beagenda

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MINUTES<= o:p>

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WATERTOWN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC H= EARING

WEDNESDA= Y, JANUARY 26, 2005 - 7:30 P.M.

WATERTOW= N HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR CAFETERIA

APPLICAT= ION #790 – CHRISTOPHER KALAMARAS

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PRESENT: = &nb= sp; = Mary Bisson, Secretary

&nbs= p; John Griffith

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Roger Mitchell

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Phil Roger, Vice Chairman

= ; &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; = ; Enrico Sarandrea, Chai= rman

ABSENT: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; None

ALTERNATES PRESENT: None

ALTERNATES ABSENT: = Scott Stewart

OTHERS PRESENT: &n= bsp; = ; Moosa Rafey, Assistant Zoning Enforcement Officer

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1. = Call Meeting To Order

Mr. Sarandrea, Chairman, called the Public Hearing to Order at 8:10 p.m.

2. &nb= sp; Roll Call

Ms. Bisson, Secretary, executed the Roll Call.

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3. Hearing of Cases=

&= nbsp; C. Application #790 of Christopher Kalamaras requests for a variance of 14 feet to a rear = yard property line setback to permit the construction of an addition and deck to= an existing dwelling at 81 Lisbon Street, Oakville, CT.

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&= nbsp; Recess or Adjourn, the Public Hearing must be Closed by March 2, 2005 unless appli= cant grants a time extension.

WATERTOWN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC H= EARING

APPLICAT= ION #790 – CHRISTOPHER KALAMARAS

JANUARY = 26, 2005

Page 2

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&= nbsp; Ms. Bisson read aloud the Legal Notice for the record:

“Legal Notice

&= nbsp; The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Watertown will hold a Public Hearing= at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 at the Watertown High School Senior Cafeteria, 324 French Street, Watertown, CT to hear and act upon the follow= ing application:

Application #790 of Christopher Kalamaras of 81 Lisbon Street, Oakville, CT requests for a vari= ance of 14 feet to a rear yard property line setback to permit the construction = of a 288 square foot addition and 252 square foot deck to be attached to a single-family dwelling to be located 16 feet from a rear yard property line= at 81 Lisbon Street, Oakville, CT in an R-12.5 Residential Zoning District.

&= nbsp; Section 24.5.3.b of the Watertown Zoning Regulations requires minimum 30 feet rear = yard property line setback for a principle building in an R-12.5 Residential Zon= ing District.

&= nbsp; At this Hearing interested persons and written communications will be heard. A copy of the application is on fi= le in the Planning and Zoning Office, 51 Depot Street, Suite 502, Watertown, CT.<= o:p>

&= nbsp; Dated at Watertown, CT this 13th day of January, 2005

&= nbsp; Dated at Watertown, CT this 20^th day of January, 2005

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&= nbsp; Mary Bisson, Secretary

&= nbsp; Zoning Board of Appeals”

&= nbsp; Christopher Kalamaras, 81 Lisbon Street, Oakville, CT&= nbsp; 06779

&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: Basically the = rear of the property is unusable based on the grade, it’s a very steep gra= de, it’s unsafe, and it’s for the most part unusable. We’d like to utilize it, and= make the best utilization of this space by putting in a deck in that area. Now I know the application says, I= ’m not sure exactly what it says, but it said a deck and an extension on the h= ome.

= ; Mr. Rafey: It doesn’t matter, it’= s two variances.

&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: It’s bas= ically a deck. It’s going to b= e one big deck with . . . .

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: Are you putting a roof on it?<= /o:p>

WATERTOWN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC H= EARING

APPLICAT= ION #790 – CHRISTOPHER KALAMARAS

JANUARY = 26, 2005

Page 3

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&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: Possibly, that’s something we’ve been thinking about.

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: Make it like a screened in porch?<= o:p>

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&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: Yea, a screene= d in porch on one half and the other half will be all open. As you can see from the photos of = the rear of the house, there is (inaudible) doors there, and it’s quite a drop and right now it’s not a very safe environment. My wife and I intend to have child= ren and we’d like to best utilize that space and make it safe for the fam= ily.

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: With a set of stairs g= oing down?

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&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: Yes.

