, applicant lit uh Latuma, uh Daniel Latuma, uh 935 Lockwood Drive, Peakskill, New York, uh 1056.

1:11

Uh this is uh an application for a variance from uh section 575 12G 8A um with respect to a uh driveway, uh the expansion of a proposed driveway um for a variance and you have to open a public hearing and now it is time to do I have a motion to open the public hearing or that's open a public hearing by second.

1:42

All in favor?

1:43

I public hearings open.

1:46

Do we have anybody uh on behalf of the applicant this evening?

1:56

Great.

1:56

Would you take uh um step up to the podium?

1:58

Please be sure to speak into the mic for posterity and for the folks who might watch this at home later for fun.

2:06

Uh so thank you.

2:07

Uh thanks everyone.

2:09

Uh as uh as you said, the uh applicant is um requesting a variance from uh the restriction against parking in the front yard uh in order to oh I'm Elizabeth Parks Architect.

2:25

Um I'm in uh Garrison, New York.

2:29

Um so the uh the applicant uh is requesting a variance for uh parking in the front yard um to uh to simply widen the driveway rather than bring it all the way up uh alongside the garage.

2:45

Uh do we have any questions or uh any other I think the uh the intention is to to limit the amount of of paving on the property in general?

2:58

Um there's a uh a particular um mature uh small tree that's uh that's in the place where the parking would uh be allowed.

3:09

Um and it's just that much simpler to have it uh wider rather than um and a little bit less paving.

3:16

That's primarily you all have any questions.

3:21

I looked at the application and I did not have any particular questions uh for you.

3:27

Okay, that was my only question.

3:29

Why couldn't you bring it up and park next to that?

3:32

I think it was just to because right now the of course the the paving goes up to the garage and rather than go up to the garage and then also have a whole uh widened section alongside the garage.

3:46

This would be a little bit less paving if it simply stops at the garage.

3:52

Trees are good.

3:54

Pardon me?

3:55

Trees are good.

3:56

And trees are good.

3:57

There's some pretty but there are a lot of birds in the trees.

3:59

I think they feed the birds, so I have no questions.

4:06

I have no questions.

4:07

That's very simple.

4:09

Yeah, it seems like uh straightforward.

4:11

And there's anybody and the report from the staff is yeah, you could look at the variance conditions and see if there's anyone who wants to speak.

4:21

Um, is there anybody uh else who would like to speak in regards to this application?

4:32

Thank you.

4:37

Good evening.

4:38

My name is Frank Salouski.

4:40

I live in 887 Lockwood Drive, a couple of doors down from this residence.

4:46

Uh I'm against the variance for the simple reason it changes the look of the neighborhood.

4:54

Right now, this family here parks seven vehicles on the street.

5:03

They have two what are not commercial, but they're passenger car vans that do not have the windows that are cut in.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████59%

Procedural████████████████████████32%

Public Safety███████9%

Summary of Proceedings

Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting

Date: August 20, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Location: Common Council Chamber, Peekskill, NY

The Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing on a single application for an area variance related to off-street parking and then attempted to approve minutes from the previous meeting but lacked a quorum. The meeting concluded with the variance granted and the minutes tabled.

Public Hearing: Daniel Lituma – 935 Lockwood Drive (Z26-007)

Applicant representative: Elizabeth Parks, Architect, Garrison, NY. She explained the request for a variance from Section 575-12 G(8)(a) of the City of Peekskill Zoning Ordinance to allow parking in the front yard. The variance is needed to widen the existing driveway rather than extending it alongside the garage. The alternative would require more paving and potentially harm a mature tree. The property is zoned R-1B (One-Family Residential). The application seeks relief only for the location of parking, not an increase in the number of spaces; two off-street parking spaces are permitted.
Public speaker: Frank Salouski, 887 Lockwood Drive. He opposed the variance, arguing that the property already has seven vehicles (including what he described as commercial vans with passenger plates) that alter the character of the neighborhood, lower property values, and violate city ordinances limiting parking to three vehicles. He presented videos of the street. He stated that the vehicles are parked on the lawn in winter and that the appearance of commercial vehicles diminishes the residential nature of the area.
Applicant response: Daniel Lituma (homeowner) stated all vehicles are personal, and family visitors sometimes park there but leave. He noted the vehicles are not commercial.
Board deliberation: Members discussed whether the variance is substantial, whether alternative methods exist, and the potential impact on the neighborhood. They noted that the variance only changes parking location, not number of spaces, and that cars would still be visible from the street regardless of location. The board acknowledged the neighbor's concerns but concluded the variance does not create a detriment or undesirable change to neighborhood character because it merely shifts parking to a slightly different spot. Regarding commercial vehicle concerns, the board noted that such enforcement is outside its purview and that existing city rules already prohibit commercial vehicle parking in residential districts.

Key Outcomes

Motion to grant the variance: Passed unanimously (3‑0? – exact count not specified; all present members voted in favor). The board found the variance to be not substantial and consistent with surrounding land use.
Minutes of June 18, 2026: Not approved because only three board members were present, short of the required quorum of four. The meeting adjourned without action on minutes.

Meeting Transcript

To get started, I'm talking to the camera guy. Yep. Well, then we're all ready whenever you are. Great. Thank you, everybody, for your patience. Thank you. The zoning board, June 19th. We have two items on the agenda this evening. Well, one is one is uh the minutes minutes. They count. They count. You can't skip those, Mark. Um the uh application of the Peak Skill property holdings LLC and uh auto art inc. Uh care but law 118. Um, that's the wrong one. I knew that was wrong. I was like, this is you need that's what we were trying to tell. Yep, sorry about that. I know what day it is. Uh sorry. Today's yeah, this is today's um uh sorry, applicant, excuse me, applicant lit uh Latuma, uh Daniel Latuma, uh 935 Lockwood Drive, Peakskill, New York, uh 1056. Uh this is uh an application for a variance from uh section 575 12G 8A um with respect to a uh driveway, uh the expansion of a proposed driveway um for a variance and you have to open a public hearing and now it is time to do I have a motion to open the public hearing or that's open a public hearing by second. All in favor? I public hearings open. Do we have anybody uh on behalf of the applicant this evening? Great. Would you take uh um step up to the podium? Please be sure to speak into the mic for posterity and for the folks who might watch this at home later for fun. Uh so thank you. Uh thanks everyone. Uh as uh as you said, the uh applicant is um requesting a variance from uh the restriction against parking in the front yard uh in order to oh I'm Elizabeth Parks Architect. Um I'm in uh Garrison, New York. Um so the uh the applicant uh is requesting a variance for uh parking in the front yard um to uh to simply widen the driveway rather than bring it all the way up uh alongside the garage. Uh do we have any questions or uh any other I think the uh the intention is to to limit the amount of of paving on the property in general? Um there's a uh a particular um mature uh small tree that's uh that's in the place where the parking would uh be allowed. Um and it's just that much simpler to have it uh wider rather than um and a little bit less paving. That's primarily you all have any questions. I looked at the application and I did not have any particular questions uh for you. Okay, that was my only question. Why couldn't you bring it up and park next to that? I think it was just to because right now the of course the the paving goes up to the garage and rather than go up to the garage and then also have a whole uh widened section alongside the garage. This would be a little bit less paving if it simply stops at the garage. Trees are good. Pardon me? Trees are good. And trees are good. There's some pretty but there are a lot of birds in the trees. I think they feed the birds, so I have no questions. I have no questions. That's very simple.

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