After recently enacting Local Law No. 4, which amends the Garden City village code to establish Residence R-20C corner overlay districts, which affect certain corner lots in Garden City, trustees have defined a corner lot or plot as it applies to these districts: “A lot or plot located at the point of intersection of two or more intersecting streets and having an interior angle at the point of intersection of less than 135 degrees. Any lot or plot abutting a curved street where the interior angle formed by the intersection of lines drawn tangent to the street at the points of intersection of street and lot lines does not exceed 135 degrees shall also be considered a corner lot or plot.”
Confused? Maybe the diagram will help.
To help alleviate the concerns of many living in Garden City’s Central section who fear corner lot subdivisions are threatening the village’s character, trustees unanimously passed the local law in August. Essentially, the code change adds a corner overlay district so that “no corner lot in the R-20C Corner Overlay District may be subdivided unless the resulting corner lot complies with all R-40 requirements.”
Many other residents, however, oppose the zoning changes, including John Pascal of Second Street, who believes trustees enacted the local law in haste.
“I understand you are now defining ‘corner lots’ after the law effecting these corner lots has been enacted. It is my belief that this action by the board of trustees supports my contention that this corner overlay district law was enacted in haste without full consideration of its ramifications,” Pascal stated in a Sept. 23 letter to Mayor Robert Rothschild. Pascal is trying to subdivide his own 55,321 square foot lot into two smaller plots. He now plans on applying for a variance but admits he doesn’t have much hope the village will grant him the right.
According to Building Superintendent Mike Filippon, the law affects 22 lots in the Central section and does not preclude anyone from applying to the Board of Appeals for a variance.
Mayor Robert Rothschild adjourned the Oct. 1 public hearing to leave room for any questions that may arise at the board’s next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 15.