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: Do you have plans at all, though?<= o:p>

&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: I don’t = have plans yet, I’m in the process of drawing those up.<= /p>

&= nbsp; Mr. Rafey: There is a plot pl= an, Mr. Chairman, so you can see where it is located on the property.

&= nbsp; Mr. Sarandrea: And it’s= the (inaudible).

= ; Mr. Kalamaras: Yes, actually the application stat= ed that it was Oakville, but it’s Watertown. The (inaudible) tells me it’s Watertown, and (inaudible).

= ; Mr. Rafey: This is a part of the Green Hills Subdivision. It was approved = in the 50’s and at that time this zone was R-10 and then it was changed to R-12.5. These are all existin= g, non-conforming houses. As you= can see the house is close to the rear property line. Any addition to the back of this h= ouse will require a variance. As y= ou can see in these pictures, the back is really a steep slope and if they donR= 17;t have a back yard, I went there a few times during the construction recently= and the back yard is just a slope and goes into a wooded area that (inaudible).=

&= nbsp; Mr. Sarandrea: Is there anyon= e from the public who wishes to speak either In Favor or Against this Application?=

= ; Mr. Mitchell: Was this house built or did you bu= y it built?

= ; Mr. Kalamaras: This house was built b= y a developer, Lovely Development. We did buy it, we are the original homeowners.

WATERTOWN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC H= EARING

APPLICAT= ION #790 – CHRISTOPHER KALAMARAS

JANUARY = 26, 2005

Page 4

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&= nbsp; Mr. Mitchell: It was built wh= en you bought it?

= ; Mr. Kalamaras: We purchased it prior = to it being built, yes.

= ; Mr. Mitchell: (Inaudible) why you didn’t do anything when you built it?

&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: I’m not = really sure what happened, but I think originally they were unsure as to how much building space they were going to have to work with. At this time we had already put a deposit on the lot and had agreed to purchase the lot and as the plans progressed we realized that, we almost had to back out because the original= home that was intended to go on this lot wouldn’t fit, and then they readjusted it to fit, and this was basically, I guess, we didn’t get = very much customizing of the home, it was this is what the builder offered, this= is what would fit in the buildable area, and this is what they were going to b= uild for us, so if your question is why didn’t we do this from the beginni= ng, because we pretty much took what we had at that point in time and that was = it.

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: I’m glad you bro= ught that up. Well I don’t k= now how you got a C.O. Is that a door? Does it operate?

&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: That is a door= . I don’t think the door is operational.

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: Well I see it’s = open right there. I’m just s= aying that’s a door that can be used.

&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: As of right no= w the door remains (inaudible).

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: Cause I mean usually t= hey don’t put a makeshift deck there too. I can see there’s a ledger b= oard there and everything so I don’t know how they got a C.O. They should have had something, th= ey should have had a 4 foot landing instead of stairs, like come out of the house.

&= nbsp; Mr. Kalamaras: That door has = been there since the (inaudible)

&= nbsp; Mr. Rafey: Probably the build= er didn’t do it and then said let’s (inaudible) 94 feet deep, I gu= ess.

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: I don’t know how they got a = C.O.

= ; Mr. Kalamaras: They had a suggestion that we take= it upon ourselves to (inaudible) the builder kind of suggested that we take it upon ourselves to do something there, whether it be a deck or a patio, or w= alk out to a deck.

WATERTOWN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC H= EARING

APPLICAT= ION #790 – CHRISTOPHER KALAMARAS

JANUARY = 26, 2005

Page 5

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= ; Mr. Mitchell: (Inaudible).

= ; Mr. Kalamaras: I agree.

= ; Mr. Sarandrea: Is there anyone from the public who wishes to speak either In Favor or Against this Application? Anybody else on the Board have any questions?

= ; MOTION: (Mr. Griffith, sec. Mr. Mitchell) to Close the Public Hearing for Application #7= 90 of Christopher Kalamaras requests for a variance of 14 feet to a rear yard property line setback to permit the construction of an addition and deck to= an existing dwelling at 81 Lisbon Street, Oakville, CT.

&= nbsp; Discussion: None<= o:p>

&= nbsp; MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY

Public Hearing Closed at 8:14 p.m.

Respect= fully submitted,

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Enrico = Sarandrea, Chairman

Zoning = Board of Appeals

&nbs= p; _________________= _________________

&nbs= p; Lynn M. LaForme, Minutes Secretary