Route 114 storage proposal ‘passive?’ Or annoying?

Is John Sieni’s proposed expansion of a storage facility on Route 114 a “passive use” of the site or a disturbance to neighbors that will get worse if the Zoning Board of Appeals approves his application?

Mr. Sieni’s attorney, John Bennett, outlined plans at the May 25 ZBA meeting to add 36 new storage units, one of which would be used for utilities, to the existing 50 units on the site. He explained his client had incurred $142,392 in costs related to the expansion after the Building Department initially approved the work in February, then issued a stop work order because the original building permit “was issued in error” since it “constituted expansion of a pre-existing non-conforming use.”

Mr. Bennett called it “hardly an area of overwhelming residential uses.”

But that’s not how neighbors see it. Among their concerns presented to the ZBA are:
• Vehicles speeding through the property from Route 114 to Thomas Avenue where there are residences.
• Lights from vehicles shining in their windows.
• Vehicles kept running while being loaded and unloaded, resulting in emissions and dust on their properties.
• Noise from radios belonging to some renters of storage units who play them loudly.
• Noise of heavy machinery being moved in and out of some storage units.

Mr. Sieni agreed to limit hours of operation, put up push gates to stop traffic from barreling through and limiting lighting. He also said he would put up plantings along Route 114, but didn’t want them so high that the business couldn’t be seen from the roadway.

The building itself that contains the storage spaces is a 65-foot by 90-foot prefabricated structure.

The hearing was kept open until June 22 while Mr. Bennett and Mr. Sieni are given time to submit a draft of plans, including a survey, full site layout, parking, lighting proposal and details on how roof runoff would be handled and other material.

Community members will have another chance to speak at that meeting.

UP ON THE ROOFTOP
The ZBA asked Brent and Christine Haney of 70 Peconic Avenue to select an air conditioning unit for their house that would have a lower decibel level than 76 that family friend Garth Griffin said was planned.

At issue for the Haneys is a variance needed to place air conditioning units at ground level rather than on the roof as originally planned, which  would require a side yard variance from the required 25 feet from the lot line to 16.9 feet.

Neighbor Julia Brennan said she and her husband, Edward, would prefer the units not be placed on the roof since sound would carry to their house.

When the Town Board acted on the original application from a previous owner, it ruled that no other changes could be made, which is something the ZBA has to research if the unit could be placed somewhere within a 100-foot area that could need a wetlands permit.

The house is tall and putting units on the roof would be “awful to look at,” Ms. Brennan told the ZBA. The Haneys will be back at a work session June 15 when the ZBA expects to have more information on the history of previous approvals and what might be allowed.

WHOOPS
Barbara Mahoney of 10 Dickerson Drive has a garage built in 2002 that slightly overlaps — by one foot — the required setback in one corner, according to attorney Valerie Marvin representing Ms. Mahoney. Ms. Marvin called it “an honest mistake” by contractor James Olinkiewicz and said it was only discovered when the owner, who has moved out of state, had to have the property surveyed.

The only alternative to a variance would be to have to move the garage at considerable expense, she said.

The hearing was closed except for correspondence that must reach the ZBA by June 8.

APPROVALS
Two pending applications in Shelter Island Heights received expected approvals, but not before one got a stern warning that this would be the last opportunity to proceed without starting the application process from scratch.

Greg and Virginia Anderson of 1 Bayview Avenue have a pool and patio on their property that needed variances, but they never applied for them, according to the ZBA.

Shelter Island Heights Property Owners Corporation General Manager Stella Lagudis told the ZBA months ago that violations had occurred on the property that were troubling to neighbors and said plantings on the property weren’t positioned to hold an embankment.

Neighbor Ed Barr complained about loud noises emanating from the property late at night by previous renters occupying the premises.

Forced to come before the ZBA, the Andersons were granted multiple delays over a period of many months.

Now the ZBA has approved the pool and patio subject to plantings being completed by June 30 on a slope to avoid erosion and a second inspection set for October 1 to assure the plants are still alive.

“The applicant has been dragging his feet,” ZBA Chairman Doug Matz said.

Member Neal Raymond said he was only voting in favor because refusing would likely cause damage to a neighbor’s property.

Scott Murphy got approval of an application to enlarge his house at 8 Chequit Avenue. Construction is to be undertaken between September 15, 2016, and June 15, 2017 and construction vehicles are to be parked on the property, not the street.