On April 23, 2026, the Syracuse Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing to consider two use variance applications. The board approved both applications with conditions, each with one abstention. The meeting began with the approval of minutes from the December 18, 2025 meeting.
We have April 23rd to session. Great. First order of business is to approve the minutes from the December 18th, 2025 meeting. I was in Tokyo. Is there a motion to approve the minutes? Motion. Second. All those in favor? Great. Okay. Minutes are adopted. The board will now conduct the public hearing on today's agenda. First, the applicant or applicant's representative will state the reasons for the requested variants and present any material or documentation which is to be considered regarding the proposal. Next, persons wishing to speak in favor of the proposal will be given the opportunity to address the board. Then persons who wish to speak in opposition will be allowed to address the board. Finally, the applicant or representative will be given the option to make any closing arguments or comments to the board. Following the public hearings this afternoon, the board may make a decision on each application heard. The board may also decide to hold this decision until the next public hearing. If the hearing is closed, no additional information will be allowed into the record except for information that the board may request. That information will be available for public review at the zoning office in one park place, 300 South State Street. Will staff introduce the first application, please. First up is a use variance V-2026-3 to establish six apartment units on the first floor of an existing story structure at 338 East Onadoga Street in the MX5 Zone District, uh represented by Joe Perano of N Architects. Hi there. Good afternoon. How are you doing? My name is Joe Perrino. I'm with InArchitects. We're at 239 Eastwater Street. And I'm here representing the current owners of the property as well as a client, our client and future owner who's uh High Tide Capital. Uh with me today is Christine Stevens and um from VIP structures, and I'd like to introduce Christine. She just wants to say a few words uh about the relationship. Okay, great. Hello to everybody. Um just really quickly the clients your name and your addressine. Christine Stevens, VIP structures 101 North Salina Street. Um VIP structures is currently the construction manager for these clients on their other project, which we're imminently completing, which is at 250 Harrison Street where Alan Angus pub is opposite the Tech Garden Inspire. Um the clients wine removed from the record, she called it the tech garden. No, I know formerly known as a symbol. Like Prince. Sophisticated developers, they specialize in mixed-use historic tax credit projects. They've got projects in Maine, New York, Connecticut, and North Carolina. This is their second project in New York State and their second project in the city of Syracuse, like I said, because we're wrapping up 250 Harrison Street. They are based in California, Florida, and Brooklyn, and the clients were unable to be here personally. But we wanted to keep the schedule going and get the meeting. Okay. Have done a marvelous job on 250 Harrison Street, have spent time with the former mayor, the current mayor when she was the mayoral candidate, the county executive. They're really committed to this marketplace. They're very sophisticated developers, they're very good at what they do, they understand market, they understand finance, they have investors, and they really are very excited about this next potential project in our in our town. Um VAP structures will be the construction manager again for the second project. Last time the architecture and engineering firms were from out of town.