A public hearing is a forum by which village residents can come before the Boards and applicant and have the authority to voice their opinions upon a given subject.

All meetings held by the Village Boards at the Village Hall are open to the public.

The five criteria are as follows: Will the undesirable change be produced in the character of the neighborhood or be a detriment to nearby properties? Can the benefit be achieved by some other feasible method? Is the requested variance substantial? Will the request create an adverse effect/impact on the physical/environmental conditions of the neighborhood/district? Is the alleged difficulty self-created?

The applicant cannot realize a reasonable return without a variance (lack of return must be substantial as demonstrated by competent financial evidence). The hardship is unique and does not apply to a substantial portion of the district/neighborhood. The variance will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood. The hardship is not self-created.

SEQR refers to a State Environmental Quality Review. It is a process by which environmental agencies review an application for impacts on the environment. A 'positive' or 'negative' declaration will be conditional upon the findings of the request.