Zoning Board of Appeals - Regular Meeting

7:30 roll Johnson here. Thomas Graphanino here. Lyn Colligan here. Lisa Crackler here. And Phil Dior is here. We also have present Tim Hill, town at uh ZBA attorney via Zoom. Um first order of business is to review and approve the December 10th, 2025 minutes. Can I have a motion to approve the minutes? I'll make a motion. I'll second it.

All in favor? I I All right. We have uh uh on our agenda tonight, we have one uh uh it's listed as a resolution, but it's not a resolution. It's a hearing on 80 Cartwright Road. I'm going to read the notice. Um notice is hereby given that the following hearing will be held by the Shelter Island Zoning Board of Appeals on the 28th day of 20 January 2026 in person at the Shelter Island Town Hall, 38 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, New York. Hearings are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. or soon thereafter. A hearing on the application of Hope Pingri Revocable Trust and Sumner Pingri Revocable Trust, owner of 80 Cartwright Road, Shelter Island, New York, which is located in zone AA and is more specifically described on the Suffach County tax map as 700-8-3-15. The applicant seeks a variance to permit proposed construction of an accessory structure with sleeping quarters consisting of 270 square ft where 480 ft is required pursuant to the town code. All persons wishing to be heard should appear at the aforementioned time and place it. All right. So, um I'm going to open up this uh hearing. Uh Mr. Mr. Pingry, if you want to present, please, you have to step up to the podium.

Oh, okay. Um, yeah, very briefly, please. Yeah, just have to state your name and your address for the record. Senator Pingry. Um, I am the owner with my wife of 80 North Cartrite Road. Um, as returning residents to Shelter Island, we purchased the house in March of last year. um you've just read read a you know a summary and I would just reiterate that the proposal that we have I want to be clear also the accessory building is there's an accessory building that's in existence we're not building a a new structure

I mean you're you're building you're going to knock down this structure and you're going to build a new structure that's not on the same footprint so that's correct right that is correct Okay. Yes. But it's, you know, it's But you're replacing something that exists already. Exactly. Right.

Exactly. And as you pointed out, um, the the plan will increase the square footage of the living area to 270 ft um, from its existing less than 100 square ft. Um, and as such, we're, you know, we fall short of the of what the code required, which is 480. So, yes, we're asking for an area variance of 210 square ft less than what the code requires. Um, and I would just say that um, we don't want to build a big building. We want to build a building that is in keeping with the property that's in keeping with the uh with the primary dwelling, the so-called Lester House. Um and so therefore, you know, it's what we're after is a proper sleeping quarters for guests. um storage and workshop space that's all enclosed in a modern u energyefficient building. Um the existing structure is substandard in almost every regard. You wouldn't put your worst enemy in the guest room for any period of time. Um it uh it lacks a foundation. It's half It's half of a pad, a slab, and otherwise it sits on posts uh with a little bit of grade um for the other half. Um you know, all of its infrastructure is is poor. Um the space for storage is is uh inaccessible. Um so that's our, you know, that's our objective. Um, we want

to keep it in keeping with the property um in keeping with the uh the existing building um and proportionality. Um I should also say perhaps um John Fefield is on Zoom. He he thought he might be he's a friend. He's not here right now. Okay. He would show up on the screen. Yes, sir. Okay. Um well, if there are any questions, um be happy to Sure. So, first the only reason that you're here is because the size of the living space is smaller than what the town code requires, right?

