3rd floor occupancy
Hello BP, I'm hoping someone can shed some light on an issue I'm encountering.
I have a 3 unit property, 1 unit on the first floor and 2 units on the second. There is a full 3rd floor that has previously been finished with a full bathroom, bedroom, living room etc and has its own access from a common hallway.
What I would like to do is to conjoin the 3rd floor unit with one of the 2nd floor units therefor expanding the size of the existing unit and adding a bedroom (this would be an easy conversion basically just adding a wall to join the 2 units). I approached the city of Rochester about this and was promptly denied due to being in a R-1 zoning district. I then applied for a variance and brought my case in front of a panel, who also denied my request. I have the option to appeal the decision but am wondering if there would be any information I can supply to strengthen my case (possibly a petition from the neighbors?). Has anyone had luck getting approved for 3rd floor occupancy? If so, how did you go about it?
I appreciate any feedback!