Pittsford Village Chat›Pittsford PZBA Meeting — September 2, 2026: Abode Furniture Addition at 50 State Street

9 min read·Pittsford PZBA meeting September 2026

Pittsford PZBA Meeting — September 2, 2026: Abode Furniture Addition at 50 State Street

The Short Version

The Pittsford PZBA meets Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM at Village Hall, 21 North Main Street.
One property drives both agenda items: a 2,140 sq. ft. addition to Building B at 50 State Street, the Abode Furniture store at Northfield Commons.
The Zoning Board of Appeals is asked to allow a 2.5-foot side setback where the code requires 5 feet, under Section 210-22.5.
The applicant, Charlie Fox for Northfield Common Holdings LLC, states the addition is what allows Abode to stay in the village rather than relocate.
The application was on the April 16 agenda as a continued hearing and had no amended materials as of July 29; new materials were date-stamped that same day.
Both hearings are open to the public, and written comments to Deputy Clerk Alexandria Vaughn become part of the record.

Disclosure: Adam Stetzer, who publishes Pittsford Village Chat, serves as an alternate member of the Village of Pittsford Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

The Pittsford PZBA meeting on September 2, 2026 has one application back before it: the Abode Furniture addition at 50 State Street. The board last took it up in April, and in late July the Village reported there were no amended materials for it to return. New application materials were date-stamped July 29 — the same day applications were due — and public hearings are now noticed for both boards. What follows is the complete record as filed.

PZBA Regular Meeting — September 2, 2026

The following is the meeting reminder as distributed by the Village of Pittsford, August 31, 2026.

PLANNING BOARD AND ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Reminder: Regular Meeting Notice Please note that the Village of Pittsford Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a regular meeting at the Village Hall, 21 North Main Street, Pittsford, New York, on Wednesday September 2, 2026, at 6:30 PM. The meeting is open to the public but is made available live through the videoconferencing link on the Village of Pittsford website. The order of applications is subject to change at the discretion of the Board. The meeting packet explains application materials for all projects in the most detail as possible provided in advance.

Plain-English Explanation

The board meets in person at Village Hall on Wednesday, September 2 at 6:30 PM, and you can also watch and participate live through the link posted on the Village website. The order in which applications are heard can change on the night, so if you are coming for a specific item, plan to arrive at the start.

Tentative Agenda — September 2, 2026

The following is the tentative agenda as posted by the Village of Pittsford. This agenda is subject to change.

VILLAGE OF PITTSFORD PLANNING & ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Members: Jared Cook, Chair Dennison Terhaar Susan Lhota Jeanne Powers Kathleen VanderZwaag Peter Goodman (Alternate) Adam Stetzer (Alternate) Attorney: Jeff Turner Building Inspector: Steve Lauth Deputy Clerk: Alexandria Vaughn PLANNING & ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 6:30PM Tentative Agenda This agenda is subject to change. I. NEW BUSINESS a. 50 Sate Street, Building B -Planning Board-Site Plan Review i. Construction of a 2,140 sq. ft. addition b. 50 Sate Street, Building B-Zoning Board of Appeals-Area Variance i. Lot line setback relief to permit the addition at the property line II. MEMBER ITEMS a. Minute Review

Plain-English Explanation

Two agenda items, one property. The same building addition needs two separate approvals: the Planning Board reviews the site plan — how the addition sits on the lot — and the Zoning Board of Appeals decides whether to grant relief from the setback rule that would otherwise block it. Either board can approve, deny, or table. The agenda reads "50 Sate Street"; the property is 50 State Street, and the agenda is reproduced here as filed. The only other business is review of minutes.

Legal Notice — Public Hearings

The following is the legal notice published by the Village of Pittsford for the September 2, 2026 public hearings.

LEGAL NOTICE – PUBLIC HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that public hearings will be held by the Village of Pittsford Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals (PZBA) on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 6:30 PM at Village Hall, 21 North Main Street, Pittsford, NY 14534. The meeting is open to the public for in-person attendance. Virtual access for live viewing and participation will be available via the Village website at www.villageofpittsfordny.gov. Applicant materials may also be reviewed online. Written comments may be submitted in advance to the Village Deputy Clerk. PUBLIC HEARING APPLICATIONS: Applicant: Charlie Fox, on behalf of [Northfield Common](/events/northfield-common-creators-fest-returns-june-13) Holdings, LLC Property Address: 50 State Street, Pittsford, NY 14534 (Northfield Commons "Abode") Zoning Board of Appeals: The applicant is seeking an area variance pursuant to §210-22.5 of the Code of the Village of Pittsford to permit a 2.5-foot side setback where 5 feet is required, in connection with the proposed addition to the Abode Furniture Store. Planning Board: The applicant seeks site plan approval pursuant to §210-34 (Site Plan Review) of the Village Code for construction of a 2,140 sq. ft. addition to Building B at the subject property. For any questions or additional information, please contact the Village Planning and Zoning Department. Alexandria Vaughn, Deputy Clerk, dclerk@villageofpittsfordny.gov.