The the building doesn't require any area variances. Yeah. Okay. Um, and then on the I guess it's the second page of the zoning board of appeals application. U, it says, is the property within one mile of an airport or within 500 ft of and you have the Yes. Is that just for the airport or is that for the county road or is that or is there something else maybe road? Okay, it's the county road obviously. It's it's right on North Kart, right? That's county road, correct? Yeah. Yeah. So, we're Okay. So, but there's no other something or other that I I'm missing. No. Okay. Um, and

I just had a question. Um, is there a reason that you wouldn't square off the structure and make the guest room area larger to be less to be requesting less of a variance? Um, instead of the 210, um, see if you squared it off. um you know where the laundry room and the entry are. Where the entry are. Yeah. Yeah. It would be less of a variance. It would Well, it's probably still not going to hit the 480. Um you know, it just would be less a less significant or less uh intrusive for us in terms of the ask. Um

I guess I mean I guess also we're bringing the the building closer to code um by you know increasing the the size as it's you know in the plan, right? No, I just was curious as to why you settled upon the 270 ft as opposed to because it's probably not an an a cost issue, right? Especially since you're demolishing the whole thing. you have an opportunity to actually you have space for it and you have an opportunity to lower the area variance that you need.

Yeah. I mean I think I with John I think we could we could relook at the entrance. I think we were looking for an entrance that um you know that was in that area and at the same time offered a little bit of cover. um you know as you see in the drawing um right so I I'll say this you know in a time when I think people are unhappy with the size of accessory dwellings or sleeping quarters they're unhappy with things being too big right in general it's I I think it be that's a safe way to say it

I I would say that uh in general I I don't think that there's much opposition to things being smaller Well, we were worried about the shed, remember last? Yeah, that is correct. And I'm not I'm not saying the shed that had other that had other issues as well. Yes. Yes. No, I was just trying to make the variance less um significant, right? You know, I also know this is not we are getting a lot more of these asking for um smaller than smaller than 480. It's becoming a know about the code. You think but you know Mr. Finger but we have to that's our job.

Yeah. I mean I don't know what the legis we don't we don't write the code right. We we come here for we're here for people who are seeking relief from the code. Um but yes I I I take your point. Yeah. you know, um the um I for me I I I don't I don't see, you know, trying to force another 100 square feet into this thing as making any real difference. Okay. No, I just was bringing question up. No, it's absolutely I think that's whatever.

Is there a reason why you added a laundry cuz you did not have a laundry in there before? Is there a laundry in the main house? There is, but the laundry is in the only bathroom downstairs. Um the the house is 1865. There's a stack um uh washer dryer in the primary bathroom and the only bathroom in the house that has a shower. So it's it's it's not and it's it's also, you know, 2 feet from the entrance to the house. So it it's uh it's not a place for laundry. um uh you know obviously people have managed with it but it's it it's not it's not ideal.

So you won't be doing laundry in the main house. We'll be taking it out. We want we need a closet, you know. We need a place to put coats at the front door basically. Um so that's that's our that's our intention. Um, anybody else up here have any other questions? No, not a fan. Um, Mr. Pingry, is there anything else that you would like to No.

Okay, let me just open it up to uh the Zoomland audience. Is there anyone out there that wanted to make a comment? Does not appear that way. Okay. Um, I mean, if it's all right with all of you, we could close this hearing. Does that work for you? Yes. Yeah. Okay. Um so, um let me just pull up my calendar here. So, we're we're going to close the hearing and uh uh to but leave it open to written correspondence until February 11th and set a work session for February 18th. Um if that works for everyone.

Mhm. Okay. Chairman, could I ask just how does your process go from here? Visa v. So we we will discuss it at at a work session. Okay. Um so that would be the next session would be the 18th. That's correct. And that's it's not a time for public comment or um it's just a time for us to kind of do our work and hash it out. Yeah. And then uh um we will try to develop the outline of a resolution at that uh work session. Great. And if uh if everyone can come to an agreement on what we would like to see, then we would probably have a resolution ready to vote on at the next week's hearing. At the next week's meeting, February 25th. 25th. Okay. All right.

Yes. Um so that's that's if everything goes uh whatever. If everything goes then then that's the way we'll go. I'd say smoothly. Yeah. Thank you for your time. So, I have a motion to close the hearing. I'll make the motion and I'll second it. All in favor? I I And uh I guess we can Can I get a motion to close the meeting? I'll make a motion. Second. All in favor? There we go. This is one of those world record meetings. I love it. Thank you everybody.