Southampton Village ZBA Approves Revised Variance For Mocomanto

The Southampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals approved on Thursday, February 22, a modification to a previously approved variance that allows an addition to a historic residence within a regulated wetlands setback.

The variance application was initially approved four months ago, permitting Ken Fox—the owner of Mocomanto, the 125-year-old Victorian home at 472 First Neck Lane fronting Lake Agawam—to build within the setback.

After gaining the ZBA’s approval in October 2017, the applicant took his plans to nearly double the size of his home to the village’s Board of Historic Preservation and Architectural Review, where the plans are still being reviewed. Since then, the plans were modified to look reminiscent of the home as it stood in the 1920s.

The existing home sits completely in the wetlands setback area. Mr. Fox originally proposed an L-shaped addition, of which only 592 square feet of the footprint would fall within the setback. A special exception permit from the ZBA authorizing Mr. Fox to build on the regulated area was required, and was granted in October 2017.

In his revised proposal, Mr. Fox seeks the same amount of square footage in the 150-foot wetlands setback, though he wants to have two stories now instead of one. He is also seeking to have 13 square feet of habitable space taken from the lakeside portion of the addition and converted into 13 square feet of porch space on the western-facing portion of the home.

According to Mr. Fox’s attorney, John Bennett, the gross floor area of the home with the new addition will be 6,982 square feet, or 208 square feet less than what was previously proposed, noting the proposal is 6,875 square feet less than what is allowed on the property.

Mr. Bennett also filed an application for a variance to allow a one-story detached garage. Currently there is a guest house on the property, according to Mr. Bennett, and the idea is to demolish the guest house—which is a pre-existing, nonconforming use—and construct the garage.

While the additional variance for the garage was expected to be included on Thursday, it was added as a modification to the board’s decision and is expected to be voted on again in March.

The ZBA is expected to hold its next regular meeting on Thursday, March 22, at 6 p.m.