Plain-English Explanation

This is the formal notice that triggers the public hearings, and it is more specific than the agenda. The setback question is a difference of two and a half feet: the code requires five feet between the building and the side property line, and the applicant is asking to build with two and a half. Because these are noticed public hearings, anyone can speak, and written comments sent to the Deputy Clerk before the meeting become part of the record.

Planning Board Application — Minor Site Plan

# Alt Text

ABODE home furnishings store in Rochester, New York with storefront windows displaying gifts, furniture, and decor at sunset.

The following is the application to the Village of Pittsford Planning Board as filed in the September 2, 2026 meeting packet, dated September 3, 2025.

APPLICATION TO THE PLANNING BOARD VILLAGE OF PITTSFORD Date: 9/3/2025 Property address: 50 State Street Pittsford, NY 14534 Zoning District: MU-EC Property also known as: Northfield Common Property owner(s): Northfield Common Holdings, LLC Applicant: Charlie Fox Applicant is: owner Application for: Minor Site Plan 1) This application is for Minor Site Plan pursuant to Chapter 210, Zoning, Article 34 of the Code of the Village of Pittsford: Site Plan Approval. 2) Current use of property: MU-EC Proposed use: Same 3) Description of project: Want to add square footage to Abode Furniture store to provide enough space to allow them to stay in the Village of Pittsford. Also, relocating the dumpster enclosure to a more accessible area for the overall plaza. 4) The following items are attached and are part of this application: site plan, building elevations

Plain-English Explanation

The stated purpose is plain: more floor space so Abode Furniture has room to stay in the village rather than move, plus moving the dumpster enclosure somewhere easier to reach for the whole plaza. The application is filed as a Minor Site Plan, and its date reads September 3, 2025 — the Planning Board side of this project has been on file for close to a year.

Zoning Board of Appeals Application — Side Setback Variance

The following is the application to the Village of Pittsford Zoning Board of Appeals as filed in the September 2, 2026 meeting packet, dated July 27, 2026 and date-stamped received July 29, 2026.

APPLICATION TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS VILLAGE OF PITTSFORD Date: 7/27/2026 Property address: 50 State Street Property also known as: Northfield Commons "Abode" Property owner(s): Northfield Common Holdings, LLC Applicant: Charlie Fox Applicant is: owner, lessee/tenant Application for: other (describe): Lot Line Variance 1) This application is for relief from or pursuant to Chapter(s) 210-22.5 of the Code of the Village of Pittsford. 2) Description of variance or other relief sought: Lot Line Variance to add an addition to Abode Furniture Store. SIDE SET BACK VARIANCE OF 2.5 FEET WHERE 5 IS REQUIRED 3) All facts showing the necessity for relief: the current building is within the lot line set back. 4) Difficulties or hardship that would result if this application is denied: Could not be able to construct the addition to secure the tenant additional space. Tenant will possible need to move to seek larger space. 5) The following items are attached and are part of this application: elevations and site plan.

Plain-English Explanation

The applicant's argument is that the existing building already sits inside the required setback, so an addition built in line with it cannot meet the five-foot rule. The stated hardship is about the tenant: without the added space, Abode may need to move to find a larger location. A board weighing an area variance looks at questions like whether the benefit to the applicant outweighs any detriment to the neighborhood, and whether there is a feasible alternative — those are the questions the hearing exists to air.

What Else Is in the Packet

The sections above are the Village's own documents, reproduced as filed. What follows is my inventory of the rest of the 24-page packet, so you know what is in it before the meeting.

Several pages are site plan drawings and building elevations. They are scanned images rather than text, so they are not reproduced here — they are worth looking at directly if you want to see how the addition sits against the property line.

The largest block of the packet is older material. Roughly half the pages are Village of Pittsford Planning Board Resolution 2016-9, adopted August 15, 2016, together with a lighting report and survey for the 50 State Street property. That resolution closed out a separate matter from 2014 through 2016 involving parking lot configuration, lighting, landscaping, drainage, and dumpster location at Northfield Commons, and it lists Greg Barkstrom of Northfield Commons Holdings LLC as the applicant.

That 2016 resolution is background attached to the file. It is not before the board on September 2, and nothing in it is being reopened.

How to Attend or Weigh In

The meeting is Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 6:30 PM, in person at Village Hall, 21 North Main Street. Live viewing and participation are available through the videoconferencing link posted on the Village of Pittsford website. Written comments submitted in advance to Deputy Clerk Alexandria Vaughn at dclerk@villageofpittsfordny.gov become part of the record.

The full agenda, legal notice, and 24-page packet are posted on the Village PZBA agendas and packets page.

What gets decided Wednesday is whether a furniture store on State Street gets two and a half feet it does not currently have, and with it the room its owner says is needed to keep the business in the village. Both boards can act that night. Village Hall, 21 North Main Street, 6:30 PM on Wednesday, September 2; written comments to dclerk@villageofpittsfordny.gov before then go into the record.

Content ID: BZq7aZGOAyWDK9TO56NEzJxf

See an error? Tell us.

Comments

Share with the Community

Keep Reading

Pittsford Community Library History: How It Began with 50 Books in a Corner Grocery Store

Visitor Aware at Pittsford Schools: What Every Family Needs to Know for 2026-27

Village of Pittsford Bulletin — E-Bike Safety Law, Sutherland Street Update, and Greener Weed Control