Dering Harbor Villagers react to building plans

A dozen village residents attended Dering Harbor’s Architectural Review Board meeting on Saturday, May 30 in Village Hall – the board’s first in more than two years. They were there to air their opinions about the building plans for a house at 1 Dering Woods Lane. Some residents were neighbors of the proposed home; others were concerned about issues affecting the village in general.

ARB member John Colby chaired the meeting in the absence of Chair Heather Brownlie; board members attending were Mickey Kostow, Susannah Rose and Rob Ferris.
For over 90 minutes, Sean Bird, draughtsman for the architect, and attorney Joel Sunshine, representing the

Dering Woods Lane LLC, fielded questions in an often lively but constructive discussion.

They described the architectural renderings as “farmhouse style” and had brought with them a few samples of roofing and siding materials, trim, etc. While acknowledging that the house was being built on spec, they were adamant in responding to questions that it was not being built as a party house and defended the five bedroom, eight bath build-out, maintaining that the 5,000-square-foot house was reasonable for a 3.5-acre lot.

Residents, however, questioned the quality of the materials that were being used – windows and siding, for example – what the sight lines would look like from the road and neighboring houses, the placement of the garage and driveway, the small size of the bedrooms, among other concerns.

There were several comments about the landscaping, or lack of it. It looks “unfinished,” one resident said.

Another commented, “Whatever landscaping you’ve thought of, double it.”

Some noted that “farmhouse” was not a style seen in the village; Mr. Sunshine responded that no two homes in the village were exactly the same. One neighbor said she loved the village and her own house; she “wanted to love this house” … but she found that difficult.

In the ARB discussion that followed, a number of opinions were expressed: the effect on the village’s aquifer of eight bathrooms and a pool; the fact that the driveway intruded on a buffer zone; that the house “doesn’t feel like it belongs in the village.”

While the village is not a gated community, there was concern for the looks; “The style you’ve presented is a real challenge for the village” was one comment. Members stressed that the plans did not conform to the historic nature of the village, although Mr. Sunshine argued that the farmhouse style was not out of character and could be considered historic.

It was noted that there were multiple styles in the design – a hodge-podge, one member said — the windows, in particular. The style of the garage didn’t match the house, another remarked. Actual samples of the materials, including windows, would have been helpful. While the ARB was not concerned with the interior of the building, it was pointed out that hollow doors, for example, were not an indication of using high quality materials.

The chair summed it up – it’s was if the house were designed from the inside out, focusing on the bedrooms and bathrooms, not from the outside in. The exterior was only the “skin.”

The ARB meeting concluded with the following resolutions, referring to specific articles in the village code: A site plan and the elevations from Manhasset Road should be submitted, showing trees and the buffer zone; the questions related to the draw on water resources should be referred to the Planning Board or the Board of Trustees; the plans indicating “First floor residence” and “Second Floor Residence,” which would indicate a multi-family dwelling, should be resubmitted; and finally that the LLC should resubmit plans more in keeping with ARB requirements, focusing on style (windows), quality of materials, overall look.

The placement of the driveway in a buffer zone also needed to be addressed as well as the fact that the garage did not meet the 75-foot setback requirement for an accessory building.

Mr. Sunshine said that they had been working on these plans since October and he hoped that the process would move quickly from this point on. Mr. Colby said the next meeting would be held on June 20, the same morning as the Board of Trustees meeting.

A court stenographer was present at the meeting and transcripts will be made available.