White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Zoning Board Bulletins: Swimming Pool Agony, Schechter Day Care.

Updated, New Information 1/6/02:On a light calendar Wednesday night, the Zoning Board of Appeals appeared willing to consider a variance in a setback to accommodate a modest swimming pool.

Solomon-Schechter School of Westchester made progress on establishing a day care center at their Rosedale campus for on-staff teachers only.

In a variance request being closely watched by residents who long for swimming pools, (if only they had a bigger yard), the Zoning Board of Appeals doggedly attempted to defend the 15 foot setback restriction in the request of a resident on Sterling Avenue hoping to build an above ground swimming pool.

The resident is seeking to install a 15-foot diameter pool, (owner had mistakenly referred to this as a 15-foot radius, as first reported), creating a setback of 8 feet instead of 15 feet, which the ZBA calculated to be a 45% variance they were not comfortable with approving. Paul Landesman , ZBA member, cautioned that the Board was reluctant to give such a variance because “every one else would want one.” Larry Fleischman, another ZBA member, pointed out that the Board has never given this large a variance.

The owner already has a 3-car garage on his property and seeks the 15-foot wide pool in a position by his outdoor deck, in order to preserve his workshop already existing in one of the garage bays, along with two bays where his antique cars are stored, to avoid consistently moving his two vehicles which he parks in the driveway.

He advised the board that the 15-foot wide pool could not be built into his existing off-the-house deck because of structural supports under the existing deck. His next door neighbor, and the owner's mother, (an employee of the Planning Department, who administers Community Development funds and lives next door to the owner's yard), testified on the owner's behalf that the 8-foot setback would not bother them, and that the resident had done a lot to improve the appearance of his property.

The ZBA suggested several alternatives: 1.) Switching the workshop from one garage bay to another. 2.) Making the pool part of the housedeck. 3.) Decreasing the size of the pool from 15 feet wide to 12 feet wide.

After discussion, the owner said he would look into reducing the size of the pool to a diameter of 12 feet (6 foot radius), (suggested by a representative of the Building Department), which the zoning board appeared to agree to be willing to consider.

The 12-foot diameter still would result in only a 3-foot variance. The matter was continued to the February 6 meeting.

Solomon-Schechter Nears Day Care Approval February 6.

The ZBA closed the public hearing on the Special Permit to allow operation of a staff-only day care center. Cecilia Bikkal, Chairperson of the ZBA, promised a resolution at the Board February 6 meeting which would put “teeth” in the traffic management agreements the school has made with the Rosedale Residential Assocation and the city.

Elliot Spiegel, Headmaster of the school, said the school had agreed to the requests of the neighborhood association regarding the establishment of the Day Care Center.

He said the Day Care Center would be for no more than 12 children. All twelve would be offspring of staff employed by Solomon-Schechter. He said the center would be open only on a first-come, first-served basis, and that he would be willing to limit it to six children from the Greenburgh campus and six from the Solomon-Schechter Rosedale campus, or a 4-8 mix respectively.

Linda Harelick, Vice President of the Rosedale Association, pushed for tying the Day Care Center approval to enforcement of the Traffic Management Plan. (Solomon-Schechter agreed with the city to no standing or parking on the Dellwood and Elm Street right of ways leading to the school.) Harelick alleged these rules were violated flagrantly during September of 2001 when Solomon-Schechter began the current school year.

Hillary Markowitz, Solomon-Schechter parent liaison to the neighborhood, who personally educates Solomon-Schechter parents on the school-city policy towards public streets in the area, said the violations occurred as a result of parent World Trade Center anxiety after September 11, when more parents than normal wanted to pick up children personally. Ms. Harelick said the violations continued at least through September 25. Ms. Markowitz said the situation was now back to normal.

Ms. Bikkal, ZBA Chairperson, said there seemed to be great movement on both sides towards a solution, and the Zoning Board would craft a resolution regarding establishment of the Day Care Center at the February 6 ZBA meeting.

White Plains Honda put on Hold

White Plains Honda, seeking to rent a vacant building for a showroom at 350 Central Avenue, was told it had to work out a resolution of Traffic Commissioner Ted Gammon’s concerns that the proposed driveway into the facility had to be widened, and was continued to February 6. Honda legal representative, William Null, citing the fact that the paperwork on the facility had been in since October, pleaded with the Zoning Board to approve the usage, since his client was attempting to sign a lease. The Board refused.

Commenting to us afterwards, Ms. Bikkal, said that White Plains Honda application had had to be reviewed by the Building and Traffic departments. She reported the Zoning Board had just received those comments Wednesday, and therefore had to review them with Mr. Gammon, and could not in good conscience, approve a usage without knowing Mr. Gammon’s concern.

In other matters of note

The German School request for a Special permit to increase their student cap and Special Permit to configure an access drive through 800 North Street was continued to February 6.

Metro Auto Tech, Inc. on 7 Intervale Street to February 6.

Ronald Presser’s deck variance at 57 Ethelridge was postponed to February 6.

The Starr family room variance at 82 Havilands Lane did not appear. The representative from the Building Department gave the opinion that they had revised their plans so as not to require a variance.


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