[0:20] Okay, thank you. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Zoning Board of Appeals for the

[0:24] Channel of North Castle. Today is August 6th, 2026. And we have roll call, please.

[0:30] Ray Rodriguez. Here. John Stipo. Here. Bob Greer. Here. Scott Stopnik. Ed Leshians. Here.

[0:40] I get.

[0:41] I move to approve the minutes in the previous meeting. I'll second that. Okay, let's get started.

[0:48] We're going to open the public hearing for 430 Main Street, Neal Schwartz.

[0:55] Okay. You could go right over to that. Yeah, that's fine. As long as you talk in the...

[1:01] Hi. Hi.

[1:05] So I have a, basically I just wanted to add my phone number and my logo and the actual, what I do,

[1:13] because right now it's pretty bare on the door.

[1:15] door. There was another tenant that was basically on the other side of my wall. They left and

[1:23] they scraped everything off. So right now there's nothing on the door that really says what

[1:29] I do so people can't find me. And there's no other access other than the door. There's

[1:36] no other place to put signage or anything.

[1:38] I drove just to several businesses have lettering on the windows, walls, and doors.

[1:45] You guys are familiar with Main Street, right?

[1:47] Yes.

[1:50] How big is this thing going to be?

[1:53] 15 inches.

[1:54] How much space do you need for your sign?

[1:56] Just the door, the width of the door.

[1:59] The whole door?

[2:01] Yeah.

[2:01] It's not the whole door.

[2:04] It's just...

[2:09] 15 by 19 and a half.

[2:11] That's what the signs don't look like, not with the black, it's just a proof.

[2:16] It's white letters, it's just that you can't put white on white.

[2:21] So what would the actual letters be?

[2:24] What color?

[2:24] It'll be white.

[2:27] I think you said not on black, so how are you going to see it?

[2:30] No, I'm saying the picture on the glass that has to be white on glass as opposed

[2:35] to white on a sheet of paper, it's not going to...

[2:45] Okay, and you're going to go to the ARB if we give you the variance for the color and

[2:52] all that stuff.

[2:53] It's white.

[2:54] I know they like white.

[2:55] You just have to go for the, he has to just go to get it approved.

[2:58] Yeah, you've got to go to get it approved at the ARB.

[3:04] I know the previous tenant, so yeah, they did have a sign on the window or lettering.

[3:10] If you go through town, every store in town has signs on the windows.

[3:16] I don't think it's...

[3:17] I have no problem with it.

[3:19] So, you know, from what I've read, it doesn't seem like it's substantial.

[3:24] It will be self-created.

[3:26] No negative impact to the environment.

[3:29] I don't believe any impact to the character of the neighborhood.

[3:32] Any other tenants or neighbors?

[3:35] Yeah, there's room below.

[3:37] So I'm going to be this 428A and below that is where it's going to be and below that would

[3:43] be where another tenant can go.

[3:45] So I had to get that approved by the landlord.

[3:48] Okay.

[3:50] The only alternative is to not advertise your business, which I don't think is fair

[3:54] since a lot of businesses do advertise that way.

[3:58] So with those five standards, do we have a motion?

[4:01] I'll make a motion.

[4:03] Oh, second date.

[4:05] As long as you put in there that he goes to the A or B, make me happy.

[4:10] He doesn't matter.

[4:12] Can we add that, please?

[4:13] Yes, we can add that.

[4:15] Excellent. Can we close to the public hearing?

[4:17] Okay, we're going to close the public hearing.

[4:19] Okay, can we go to vote?

[4:21] Okay, John Stefa.

[4:24] Go ahead.

[4:25] Ray Rodriguez.

[4:26] Yes.

[4:26] Bob Greer.

[4:27] Yes.

[4:28] Ed Lashens.

[4:29] Yes.

[4:30] Okay.

[4:31] All right. All right. Let me hear your sign. All right. Thank you.

[4:38] Can I open it back up? You ready? Yes. Okay. We're going to open the public hearing for

[4:42] Michael Smith, 53 Windmill Road. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the

[4:47] board. My name is Mike Testa. I'm here trying to help Mr. Smith through the zoning process.

[4:52] I created a packet for you with regards to his request. He's selling his house and

[4:58] he has a closing set for the 15th of August. And during the review process with the

[5:03] building department. We found out that we were 850.58 square feet above the

[5:08] allowable development coverage that was allowed on site. We submitted

[5:13] applications to the town engineer and as a result he came up with a drainage

[5:20] improvement plan to mitigate those issues and as a result he did approve it.

[5:24] We went to the RPRC. We got an approval from them subject to getting

[5:28] the zoning variance approved by your board. I tried to address all of the

[5:32] points of appeals with regards to whether or not there'd be an undesirable change in

[5:36] the neighborhood or a detriment to nearby properties.

[5:39] And he bought the property in 2015, so for the last 10, 11 years, it's been existing.

