Staff Notes
Department of Community
Development
Queensbury Planning Board
Staff Notes
July 24, 2012
This application was tabled by the Zoning Board of Appeals on July
18, 2012, please see attached resolution. Staff recommends
tabling this application to September 26, 2012 in anticipation of ZBA
action on this application.
APPLICATION: Site Plan 40-2012 / Area Variance 33-2012
APPLICANT: Gregg Brown & Lizabeth Bitner
REQUESTED ACTION: Site Plan Review
LOCATION: 31 Knox Road
EXISTING ZONING: WR-Waterfront Residential
SEQRA STATUS: Type II
WARREN CO. REFERRAL: Yes
PARCEL HISTORY: A.V. 33-12 Height variance Pending
S.P. 14-2007 Hard-surfacing w/in 50 ft. of shore Approved 6/17/08
A.V. 9-2008 Lot size relief Approved 3/19/08
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Applicant proposes renovation to existing 1,076 sq. ft. one bedroom
boathouse to include installation of hip roof and reconfiguration of living
space resulting in a +/- 786 sq. ft. studio with +/- 290 sq. ft. sundeck.
STAFF COMMENTS: Per §179-5-060A (6), ‘The maximum surface of any superstructure built upon and/or
above any dock shall be 700 square feet’. Regardless of the change to the floor plan for the boathouse, the
existing and proposed conditions have not changed with regards to the superstructure and as such the non-
conformity has not been reduced as stated in the applicant’s narrative; superstructure size is and will be 1076 sq.
ft., 376 sq. ft. above the existing zoning code and overall proposed height is 23.65 feet versus the allowable
height of 16 feet. The applicant has requested waivers from grading, topography, and stormwater requirements
of Site Plan Review.
As per §179-3-040(5)(e) All development activities, including new construction, expansions or extensions,
conversions and remodeling, for all uses that require septic systems that commence subsequent to the effective
date of this section, shall be required to establish that septic systems comply with the most recently adopted
standards and requirements or to update systems accordingly. Written certification from a professional engineer
and/or from the Town Engineer as to compliance of existing, updated, or new systems shall be required prior to
the issuance of a zoning permit or building permit. In addition, any septic system that fails shall be required to
be reconstructed with a design that meets the most recently adopted standard.
Nature of Area Variance:
Parcel will require area variances as follows:
Height – Request for 7.65 feet of height relief from the 16 foot maximum height allowed as per §179-5-060.
Note: Per §179-5-060A (11) Boathouses and covered docks shall not exceed 16 feet in height measured from
the MHW mark to the highest point of the structure.
Application Protocol
7/17/2012 PB Recommendation to ZBA Recommendation 7/17/12
7/18/2012 ZBA review Tabled to 9/19/2012
7/24/2012 PB review
L:\Keith Oborne\2012 Staff Notes\Planning\July 17\SP 41-12 Brown_Bitner_PBR.doc
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