North Salem · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in North Salem, NY public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Home addition variance on undersized lot
A Bonnieview Street family can add a primary suite to their home despite slightly exceeding the town's building-coverage cap, because their lot is a pre-existing non-conforming size.
Firewood shed setback variance at 46 Lakeview Road
A homeowner wants to replace an old, leaky tarp-covered woodshed with a smaller one that sits within required side and rear setbacks. Neighbors worried about their backyard view, and the board split the difference by keeping the new shed on the existing footprint.
Home standby generator variance at 5 Hilltop Drive
A homeowner needs to place a backup generator closer to the side lot line than zoning allows because that's where the utilities enter. The board agreed it's well hidden and granted it with a condition that weekly test runs happen midweek, midday.
Keeping of livestock and barn setback relief at 338 Hardscrabble Road
A resident wants to house rescue donkeys and miniature goats in a new four-stall barn built closer to the property line than zoning normally allows. The board found good cause in operational efficiency, safety and aesthetics, mirroring a similar permit granted to prior owners in 2007.
Renewal of horse boarding operation and gatehouse maintenance at 15 Turkey Hill Road
A long-running commercial horse boarding farm got its ten-year special permit renewal, but board members called out clutter around the caretaker's cottage visible from Turkey Hill Road. The renewal now carries a condition to clean up equipment, trash cans and outdoor furniture.
Equestrian special permit renewals
Three horse properties — two on Lost Pond Lane and one on Grant Road — had their permits renewed, keeping North Salem's equestrian character intact. Conditions cover manure removal, fly control and dark-sky lighting.
Dark-sky lighting policy
The board conditions approvals so outdoor lighting can't be seen from its source, keeping the town's night skies dark.
Horse-keeping special permit at Finch Farm
A long-running permit to keep six horses on a 30-plus-acre farm was renewed unchanged, with a fire inspection required.
Small cell legislation
The board wants to revive its stalled small-cell wireless work. The special counsel's draft needs reformatting before it can plug into the town code, so it may not resurface until mid-summer.
Titicus Road roadside farm stand
Titicus Farm wants to sell fruits and vegetables grown on site from a roadside stand, but the application came in incomplete — no site plan or elevations and a vague operations description. It's held over to June with no extra fee.
Stay Cell Farm horse operation renewal
A 20-year-old horse boarding and breeding facility on 116 acres at the gateway to North Salem can keep operating for another decade, with up to 54 horses. No changes are proposed and the building inspector reported only minor fire-extinguisher updates needed.
Front-yard gate height variance, 685 Titicus Road
Barbara Gatfield wants to install a gate and pillars 6 feet tall in her front yard where only 4 feet is allowed in the R-4 district. The Board was scheduled to hear the request at a public hearing.
Deck replacement and hot tub variances, 18 Lakeside Drive
John and Michelle Shallat sought variances to replace a deck with a slightly larger one and add a hot tub on a small (0.16-acre) non-conforming lakefront lot, which requires extra rear-yard and coverage relief.
Pool and side-yard setback variances, 4 Park Lane
Patrick Kennedy asked for side-yard relief to build a 16'x35' fiberglass pool and to legalize the existing location of a house addition that sits closer to the lot line than zoning allows.
Gate pillar height variance at 235 Mills Road
A Mills Road property owner wants a front-yard gate with stone pillars roughly two feet taller than the zoning allows. The Board of Appeals will weigh whether the extra height fits the neighborhood when it finally hears the case on February 12.