[5:45] What you see here, there's been no issues or changes that he has done to modify

[5:50] any of these issues.

[5:51] In terms of the immediate neighbors, we did solicit the majority of the surrounding

[5:56] neighbors, and we have in your packet letters of support from the surrounding

[6:00] neighborhood.

[6:00] six in total I believe. We tried to determine if the applicant can be

[6:07] achieved by some feasible method for the applicant to pursue other than an area

[6:10] variance. In order to do that we priced out trying to remove 858 square feet of

[6:16] improvements and that cost over $10,000 and the new buyer just doesn't want

[6:21] to start ripping up things there. At the same time whether or not the variance

[6:26] is substantial I mean we believe that the variance is a minimal variance

[6:30] that we're trying to achieve to accomplish our goal here and the lastly was itself created.

[6:36] Basically he has this property he's maintained it throughout the whole years and we feel that

[6:43] this is a minor waiver and through accomplishes goal of trying to keep this property and get

[6:48] it for sale. And like I said the new buyers are pretty much adamant that they want to keep

[6:53] it that way or else it could affect the sale of the property and we're trying to get this

[6:57] through your honorable board was this the condition when the seller is selling it when he bought it

[7:07] this was the same condition that is now did he make the any change he added a patio in the back

[7:13] and that patio was what we had to go to the engineering board for and mr. Kellogg required

[7:18] a substantial drainage improvement plan which we have implemented on site already which you've

[7:23] completed that work. Yes sir. Okay. We have not gotten a building permit yet because Rob

[7:28] is not able to grant that until the board grants the waiver. So the majority of this

[7:35] was existing nonconformism. That is correct. And just the only improvement done by the

[7:40] current owner was patio. The patio. That is correct. I did go through the package.

[7:46] We have six neighbors showing support, $10,000 to rip up that little area.

[7:53] We tried to go around the neighborhood and most of them, that we know there's no objection

[7:58] that we're aware of.

[8:00] So, I saw in here it showed up on title.

[8:02] What exactly showed up on title?

[8:04] Excuse me?

[8:04] I read in your packet that you discovered this on title.

[8:08] What exactly showed up on title?

[8:09] In other words, when I do a title search with the municipality, I come up with a

[8:13] list of items that are approved.

[8:15] When they went through this process, they found out that their patios were not originally

[8:19] approved.

[8:19] Therefore, we had to get the building permit for the patios, which we submitted for.

[8:23] We were denied by Rob, and as a result, that's what we were appealing.

[8:27] Okay.

[8:27] And there was something to hear about our driveway also?

[8:29] The driveways are existing.

[8:30] There's been no change to the existing driveways.

[8:33] We resurfaced them years ago, back in 2015, with no change at all.

[8:38] Got you.

[8:40] Good.

[8:41] Any questions?

[8:42] How about it?

[8:43] Okay.

[8:44] Can we close it please?

[8:45] Do you want to add?

[8:46] Oh, I'm sorry.

[8:47] Do you have any questions?

[8:48] I forgot you up there, my bad.

[8:50] No, no.

[8:51] I know that there were a number of neighbors who wrote in favor of it.

[8:56] I assume that there are no neighbors who are opposed to that.

[9:00] Is that correct?

[9:02] Sir, there was none that I'm aware of.

[9:04] I believe there was a neighbor in the audience right now.

[9:08] Who was an immediate neighbor across the street.

[9:20] Yeah, it seems like the neighbors are okay.

[9:24] Takes the village.

[9:25] Thank you.

[9:27] Okay.

[9:28] Okay.

[9:28] I'm okay.

[9:30] All right.

[9:31] All right.

[9:31] Can we close the place?

[9:32] All right.

[9:32] We're going to close the public hearing.

[9:34] Okay.

[9:37] I'll make a motion to approve.

[9:39] I'll second it.

[9:40] Okay.

[9:41] Let's go to vote.

[9:41] All right.

[9:42] We're going to roll call.

[9:42] Ed Lashens. Yes. Bob Greer. Yes. John Stipo. Yes. Ray Rodriguez. Yes. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.

[9:56] Just making progress tonight.

[9:59] Okay. All right. I'm going to open the public hearing. Well, I'm not, but we're going to open the public hearing for one windmill court.

[10:09] So, never done this before, never lived in a house, never moved into windmill in 2017.

[10:16] Can you start with your name, sir?

[10:18] Keith Arner.

[10:19] Thank you.

[10:19] Thanks for the camera.

[10:20] So, wasn't sure if my architect was going to be on Zoom, but unfortunately he is at

[10:24] a meeting.

[10:25] So, there we go.

[10:27] We put a sport court in during COVID.

[10:30] We talked to somebody that we thought was going to advise us on the proper ways

[10:35] of doing it.

[10:36] We believe them. That company is now out of business, unfortunately.

[10:40] I think we are looking for a variance of what is the exact amount of feet. I think it's 17.

