Garden City Holding Meeting on Proposed Changes to Home Construction

The Village of Garden City will hold a public meeting on Sept. 8 to discuss changes to the Building Code that aim to give the village some control over the aesthetics of new houses being built.

The Mayor’s Committee on Building Code Changes will present its recommendations to the Board of Trustees at the board’s September 8th meeting.

The Mayor's Committee on Building Code Changes, which was created in ­2015 in response to citizens’ concerns regarding construction of new houses and additions in the village, will present its recommendations at 8 p.m. The problems identified are not unique to Garden City and have been addressed in different ways by many communities nationwide. The issue is complex balancing act between house size, aesthetics and homeowners’ needs, wants and rights.

The proposed recommendations do not impact the ability to build a house, addition or extension up to the existing maximum limits on the property. They do not alter the height to which a house can be built, which affects the height of interior rooms. Instead, the recommendations address several issues related to construction or additions to new houses, additions or extensions, including:

● ‘Large House Issue.’ Some new houses, additions or alterations, predominantly on smaller plots, appear to be larger than the surrounding houses, altering the character and streetscape of adjoining houses and the neighborhood, creating ‘canyons’ on the sides of houses and diminishing the amount of light and air reaching neighboring houses and reducing privacy. The village says 81 percent of houses are on small plots.

● The Architectural Design Review Board currently is not required to review additions or exterior alterations to the front half of the property if it increases the existing floor area of the house by 30 percent or less.

● A house can be totally or partially demolished without any representation to the village of what will replace it. There is no requirement to landscape and maintain the property if it is left vacant.

● There is no requirement, unless a variance is required, that neighbors be made aware of the plans for, impacts on or construction of new houses, additions or alterations adjacent to their property.

To develop its recommendations, the committee analyzed 393 building permits issued in the village since 2011, examined how other communities have addressed the problem, explored various potential solutions and vetted them with the Architectural Design Review Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Property Owners’ Associations, the Village Building Superintendent, members of the Board of Trustees and at an open meeting of the Mayor’s Committee.

Photo: Suzie Alvey