Many Manhasset residents may know about the McMansion being built on Gristmill Lane. What they may not know is that this structure is in violation of the Village of Plandome Manor's building codes. The quantity and magnitude of the code violations is truly amazing. I would like to point out three major violations:

The structure is four stories and our code allows two and a half stories (60 percent over).

The structure is 43 feet high and our code allows 35 feet. (22.9 percent over).

The structure has 9,934 sq. ft. and our code allows 5,269 sq. ft. (88.5 percent over).

There are many more violations such as eave heights, set backs, and illegal structures in the driveway.

Another problem is that the one variance that the owners were granted was violated when the structure was built. The owners are now applying for other variances that don't even address the problems listed above. How can the Plandome Manor Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) possibly consider granting any more variances to these owners, especially when they didn't follow the one they got?

Thirty-five residents of Plandome Manor have joined together and hired an attorney to help us to get the Village of Plandome Manor to enforce its building codes. As I see it, the BZA has two choices: They can either grant a multitude of variances for this one location for some items that grossly violate our village's building codes; or they can require that all residents of this village are treated equally under the law and force the owners of this property to conform to the village building codes.

The choice seems simple to me-the village needs to enforce the building codes to prevent our village from becoming nothing more than a community of oversized structures that will take away from the charm of this neighborhood.

The desires of one resident should not outweigh the law.

Mary Lou DiIorio