Oversized Houses on Undersized Lots: Does FAR Go Far Enough?
- Wednesday, 17 July 2013 16:51
- Last Updated: Thursday, 18 July 2013 18:22
- Published: Wednesday, 17 July 2013 16:51
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New home on Ogden Road Original home at 15 Ogden Road
On June 25th, the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) met with the Board of Trustees. One of the main
One such neighbor, a Quaker Ridge resident (who wished to stay anonymous), explained that "Dell was a street with appropriate medium-sized stone houses. Now, the two monster houses on the corner dwarf the neighborhood..." The same resident went on to say that in modern-day Scarsdale, "it's all power to the developers, no regard or respect for the neighborhood and it's current residents." Lika Levi, a Scarsdale resident and founder of Save Scarsdale, Save Scarsdale, an organization dedicated to the preservation of architectural heritage and conservation of the environment added that due to the spike in oversized homes, Scarsdale is "losing (its) character as a Village-in-a-Park and becoming a Village-of-Monstrosities."
Several solutions to the McMansion problem were discussed at the meeting. One of the more popular methods discussed was for the BAR to change the Scarsdale zoning codes to prohibit houses exceeding a certain FAR from being built.
However, David Lee, a member of the Board of Trustees, explained that although the Board of Trustees is "certainly aware that some residents have concerns about over-development in Scarsdale," the Board of Trustees must at the same time be "conscious of the rights of individual property owners to develop their property within the bounds of the law." Mr. Lee also warned, to the dismay of many Scarsdale residents, that it is still too early to say "what changes, if any, the Board of Trustees is considering making to the FAR regulations."
The Law and Land Use Committees of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees will meet at 6 pm on August 13 to continue the discussion on land use and zoning regulations, setbacks, FAR, lot coverage, building coverage, bulk, wetlands and sensitive drainage areas. Make your opinion count by attending this meeting at Scarsdale Village Hall.