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Zoning board deals with land, dock issues

EILEEN GODIN Times Leader Correspondent

HARVEYS LAKE – The Harveys Lake Zoning Board members were met Tuesday night with a full meeting room and an agenda covering the Homeworkz Subdivision, a dock violation and a request for a density variation.

The board awarded a 2-foot variance of the required distance from the property line so Homeworkz Subdivision of Sweet Valley could sell Edward and Gloria Bilder a 9,254-foot triangular parcel of land that their 1920s home sits on.

A variance was needed because the home sits eight feet from a neighboring property line, and the requirement is for 10 feet between a home and the property line.

A map showed the small section of land is across the street from the 63 acres Homeworkz Subdivision purchased last summer. Homeworkz is planning to build townhouses on the rest of the land.

In another matter, a rebuild of a dock owned by Andrew Molson III extended the old dock’s former length. The previous dock was damaged by ice, and the owners applied for the necessary permit to rebuild it, extending it in the process. The old dock was about 28 or 30 feet, but the new dock extends 50 feet into the lake.

Attorney Mark P. McNealis explained there were two choices: Either rebuild the dock to the required length or seek the board’s approval for a variance for the new dock.

Molson has 30 days from the receipt of his violation letter dated mid-March to decide and then inform the board.

Also, Susan Collini of Shavertown sought a density variance for a home she is building on the lake and approval for a boat house.

Engineer Paul Lewis came to present plans to the board, but issues revolving around the boat house encroaching on a neighbor’s property made Lewis decide it should be determined if the boat house could be shifted a little in the opposite direction.

The density variance Collini is seeking was tabled until next month for resubmission of the whole application.

Zoning Officer Andy Luzetski said a lake home is allowed to take up 25 percent of the property. He will go to the site and evaluate the construction.