A recent meeting of the Babylon Village Zoning Board of Appeals afforded the board the opportunity to reinforce the Village’s stand on utilizing, or converting garages. Such use, the board members pointed out, generally results in additional on-street parking, something the Village opposes.

At its February 15 meeting, the Zoning Board heard an application from Lynn Spinnato of 25 Frederick Avenue, which asked, among other things, for permission to convert an existing garage into an art studio and to build a second story addition on it for storage. The applicant also asked to use her home as a mother/daughter to accommodate her aging parents.

After listening to the application, Zoning Board Chairman Bruce Humenik told the applicant that a major drawback to her request was eliminating the garage.

“The issue is that we are saying there should be a garage here somewhere in this equation,” said Humenik after the board reviewed the extensive application. “Right now there is one (on the property), so we are asking you if there is any way you can maintain that garage because that is what we will be looking at.”

The applicant said that she needed the space for her studio and that maintaining the garage and putting the studio on the new second-floor, as Humenik suggested, would be more costly.

“That may be the case, but that is something we will have to look at because we discourage eliminating garages here in the Village,” said Humenik.

A second application was for the installation of an in-ground pool at 37 Clinton Street. Applicants Rae and John DeLaRosa sought variances for lot coverage and told the board that while they currently have a driveway in the rear yard next to where the pool will be located, that they will consider eliminating it in order to beautify the yard once the pool is built. Again, the board said that it was concerned with the fact that the home did not have adequate on-site parking, and that any discussion about the elimination of the driveway should include some alternate parking on the property.

The home is currently approved as a mother/daughter.

Several residents spoke on the DeLaRosa application, also raising concerns about the parking and requesting that the board ensure that the driveway remains.

“I would like them to have off-street parking and would like that driveway to remain there,” Francis Heil of 41 Clinton Street who also questioned the board about the placement of the pool’s filter.

The board reserved decision on the applications, and has 60 days from the hearing to rule on them.

In other business, the board heard applications from:

Alice and Peter Peplinski, 74 Cockenoe Avenue for renewal of an existing mother/daughter permit;

Bruce Taylor of 320 Litchfield Ave., for permission to maintain an existing garage with variances to reduce side yard setbacks;

Michael Pugliese of 322 Grant Avenue East for permission to maintain a second story deck and sunroom requiring variances for front yard setbacks;

Daniel and Kristine Gambino 21 Deeringwood Lane for variances related to the construction of an addition to their home there.