Essex on Lake Champlain

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Zoning/Codes Officer Report July 10, 2014 – August 13, 2014

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Monthly Report
Zoning/Codes Officer
July 10 -August 13, 2014
Essex Town Board
Essex Planning Board

Building and permitting activity picked up this past month from a slow start in early
summer. Seven building permits were issued, one for a new garage (Pratt), one for a pole
barn (Stransky), one for a 2-BR addition (Josh Hance), one for exterior porch repairs
(Reis), one for interior structural repairs (Mastrovich), one for a new deck (Kennedy) and
one for interior wall and bathroom repairs (Lakeside School). Two new house projects,
one on Daniels Road (French) and one on Alden Road (Pratt) had final inspections and
were issued Occupancy permits.

I also reviewed architectural plans for the Smiles new constmction project in the Crater
Club and plan to issue a building permit for that project within the next week or two and
reviewed conceptual plans and siting for a new house at the South Farm (Pataki) which is
up for approval at the August Planning Board meeting. I have been investigating AP A
and DEC and A1my Corps regulations/permitting for docks on Lake Champlain for two
lakefront property owners (Bacot-Davis and Smead). And I met with a home owner to
discuss plans for an addition to a house on Leaning Road (Schreiber) and the demolition
of an old cottage on the same property.

Site visits were made to new and on-going projects throughout the month including the
the Hayward House north of the village, the Green/Noyes Camp on at Cannon Point, the
Olsen house in Essex Village, the Frank Schmitt House on Beggs Point Road, the
Mason/Jacquish house (Rich Reis), Black Kettle Farm cottage (Lakeside School), Linda
Twigfirc’s new addition to her house on Cook Road, and to look at plans for an addition
to Joshua R ance’s house on Jersey Street.

I addressed a number of property maintenance violations in the village this past month,
including the planned demolition of the deteriorating Ames House (yellow Greek Revival
cottage) up on Bull Run. The owner will come before the Planning Board in the fall to
ask for permission to demolish and salvage materials from the old house which has rotten
top and bottom plates, a cellar full of water, all but gutted interior and holes in the slate
roof. I also answered complaints about two rental houses in the village (John Lease) and
investigated a boundary line issue in the village (Schmitt).

I also have reviewed a couple of new projects that will be coming up at one of our fall
Planning Board meetings, including a 4-lot subdivision on the Sayre and LewisWadhams
Road (Sand) and plans from SPRINT/NEXTEL Communications for upgrades
to their existing equipment on the village water tower on School Street, consisting of two
2′ diameter dishes and an antenna with power pack.

BuidingPermitFees (July2014): $175.00
7/11/14- Moses, porch repairs $25.00
7 /15/14 – Twigfire, addition – $50.00
7/21/14 – Kennedy, deck – $25.00
7/25/ 14 – Reis, back porch repairs – $25.00
7/29/14 – Stransky, pole barn – $50.00

Zoning Permit Fees (July 2014): $125.00
7 /8/14 – Emily Gardner, SPR fee, $50.00
7/8/14 – George Pataki, SPR amendment fee, $25.00
7/ 11/14 – CEVE, SPR fee, $50.00
Total fees for July 2014: $300.00

About Olive Alexander

Although I grew up in Essex on my grandparents’ farm and developed strong ties to farming, I wanted to see more of the world and experience the differences in cultures and people. I spent nearly fifty years in England, New Hampshire, Texas and New Jersey with trips to almost all of the fifty states and Singapore, an incomparable learning experience. I now live on property that has been in our family for three generations and still love the fields, the farms and the animals.