The Henry Street convenience store was sent back to square one. This is a returning request. It’s a plan to convert a former dance studio at 324 Henry Street into a convenience store. Because a store is not allowed by right in the property's residential zoning district, the project needs a use variance. The board had heard the proposal in March and held it over so the applicant could provide financial records. His team came back arguing that converting the building into apartments instead would cost nearly $500,000 with little chance of a reasonable return, while opening the store would require only about $20,000 to $30,000. The discussion never got to a vote, though, because of a procedural problem. In short, the applicant wanted to drop the apartment and make the building commercial-only, but the board's attorney explained that under city rules, an application cannot be amended once it has been publicly advertised for a hearing. To make that change, the applicant would have to file a new application and start the public notice process over. The board tabled the item and directed him to reapply.

A bigger-than-usual barn on White Road got the green light. The owner of 5292 White Road, won unanimous approval to build a 40-by-64-foot pole barn for storage. This was an area variance, which is different from the use variance. An area variance is permission to bend the physical rules rather than permission for a use the code bans. The rule at issue here says a detached accessory building, like a garage or pole barn, cannot have a larger footprint than the main house on the lot. This property is in the city's agricultural district, and the owner said he wants the barn to store a tractor, a boat, and vehicles, and that he plans to tear down an old barn on the property that is falling over. For an area variance, the board weighs a five-part test, including whether the project would change the neighborhood's character, whether the request is substantial, and whether the difficulty was self-created. A neighbor who owns the adjoining land spoke in favor, pointing out that he has a similar-sized barn of his own and that the city already uses part of the property in question to turn its snowplows around. The board found the request met the standards and approved it 5-0.

A consignment shop was on the agenda but wasn't heard. The agenda also listed an application from the owner of the Berry Cute Kids consignment shop in Rome to convert the lower level of the senior center at 305 East Locust Street into a retail consignment shop. This would require a special use permit. The board adjourned after the pole barn vote without taking up this item, so no action was taken on it at this meeting.