HomeMy WebLinkAbout#7498 Loria Public Comment.pdf KF
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July 9, 2021 RECFTvEr.
Southold Town Zoning Board of Appeals JUL 2021
Town Hall Annex Building
54375 Route 25 Zoning Board of Appeals
Southold,NY 11971
Dear Members of the Southold Town Zoning Board,
The historic waterfront in New Suffolk is a special place that all residents of Southold Town can
be proud of. I'm writing this letter to urge you to help protect it by not approving application
#7498 filed by Mr. Philip Loria for setback and third-story variances for a proposed house to be
built at 1090 First Street in New Suffolk. Such variances were approved in the case of 1200 First
Street, resulting in a house that is a blight on the New Suffolk waterfront. It's completely out of
character for the neighborhood, and completely dwarfs the house next door at 1230 First Street.
A three-story building is just way too tall for any structure on the historic downtown New
Suffolk waterfront.
Sincerely,
Alec Heiner
410 Bunny Lane, New Suffolk
June 30, 2021
To the Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals,
I was struck by the term `bulk schedule' as I read through this application. BULK
is the problem with this application,which proposes building a 60 foot long 35 foot
tall wall, 9.5 feet from the street (the flight of stairs and landing are even closer), in
this small hamlet grid. The adjacent boxy house, a pre-existing 2 story house raised
after Sandy, shows what we will get if the relief sought is granted.
The west elevation drawing is a pleasant one - until you consider its context and the
size of the property it sits on. Dutch Gambrel houses are seen in Southold on large
properties, not in the New Suffolk grid, so the assertion that this building is
consistent with local character couldn't be further from the truth. It will block views
- of neighbors and of all those who walk or drive along First Street. In scale, the
project is even more dramatically off the mark- if an applicant needs relief in every
direction - front, back, side, height- that suggests that this very small parcel is not
meant to have this building, as designed, on it.
It is true that residential use is less intensive than the M II uses the code allows. But
the proposed residence would be more destructive of the physical community fabric
than the 2 commercial buildings on the waterside of First Street- Peeko Oysters
runs lot line to lot line but is a small one-story historic building housing a working
oyster business and the Galley Ho, a renovated historic structure on pilings on 2 1/z
acres, sited with very generous setbacks, affords (and guarantees through
easements) water views and large open garden spaces.
Whether the garage floor is paved or not doesn't address the issue which requires
the 4th variance. If it looks like a third floor on all elevations, has windows and/or
doors on all 3 floors and requires 2 full flights of interior stairs to reach its top, full
height floor, it is a 3 story building. Its negative impact on its neighbors doesn't
depend on a paved floor or heating, it depends on how big it feels outside.
Maybe every property in every location is not suited to a 3 story house with 3
primary bedrooms, 2 story open spaces, 3 1/2 baths, large walk-in closets and an
enclosed garage.
Waterfront properties present unique challenges, and if these variances are granted,
there will be a precedent for several adjacent properties in this hamlet and others in
Southold. New Suffolk will be walled off from the water, as so many suburban
communities up and down the East coast are.
Sincerely,
Barbara Schnitzler
New Suffolk