Thursday, September 19, 2013

How Big Is 1,500 Square Feet?

In response to this morning's post about an area variance being required for a small apartment building proposed for 248-250 Columbia Street, because the apartments would be smaller than 1,500 square feet, a reader provided the information that the ranch houses on the same block of Columbia Street are each only 1,092 square feet.

Now these houses were built back in the late 1970s, and it's possible that the zoning requirements have changed. Everything below Third Street is part of the Waterfront Revitalization Area, for which there is new zoning in the LWRP (Local Waterfront Revitalization Program). 

The same reader suggested that the houses built by Habitat for Humanity and completed in 2012 (240-242) and 2013 (244-246) might be 1,500 square feet.

Consulting Brenda Adams, executive director for Columbia County Habitat for Humanity, Gossips learned that these houses, which have three bedrooms, are each 1,200 square feet. 
COPYRIGHT 2013 CAROLE OSTERINK

3 comments:

  1. ok I was going to stay out of this one but -
    There is something fishy going on here, this just doesn't add up.
    Everyone living in Hudson knows there are little one room apartments all over town, on the north side and on the south side.
    Perhaps some laws apply to some and not others ?

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  2. Those small ranch houses were not built until the early-mid 80's around when Skyler court was built because i remember back then it looked silly building these pop up houses that looked like they belong in Greenport or out side the city and didn't fit the streetscape. Back then you could get kit homes and they cost around $18,000 for the kit. Cheap fix to fill in what they tore down in that neighborhood. Part of some federal program of course. Typical 1 bedrooms are around 600-700 sqft, and 2 bedrooms average around 700-850 sqft. A typical mobile home is 720-900 sqft and a ranch home standard is 1080 sqft up to 1200 sqft.

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  3. Should be no surprise that a LWRP that restricts fishermen access to shore, might have other hidden flaws.

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