[10:46] It should be 30. It is 12 feet off of...

[10:48] 17 feet 10 inches.

[10:50] So we're looking for a variance of 17 feet 10 inches.

[10:53] We've had the sport court for five plus years.

[10:56] I have two boys. They love it.

[10:58] We are putting in drainage for the sport court.

[11:01] We have never had an issue thus far.

[11:03] We're renovating our house, similar to what Ray did in others Jeff Blum around us, so we

[11:09] are invested into the community and we plan on starting forever.

[11:11] I'm sorry, you said you were what?

[11:12] Renovating?

[11:13] We're renovating our house.

[11:14] Yeah, I sold a lot of them.

[11:15] Yeah, yeah, hopefully we can move back.

[11:17] Lot of trucks, floors went in today, tiles being laid, we're hoping we can move back

[11:21] in September.

[11:22] It's been a long year.

[11:23] I'm sure.

[11:24] Yeah.

[11:25] So just as you get a building permit for this court, we, I think we're approved

[11:31] And if the variance was approved talking about when you put it in no, we're legalizing it now

[11:37] So the person that we used advised us that we did not need that during COVID. This was in the heat of COVID

[11:43] I think it was September or July

[11:46] And that was the company that actually made that was the company that put the basketball court in that's why he's here

[11:52] That's why I'm here. So yeah, he got some bad advice from a company

[11:57] She's got bad advice from the companies that don't load around.

[12:00] Correct.

[12:01] A little history.

[12:04] When the court has three, you're at number one.

[12:09] Number one, yes.

[12:10] My first house was number three.

[12:12] Is that across the street?

[12:14] Directly across the street.

[12:15] Yeah.

[12:16] I bought that in 1968.

[12:18] Did you really?

[12:19] Did you sell it to the woman who's there now?

[12:22] Oh, I...

[12:23] Oh, I don't even know.

[12:24] she's she's older husband passed away in 2015 yeah I'm long gone from that but

[12:31] the court is so cute it's great I have three boys that grew up on that plane in

[12:35] that I love it I love it I think you mentioned your neighbors any concerns

[12:47] have any of your neighbor's voice concerns.

[12:51] Yeah, nobody has.

[12:52] I had, I got nothing.

[12:54] Did you said you put in drainage?

[12:56] We're going to.

[12:57] I just got a quote.

[12:58] I'm going to have somebody do that.

[12:59] But what is that required by any town or you're just doing that anyhow?

[13:02] No, it was retired, it was required by I think Rob or the building inspector.

[13:06] Okay.

[13:07] Yeah.

[13:07] But is it, is it defined amount of work?

[13:11] It is just to do.

[13:12] Correct.

[13:13] Yes.

[13:13] There's four Coltex that go up there.

[13:16] Okay.

[13:16] And the drain is going to cost about a hundred thousand dollars. He's told you what to do and you know how to do it

[13:21] Yes, okay, and you got a permit. We have yes everything the important thing as a new home

[13:28] Fairly new

[13:30] Always get permits or at least inquire because it's going to cause you all this trouble

[13:36] Where you could be rejected? I know so it's not worth not getting a permit

[13:42] agree with you a double when you get caught with it, so

[13:47] learn from experience. Just a little more. Yeah, I appreciate that. It's not even a slap on the wrist, it's just a warning. I got it. Thank you.

[13:56] Yeah, please inquire about permits should any future work be done. Okay, make a motion for me. That's sad. And after this we're not doing any more building.

[14:05] I just want to make sure. Add any questions. No, no. Obviously there's one neighbor that's affected more than any other.

[14:15] The one whose neighbor brought us on to the side yard where the court is located, and that

[14:24] neighbor is aware that you're applying for this variance and has no objection.

[14:32] No objection.

[14:34] Okay.

[14:36] I visited it.

[14:38] I don't know if your wife told me, told you, but I was there.

[14:44] In fact, if I knew that he had pickleball courts, I would have brought my paddle.

[14:49] But anyway, it's a nice court that you have there.

[14:54] We actually put, you saw, if you walked up there, we put trees up there to block the neighbors.

[15:00] Okay, all right. We're going to close the public hearing.

[15:08] We have a motion. I'll make a motion

[15:11] as a former Wimbledon court neighbor. Yeah, I'm on north late now, but not there. All right.

[15:21] Do we have a second? Go ahead. I'll second it. Okay. Let's go to vote. Okay. We're going

[15:27] to do a roll call. Ed Lashins. Yes. Bob Greer. Yes. John Steepo. Yes. Ray Rodriguez. Yes.

[15:35] Thank you guys. Okay. See you didn't need to. Good luck with the renovation. You did a great

[15:41] job. Thank you. Have a good night. Thanks. I'll see you at the camp.

[15:46] You're doing a driveway. Am I? Yeah. No, I'm going to redo it, but not just I'm

[15:52] not going to add anything. Jamie at the highway department.

Zoning Board of Appeals

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