1 Photo
New York ironweed. LISA DAFFY
The East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to issue a special permit and two variances for the East Hampton Library’s children’s room addition on Friday.
“So endeth a lesson,” said board member Joan Denny after the vote. Bill Esseks, the library’s attorney, sat in on the very brief meeting, as did, Ms. Denny said this week, some of the ZBA’s most loyal supporters throughout its eight years of wrangling with the library. The ZBA had denied the requested permit and variances on July 23, 2010, but that decision was rendered moot this May when a State Supreme Court justice called it “irrational” and issued them himself.
The ZBA was still permitted to impose “reasonable conditions,” however. Those were spelled out on Friday: the basement-level lecture room cannot have more than 60 seats and cannot be expanded without the board’s approval; the library needs to file an easement agreement indicating that it will share access with property owners to the east if they agree to do so; and all improvements must conform to a particular 2006 survey and set of floor plans.
The proposed addition still needs approval from the East Hampton Village Design Review Board. The plan is for a 6,802-square-foot addition, half of it below ground level, with parking. Variances were requested from the minimum front-yard setback and maximum lot-coverage specifications.
Virginia Garrison on Jun 28, 2011