Varick ZBA Meeting Minutes April 25, 2017

Zoning Board of Appeals Town of Varick New York 

Minutes for April 25, 2017 

The Varick ZBA held a public meeting at the Varick Town Hall on April 25, 2017 at 7pm. 

Present: Jeff Hogue-Chair, Annie Bachman, John Keel, Fred Beary, Andrew Herkovic 

Meeting was called to order at 7:04 pm. 

Old Business: 

Secretary Report: 

Notice of Action sent to property owner Jesse McNulty and the clerk. 

Motion to approve March minutes with the correction of the proper newspaper notice. 

Motion Approved. 

New Business: 

A workshop comparing dock and waterfront rules from other towns started at 7:15pm. 

1. The Army Corps of Engineers. A. Bachman e-mailed document to all board members. Request was for an application, received a permit. No application found. Determined the process is to submit a request and the general permit is granted as long as the dimensional requirements are met. Pre-construction notification is needed if you vary from the dimensional restrictions. Variances can be obtained when special conditions are presented (i.e. - physical obstructions, etc.). Deck vs. Dock definition varies somewhat from Varick Zoning Codes. They permit for a very large boat/jet ski hoist size. Mooring buoys & swim platforms are to have identification tags. VZC are stricter and variance decisions should always include the instruction to comply with the Army Corps of Engineers requirements (which include instructions to contact/comply with State and Federal regulations including the Coast Guard). 

2. Town of Auburn. Document brought by J. Hogue. No dock regulations found. Permit requirement is one large document. A complicated but thorough document. Examples are included for most all items including diagrams. What items you can do yourself or have to have a contractor. 

3. Owasco, Scipio???? Document brought by J. Hogue. Shoreline construction is highly regulated as to size, proximity, and construction method. Size limits are for much smaller dock structures due to small body of water. No structures can be built on the dock with the exception of seating. 

Related Notes/ Questions: Different dock building companies are on Seneca and Cayuga Lakes (too difficult to move equipment from one lake to the other). Do dock builders have to be registered? Are there any NY State law requirements for dock (size)? The terms 'Pier' and 'Dock' are used interchangeably referring to the same structure. Docks were originally 'access to the water/ boat’, now have become activity locations. Suggestions for rules to be considered for change/ clarification and what are the procedures to have them considered/ implemented by the Town (i.e. maximum sq. ft. limits)? Should the rules be defined for Seneca Lake vs. Cayuga Lake considering the very different densities they have? 

Special Note: Both Lakes are currently at or close to the mean high water mark. 

Work Shop Closed at 8:20 pm. 

Next Meeting: May 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm. 

Motion to adjourn the meeting 8:25 pm 

1st – A. Bachman 2nd – J. Keel 

Respectfully Submitted May 22, 2017