The Village of Kings Point hopes to clarify the definitions of “structural headroom” and “floor area,” officials said on Thursday, following the discovery of apparent loopholes in village code.
According to a draft copy of the law, floor space will be defined as floor space above the basement and below the attic, regardless of use, and floor space with structural headroom 15 feet or higher will be counted twice.
Additionally, structural headroom was expanded to include “dropped soffits, ceilings, overhangs, and beams” independently removable that aren’t deemed structurally essential.
“What happened was in a proposed project, I have an architect who was attempting to have a space that was 15 feet or greater,” Chris Aiossa, the village building inspector, said on Tuesday. “But he was lowering a nonstructural drop ceiling to say that was the structural height of the space to avoid having to count that twice.”
When asked how the law would affect residents or planned buildings, Aiossa said he doesn’t see any problems.
“I don’t foresee it really limiting a building or a homeowner,” Aiossa said. “It’s really just a clarification of an existing part of the code.”
Village officials also proposed a law about replacing and maintaining trees, which could require tree removal permit holders to replace cut down, removed or destroyed trees.
Any trees planted must be kept in good health for at least five years, according to a draft of the law. If the building inspector finds they are “not in good health,” the trees must be “replaced substantially in kind.”
Village Clerk-Treasurer Gomie Persaud said the bill arose because “we have a lot of [tree] removal” going on.
The public hearing will take place on Monday, Oct. 15, at 8:15 p.m. at Village Hall.
In unrelated village business, trustees heard a proposal about potentially replacing its 200 streetlights with light emitting diode bulbs, but made no final decision at the meeting, Persaud said.
