Manorhaven’s Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special permit for the construction of a shed to store salt during its meeting on Tuesday night.
The shed at 12 Manorhaven Blvd. will cover a pile of salt used to clear roads in the area. But the approval of the structure, which has been a contentious issue in the village, came with a few caveats.
In announcing the board’s approval, Chairman Patrick Gibson said that the special use permit will require the property’s owners, Dejana Industries, to come before the planning board if the use of the property changes or if the owners want to build another structure. He said the approval of the salt shed would be subject to a written decision.
“Our approval today is going to be subject to a written decision by our [legal] counsel, which will then have to be approved by this board,” Gibson said.
That decision by the attorney, Jeffery Blinkoff, will be given to the board to review, and the board will either accept it or deny and revise it.
The board added that the grade of the lot could not be changed and that the color of the structure would have to be negotiated with the village’s Architectural Review Board. The color was originally supposed to be beige but after comment from the public, Gibson suggested another color would better help the structure blend in.
Caroline DuBois, the acting secretary for the Manorhaven Action Committee, said she was pleased that a special permit was given instead of a variance. But she said she would have preferred the project not go forward.
“I’m glad that the board put conditions on it,” she said. “But I’m disappointed that they decided to go through with it. I think it’s short-sighted.”
DuBois was one of several local residents who raised concerns about the structure during an hour of public comment before it was approved.
She asked if the property would continue to be used for the storage of salt and vehicles since Dejana Industries had recently been sold. The attorney representing the property, Howard Avrutine, said that the new owners, who were not identified, intended to continue using that site for equipment that provided waste removal, street cleaning and snow removal services.
DuBois presented a letter from Manhasset Isle resident Dorit Zeevi-Farrington, who said that the height limit for the structure should be 15 feet, which is as tall as you can build an accessory structure in the village without seeking the zoning board’s approval.
But Gibson said that the structure would be classified as a primary structure, which has a height limit of 26 feet because it was integral to the property’s purpose.
DuBois also said she believed that the property’s position along Sheets Creek meant that it should be included in the village’s moratorium on building.
The special permit that would require the owner to come before the board for a change in use was included due to concerns over whether the property would be used for other purposes in the future, such as apartments.
