Opinion ID: 2453513
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Village Approves Construction of Cunney's House

Text: In September 2006, the Village Planning Board conditionally approved Cunney's revised site plan. Due to the lingering confusion stemming from the ZBA hearings, this plan included road elevation levels and house height measurements from five different stations (0+28, 0+40, 0+52, 0+62, and 0+74.5) located in the northern half of Cunney's lot. At each station on the plan, Atzl indicated both the road's elevation at a precise point as well as the height of the house at a corresponding point on the roof line 90° from the road. Relying upon the difference between height of the house and elevation of the road at these five stations, Atzl concluded that the proposed project was in compliance with section E. In measuring the elevation points on River Road, Atzl used data from both a Rockland County topographical map as well as from a field survey his office had completed. He conducted the field survey because he was aware that there frequently were inaccuracies contained in county maps. In drafting the site plan, however, Atzl did not substitute his field survey road elevation levels for the county map elevation levels. The site plan Cunney submitted to the Village thus reflected only the road elevation levels as found on the county map. In October 2006, Joseph W. Knizeski, the Village building inspector, issued Cunney a building permit. In January 2007, Knizeski requested a letter from Atzl certifying that the height of Cunney's house complied with section E's restrictions. In response, Atzl performed an under construction survey of Cunney's house and lot. He concluded that the house complied with section E because the highest part of the roof line will not [rise] more than 4 1/2 feet [above] the easterly side of River Road. Some months later Stephen Collazuol, the Village engineer, performed measurements at the site and wrote in a July 2007 letter to the Village that [o]ur results determine that the roof ridge of the new dwelling is 4'-9 above the high point of pavement on the easterly side of River Road. Therefore, the ridge of the building is 3 greater than allowed. Collazuol included a drawing with his letter showing that he relied on a single point of reference on River Roadthe high point of pavementfrom which he measured the height of the house. This reference point did not correspond with any of the five measuring stations Atzl relied on in drafting the site plan for the approved construction.