After months of review and a trip before the Zoning Board of Appeals for nine separate variances, the Putnam County Housing Corp.’s plan to create three affordable, handicapped-accessible apartments in Carmel Hamlet has received final approval.
The Carmel Planning Board unanimously approved the project Thursday, Sept. 10, following a public hearing that lasted less than a minute.
No members of the public appeared to speak.
The approval clears the way for the nonprofit to convert its former first-floor offices at 11 Seminary Hill Road into three one-bedroom apartments. Four apartments already occupy the second floor, bringing the building’s total to seven units.
The Housing Corp. has said the apartments would be intended primarily for seniors and people with disabilities and would rent below market rates, previously estimated at about $950 per month.
Although the project involves no expansion of the building or significant site changes, its path through the approval process proved to be complicated.
The building was constructed under the town’s previous zoning regulations, and changes under Carmel’s new zoning code left the property noncompliant with several requirements. The applicant ultimately needed nine variances involving parking, setbacks, lot coverage, recreation space, and other requirements.
The Zoning Board of Appeals granted those variances in August, allowing the proposal to return to the Planning Board.
The Planning Board subsequently addressed questions involving parking, snow removal, outdoor recreation, and maintaining the apartments’ handicapped accessibility.
With no public opposition Thursday, the board quickly closed the hearing and unanimously granted final approval.
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