HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnnual Summary
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
TO: Scott Russell, Supervisor
FROM: Leslie Kanes Weisman, ZBA Chairperson/Department Head
RE: ZBA Accomplishments and Initiatives in 2015 and 2016 Goals
DATE: February 8, 2016
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Activities of the Department
92 applications to the Board of Appeals and 34 applications for Special Event Permits
were processed by office staff.
Regular staff meetings with the Department Head were held to discuss and improve
office operations and to review procedures for the Town of Southold Annual
Employment Performance Appraisal.
Staff spent approximately 126 hours assisting 665 people at the counter.
Staff processed 61 FOIL requests by the public.
The wait time for calendaring a completed application for a public hearing continues to
be on average 1 or 2 months.
Fees collected in 2015 totaled $74,000.
The
In January 2015Clerk Typist Elizabeth Sakarellos joined the
office staff as a full time Clerk Typist.
New digital recording equipment was used to record minutes of public hearings by ZBA
staff. Transcripts of those meetings are now being typed in our office, thereby making
them available to Board Members and the public in a matter of days instead of weeks
after a hearing date.
Board Activities, Policies, and Practices
Statistics
In 2015 12 Regular Meetings, 11 Special Meetings and 110 public hearings were held;
the Board members conducted 509 site inspections collectively and rendered 84 written
decisions.
ZBA Policy Documents Annual Review
At our January 8, 2015 Organizational Meeting, the Board of Appeals updated and
unanimously re-adopted three policy documents: The ZBA Code of Conduct, ZBA
Guidelines to Open Meetings Law and Ethical Issues, and ZBA Procedural Guidelines.
These documents were voluntarily developed, as permitted by Town Code Section 280-
148, to supplement and further clarify the responsibilities and ethical standards
proscribed for Zoning Boards by the Town of Southold and New York State and
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explicate the responsibilities and operating procedures of Board Members, the Board
Chair, and the ZBA Assistant.
Coordination of Tent Permits and Special Event Permits
To insure that applicants for Tent Permits are reviewed by the Office of the ZBA to
determine if they also need a Special Event Permit prior to the issuance of same, Fire
Marshall Fisher worked with the ZBA Chairperson and Board Assistant to incorporate a
line on the application form to the Building Department for a Tent Permit as follows:
ZBA Special Event Permit Required? __Yes Permit # ______ ___No
ZBA Annual Training
All Board members participated in a series of topical work sessions and seminars
conducted by the Assistant Town Attorney, the President of the Board of Town Trustees,
the LWRP Coordinator, and the Town Engineer designed to build proficiency and
knowledge specifically related to the work of the Board. The focus of our educational
training in 2015 was on Chapter 236 of the Town Code (Stormwater Management) and
on Chapter 275 (Wetlands), which has enabled the Members of the Board of Appeals to
better employ strategies within the scope of our jurisdiction that mitigate potential
adverse environmental impacts, especially those that affect water quality.
Code Revisions
The Board of Appeals worked with the Board of Town Trustees, Assistant Town
Attorneys, Code Committee and Town Board to revise Chapters 275 and 280 of the town
code to eliminate redundant reviews by both the ZBA and Trustees for non-conforming
setbacks from a bulkhead and to create consistency where concurrent jurisdiction requires
review by both Boards
Goals for 2016:
New York State protects
the regulation of identified Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas (CEHA). The state also manages land
use and development to minimize or prevent damage from flood and erosion to man-made
property and public infrastructure. To improve our understanding of the CHEA and FEMA
building regulations and how to balance them with protecting the character of existing
neighborhoods, in 2016 the Members of the Board of Appeals will pursue training in floodplain
management and FEMA building requirements.
Continue to serve the public with courtesy, efficiency, and professionalism.
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