Special to The Citizen
AURORA - The debate continued Wednesday over a controversial building proposal in Aurora.
Cynthia Koepp and John Place are seeking a variance to demolish historic Lake House and move another historic building, Webb House, onto the Lake House property. Interested parties, including neighbors of the project site, have aesthetic and legal concerns.
“It's not really all that historic,” said Place during an Aurora Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing Wednesday night. “Lake House is rated poorly by the National Historic Register, and
Webb House is rated good.”
The Holland family, which owns the property next to the project site, strongly oppose the variance, which is being considered because Webb House is too large for the Lake House property under current zoning laws. Their legal representative, attorney Kristopher J. Vurraro, voiced several legal objections to the variance, and submitted a statement to the board.
Zoning variances and codes are in place for particular reasons, such as drainage and noise and light pollution, Vurraro said. Eroding those requirements would set a detrimental precedent in the Village of Aurora, he said.
It would be “premature and improper” to make a decision at this time, Vurraro said, because the issues need exhaustive study by all village boards.
Though his wife was not on hand, John Place presented a packet to the board and defended the project as beneficial to Aurora.
“We want to restore something to the village which is an asset,” he said. “This will be a benefit to the community, including saving an historic building.”
Place argued that the property, which is 16,549 square feet, would only need a 10 percent variance.
“The rest of the houses along the lake on that block average 72 feet wide, which is a 30 percent deficiency,” he said. “We're above the norm, so we think a variance of 11 percent is reasonable.”
Place pointed out that the Holland family just erected a house which is twice the size of Webb House, so their objections to the variance request seem dubious.
“It's bothersome to be presented challenges by someone who has done far worse things to this community,” he said.
Place and his sister-in-law, architect Christine Place, also argued that Lake House is not up to code, and it would be prohibitively expensive to restore.
Others at the meeting weighed in with aesthetic concerns.
“It is my opinion that the sentiment within the community to save the building may be based on the faulty notion that simply plunking it down in another setting will recreate the way it appeared when the Hollands owned it,” said lifelong Aurora resident Jay O'Hearn. “I do not believe that to be the case.”
The bulk of the meeting was taken up addressing possible impacts of the project and other Aurora zoning issues.
Board members stressed that the Aurora Planning Board is the lead agency for the project. They allowed public comments to be heard in the meeting, they added.
Another public hearing is scheduled for May 31, and the planning board may make a decision on the project then.
“We're hoping for that,” said Place.
Cynthia Koepp and John Place are seeking a variance to demolish historic Lake House and move another historic building, Webb House, onto the Lake House property. Interested parties, including neighbors of the project site, have aesthetic and legal concerns.
“It's not really all that historic,” said Place during an Aurora Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing Wednesday night. “Lake House is rated poorly by the National Historic Register, and
Webb House is rated good.”
The Holland family, which owns the property next to the project site, strongly oppose the variance, which is being considered because Webb House is too large for the Lake House property under current zoning laws. Their legal representative, attorney Kristopher J. Vurraro, voiced several legal objections to the variance, and submitted a statement to the board.
Zoning variances and codes are in place for particular reasons, such as drainage and noise and light pollution, Vurraro said. Eroding those requirements would set a detrimental precedent in the Village of Aurora, he said.
It would be “premature and improper” to make a decision at this time, Vurraro said, because the issues need exhaustive study by all village boards.
Though his wife was not on hand, John Place presented a packet to the board and defended the project as beneficial to Aurora.
“We want to restore something to the village which is an asset,” he said. “This will be a benefit to the community, including saving an historic building.”
Place argued that the property, which is 16,549 square feet, would only need a 10 percent variance.
“The rest of the houses along the lake on that block average 72 feet wide, which is a 30 percent deficiency,” he said. “We're above the norm, so we think a variance of 11 percent is reasonable.”
Place pointed out that the Holland family just erected a house which is twice the size of Webb House, so their objections to the variance request seem dubious.
“It's bothersome to be presented challenges by someone who has done far worse things to this community,” he said.
Place and his sister-in-law, architect Christine Place, also argued that Lake House is not up to code, and it would be prohibitively expensive to restore.
Others at the meeting weighed in with aesthetic concerns.
“It is my opinion that the sentiment within the community to save the building may be based on the faulty notion that simply plunking it down in another setting will recreate the way it appeared when the Hollands owned it,” said lifelong Aurora resident Jay O'Hearn. “I do not believe that to be the case.”
The bulk of the meeting was taken up addressing possible impacts of the project and other Aurora zoning issues.
Board members stressed that the Aurora Planning Board is the lead agency for the project. They allowed public comments to be heard in the meeting, they added.
Another public hearing is scheduled for May 31, and the planning board may make a decision on the project then.
“We're hoping for that,” said Place.