15 Crosby Street Statement of HardshipSTATEMENT OF GROUNDS/HARDSHIP
15 CROSBY STREET
The petitioner is the owner of the property at 15 Crosby Street, which consists of a single-family
home on an oversized lot of over 28,000 square feet. The property is located in the R-1 zoning
district at the intersection of Crosby and Verdon Streets.
The petitioner is proposing to subdivide the property into 2 lots to create a separate lot where he
intends to build a home for his personal use. The proposed lot with the existing home will
consist of 13,272 square feet which is slightly less than the required 15,000 square feet and
therefore a variance is needed from lot area In all other respects, this lot and the building on it
conform to the R-1 dimensional standards. The second proposed lot will be 15,013 square feet in
compliance with zoning but has only 11 linear feet of frontage, so a variance is needed from the
100 foot frontage requirement. Access to both lots will be provided through a shared driveway
easement arrangement.
In this instance, there are multiple special conditions which affect the property. First, the lot is
significantly larger than the vast majority of other residential properties in the area. Also, the
grade changes throughout the property are so significant as to render large portions unusable
without extensive regrading. Another unusual condition is the presence of a 60 foot wide
easement across the property to provide access to abutting land and finally, the lack of municipal
infrastructure in the roadway adjacent to the property causes continual drainage, erosion and
significant icing problems. A literal enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance would allow only the
existing single-family home on the property. The conditions described above render a large
portion of the lot unimproved and not suitable for use by the existing home which causes a
hardship for the petitioner. Allowing the creation of a new lot would provide the economic basis
to make the major physical improvements to the grade and drainage which this property needs to
be functional.
The proposed lots are very much consistent with others in the area and the improvements to the
property that would occur would benefit the neighborhood as a whole, so the relief may be
granted without departing from the intent of the Ordinance and without detriment to the public
good.