MAYOR SWEARS IN NEW ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
Hails Leading Residents on Successful Committees
After two committees worked tirelessly for most of a year, the board passed their proposals after holding public hearings. The result was the creation of a new Architectural Review Board and new guidelines for building. “The give-and-take and compromise made these efforts some of the finest examples of a community working together” Mayor Koblenz said. The Mayor went on to say “The new additions were middle of the road when measured against other regulations in surrounding communities. They will not unfairly restrict or hamper construction but will eliminate massive oversizing and obtrusive additions, teardowns and renovations.” Mayor Koblenz commended both committees for their “extensive work and fairness in arriving at the proposals that are being considered.” We need to strike a balance between those who want unlimited building and those who want to keep the community exactly the way it is without change.”
The Mayor commended the following individuals who served on the two committees:
COMMITTEES
| FLOOR-AREA RATIO COMMITTEE | ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD |
| Jed Pomerantz, Chair | Jess Drabkin, Chair |
| Hilda Yohalem | Kenneth Crystal |
| Jackie Gross | Bruce Spenadel |
| David Diamond | Brett Rosenfeld |
| Sol Niego | Spencer Kanis |
| Michael Kosinski | Steven Kreiger |
| Richard Oberlander |
Each one of the Architectural Review Board Committee members will now serve on the permanent committee. In addition, Sol Niego, noted architect, will also be an appointed member. Hilda Yohalem, civic leader, was also named as an alternate.
Specifically, the Architectural Review Board (ARB) Committee was lead by Jess Drabkin. Mr. Drabkin and his committee members devoted months to develop the proposals submitted to the Board. The committee worked hand-in-hand with Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, LLC, the firm which served as the consultant for the Village. Mr. Drabkin added “The purpose of the Architectural Review Board will be to preserve and promote the character, appearances and aesthetics of the village, to conserve the property value of the village by providing procedures, and to review the exterior of new construction and of certain alterations, additions, reconstructions and site utilizations.”
A second committee, The Floor Area Ratio Committee, labored equally as hard over the new standards for building. According to Jed Pomerantz, Chair of the FAR Committee, their work fairly responded to the desire of residents to enlarge their homes to meet the needs of their families and, at the same time, fully addressed the objective of preserving the neighborhood character by requiring houses to appear to be of similar scale to others in the neighborhood.
The Mayor and Board set the new standards, and the moratorium on building which had been in effect for almost a year was allowed to expire. Each committee presented “Informational Sessions” on the standards proposed at the Board of Trustees meeting. The full informational hearings were followed by a public hearing on the proposed legislation. The new legislation was hailed by architects and residents alike for its fair and centrist approach.
| Local Law Establishing Architectural Review Board | Local Law on Residential Construction and Building Limitations |