Stevens v. Clarke

216 A.D. 351, 215 N.Y.S. 190, 1926 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9227
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedApril 9, 1926
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 216 A.D. 351 (Stevens v. Clarke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stevens v. Clarke, 216 A.D. 351, 215 N.Y.S. 190, 1926 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9227 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1926).

Opinion

Kelly, P. J.

The petitioners respondents are residents and property owners in the city of White Plains in the locality immediately affected by the apartment building proposed to be erected. They were joined in their objections to the alleged violation of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of White Plains involved in the plans for said apartment, which objections were sustained by the building inspector, by a number of other residents and property owners in the vicinity.

There is no dispute that under the terms of this Building Zone Ordinance an apartment building may be erected upon the plot in question at Maple and Greenridge avenues. The petitioners are not before the court objecting to the erection of an apartment building, provided it is erected in accordance with the provisions of the Building Zone Ordinance. Again, there is nothing in the record to show that there is any physical difficulty in the way of erecting an apartment building which will conform to the require[353]*353ments of the ordinance. The learned trial justice at Special Term said in his opinion, “ it does not satisfactorily appear that there are practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships that justify the action of the board of appeals in sustaining the appeal of said corporation. The only difficulties to be encountered or hardships to be suffered by the said Wakauf Corporation, if any, will be the result of its own deliberate attempt to build an apartment house in a restricted neighborhood in violation of the Zoning Ordinance of that section.” I agree with the learned justice, and I cannot find in the record any evidence whatever justifying the board of appeals in overruling the rejection of the plans by the building inspector.

Mr. Kaufman, the treasurer of the Wakauf Corporation, a New York city concern, who started out with the plan to put a public garage in the basement of what he describes as a contemplated first-class apartment house equal to the best on Riverside Drive, asks to be permitted to exceed the limits of the area allowed to such buildings, and the height, apparently without reason (because before the board of appeals he expressly offered to reduce the area to be covered to the statutory limit of thirty-five per cent), and the limitation as to the number of families allowed in such a building — asking that he be allowed to house ninety-two families instead of fifty-three allowed by law, solely because he expects to collect forty dollars per room, and with the increased number of rooms he will collect more rent. There is not a word of evidence; to show that the rental from the fifty-three families Would not be; a fair and reasonable return on the cost of erecting the apartment according to law.

The board of appeals may in a specific case, after noticé and hearing, vary the application of the use and area district regulations ” established by the Zoning Ordinance. The exact wording of the ordinance in granting them power is: 9. Vary in harmony with its general purpose and intent, so that substantial justice may be done, any requirements of this ordinance where carrying out the strict letter of its provision would result in practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships.”

But it seems to me to be a startling proposition to say that the common council of White Plains having enacted these zoning laws, and the petitioners and their neighbors having purchased their property and erected their homes in reliance upon these laws, the Wakauf Corporation may, upon the most general and, to me, unconvincing statements concerning its past history and benevolent intentions, do away with the White Plains regulations, [354]*354solely upon the ground that a building erected according to law would not bring in as much money as a building erected contrary to law.

That is all there is to it. The intervenor, appellant, bought this vacant plot of ground for $62,500. It proposes to build an apartment house. Despite all the somewhat loose talk about the superior quality of the proposed apartment house, the original intention was to put a public garage in the basement or first floor in direct violation of law. When the building inspector rejected his plans for that among other reasons, the application for a public garage is withdrawn, although it is still proposed to put automobiles in the basement of this “ first-class apartment.

There is no dispute that the apartment building can be erected on the thirty-five per cent area prescribed in the ordinance. The intervenor, appellant, voluntarily offered to comply with this requirement on the hearing before the board of appeals. But as to the height and number of families, the appellant proposes to violate the law, simply that it may put in ninety-two families instead of fifty-three and collect the extra rent.

It submits no figures as to the proposed cost of the structure. Indeed, the whole enterprise seems to be in a rather. embryonic condition. No contracts for construction have been made. The appellant had not even taken title when the application was made.

There is no evidence to show that the return from fifty-three families will not be all that a reasonable man should ask. It seems to me the board of appeals are over generous to the intervenor, appellant. To increase its rent roll, they do away with the law enacted by the common council of White Plains for the protection of its citizens. It is no wonder that the learned justice at Special Term said in his opinion that if their action in the matter was lawful, there is nothing to prevent them from nullifying the entire Zoning Ordinance as a matter of favor to an applicant.

On September 30, 1925, the building inspector refused to grant the permit for the erection of the apartment building, applied for by the Wakauf Corporation, the intervenor, appellant, upon the ground that the premises are located in a class C residential district defined in the Zoning Ordinance of the City of White Plains, and,

1. The ordinance limits the area which may be covered by such a building to, thirty-five per cent of the plot. The building in question is planned to cover thirty-seven and nine-tenths per cent of the plot.

2. The number of families allowed in an apartment building erected on such lot in conformity to law is fifty-three; the applicant proposes to house ninety-two families.

[355]*3553. The plans called for a garage to accommodate forty, automobiles, whereas but three were permitted in such a building under the provisions of the law.

' The Wakauf Corporation filed with the board of appeals a petition for a review of the decision of the building inspector. It is provided in the White Plains Zoning Ordinance (Art. IV, § 19, subd. 9) that said board of appeals may in a specific case after public notice and hearing vary the zoning regulations in harmony with their general purpose and intent * * * so that substantial justice may be done * * * where carrying out the strict letter of its provision would result in practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships.”

The board of appeals, in the original return to the certiorari order contented itself with stating the facts concerning the appeal, the several hearings had thereon, the appearance of the protesting property owners, followed by the statement,

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Bluebook (online)
216 A.D. 351, 215 N.Y.S. 190, 1926 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stevens-v-clarke-nyappdiv-1926.