Sag House-Size Changes Ready for Hearing

A hearing will be held next month on much-anticipated revisions to the Sag Harbor Village zoning code, including those that tie the size of a house to the size of a lot. 

The village has dialed back on the gross floor area regulation ratios following feedback from residents earlier this year when the proposals were first unveiled. Under the current proposal, houses could be about 400 square feet larger than initially suggested. The board instituted a moratorium last year on large-scale residential building projects in the face of a trend to tear down existing houses and replace them with larger ones, particularly in the village’s historic district.

New limits on house sizes began to kick in on properties that are 6,250 square feet. Smaller properties will be governed by the existing 20-percent-coverage rule. Initially, new limits would have affected all properties larger than 5,000 square feet.

However, the board did not budge on a maximum house size of 4,000 square feet without a special permit. “You get to the maximum of 4,000-square-foot house not at 30,000 square feet, but at 25,000,” said Fred W. Thiele Jr., the village attorney said.

In its research, completed by Inter-Science Research Associates, the board found the median lot area in the village is 12,905 square feet with the median gross floor area of a house being 1,590 square feet. Under the current code, a lot at the median size could have a house as large as 5,164 square feet, much larger than what the village believes is in keeping with its historic character. The proposed law would limit a house on a lot of that size to 3,032 square feet, which is still 1,442 square feet more than the current median dwelling size.

Looking at all 1,653 residential lots in the village, consultants found that only 9.3 percent of them have houses with gross floor areas in excess of 3,000 square feet, and only 42 of them have houses with gross floor areas greater than 4,000 square feet.

The village has seen a trend toward larger houses on relatively small lots. Of the 25 residential building permits and certificates of occupancy issued by the village in 2014 and 2015, 19 of them — or 76 percent — have a gross floor area greater than 3,000 square feet. Eleven of the 19 houses exceeded 4,000 square feet. Worth noting, the village collected $607,000 in permit fees over those two years.

Those who want a larger house and have a larger lot will have to apply for a special permit under the code revisions. At most, a 7,000-square-foot house would be allowed on a property larger than 62,500 square feet.

The proposal also tackles other zoning issues. A more definitive explanation of “demolition” is provided for houses outside the historic district, a request made by Tom Preiato, the building inspector. A number of changes were made with respect to the board of historic preservation and architectural review, including that even when only a discussion is being held, notice must be made to adjoining property owners, a practice Southampton Village has instituted.

Also of note, it will be harder to get approval for solar panels and alternative energy systems in the historic district. The A.R.B. had set a policy not to approve them if they are visible from an adjacent street or property, and the village added the guideline to its code. “That virtually kills solar in Sag Harbor Village, doesn’t it?” Ed Deyermond, a village board member asked. “Only in the historic district,” Mr. Thiele said, adding, “there’s always an appeal.”

The board also put forth a second proposal for public hearing that focuses on pools. Changes to pool setbacks originally caused a stir, and the village backed off early on, announcing in January that it would not change the current 15-foot setbacks. The village will eliminate a restriction on pools in  front yards and require that they have drywells to combat groundwater contamination. The only additional change since the January meeting, Mr. Thiele said, is that applications for pools must go before the A.R.B., a stipulation long in the zoning code but not spelled out in the chapter dealing with pools.

The hearings will be held during the village board’s regular meeting on April 12 at 6 p.m.