Zoning Board of Adjustment

VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT Meeting Minutes January 28, 2025 Opening: The public meeting of the Zoning Board of Adjustment of the Village of Ridgewood was called to order at 7:37 p.m. Present: Greg Brown, Matthew Bandelt, Diana Ruhl, Jonathan Papietro, Jason Curreri and Yelena Raytser. Also present were J o h n B a r re e , V i l l a g e P l a n n e r , and Jane Wondergem, Board Secretary. Jamie Fox was absent. Minutes: The minutes from January 14, 2025 were adopted. Non-agenda items: Board member comments – There were no comments at this time. Members of the public comments – There were no comments at this time. Public hearings: New Business: New Business: JUSTIN & GASSIA FOX – An application to permit the construction of a 2nd floor addition on top of existing 2nd floor balcony which would result in a building height of 31.5 feet, where 30 feet is permitted, and a side yard setback of 12.5 feet, where 26 feet is required at 325 Crest Road, Block 1909, Lot 24, in an R-110 Zone. Ms. Ruhl recused herself from this hearing. Justin and Gassia Fox, homeowners, were sworn. Roger Schlicht was sworn and his credentials as a licensed architect accepted. Mr. Schlicht testified regarding the existing conditions on the property, stating that the height of the house and the right side yard setback are existing non-conformities and the proposed variances are related to those non-conformities. Mr. Schlicht identified the hardships as the location of existing structure, irregular shape and slope of the lot. Mr. Schlicht described the proposed addition, went over the site plan, floor plans and elevations as per the plans he prepared and identified the variances. Mr. Schlicht said they presented the proposed addition to the Historic Preservation Commission and they recommend approval as the historic nature of the home is being maintained. Board members asked about the height and any area over 7 feet in height. Mr. Schlicht said the right side is a false roof and there is no attic except for 2-3 feet for ductwork. Board members asked about the side yard setback and the prior resolution which was for an open deck. Mr. Schlicht said they are maintaining that side yard setback and the footprint of the house is not changing. Board members asked about the existing vegetation and Mr. Fox said 1 they are planning to add to the existing vegetation. Board members asked if the neighbor’s property sloped and Mr. Schlicht said the neighbor’s house is higher as it is going up Crest Road. There were no questions from the public. Public comment: Richard Zaloom, 317 Crest Road, distributed a statement and photos and testified that he lives next door and would be most affected by the addition. Mr. Zaloom said he is opposed to the application as it would negatively impact the view from his property. Board members asked about the photos Mr. Zaloom distributed and where they were taken from and how they were ‘mocked up’ with the proposed addition. Mr. Zaloom said they had met with the applicants to discuss what was proposed and Mr. Fox drew the outline and Mr. Zaloom colored it in. Board members asked how far Mr. Zaloom’s house is from the property line. Mr. Schlicht showed a photo taken by Mr. Fox of Mr. Zaloom’s property and asked where Mr. Zaloom’s photos were taken from. Mr. Fox said that the pictures show a narrow portion of the actual view from Mr. Zaloom’s property. Board members asked if alternatives were discussed. Mr. Schlicht said they could build on the other side of the house, but the addition would be larger than what they need and they would still need a height variance and most likely additional variances. Board members asked if the addition could be set back further. Mr. Schlicht said they could look into that, but it would not address the neighbor’s concerns. Board members asked Mr. Zaloom if he would be amenable to any compromise, and Mr. Zaloom said he would not. The hearing was carried to February 25, 2025 without further notice. SHARRON HALPERT – An application to permit the construction of a two-story addition, a one- story addition, second story additions and a covered front porch which would result in a front yard setback on Witthill Road of 36.4 feet, where 40 feet is required, and a rear yard setback of 16.6 feet, where 30 feet is required at 225 South Pleasant Avenue, Block 4304, Lot 1, in an R-2 Zone. Sharron Halpert, homeowner, was sworn. Scott Bella was sworn and his credentials as a licensed architect accepted. Mr. Bella testified regarding the existing conditions on the property and that the property is undersized and is a corner lot, making any addition to the home difficult. Mr. Bella testified regarding the proposed additions as shown on the drawings he prepared, describing the setbacks, floor plans and elevations. Mr. Bella identified the variances and stated that the porch would not be enclosed in anyway. Mr. Barree said that although there was no second completeness report, any issues he brought up in the first completeness report had been addressed. Board members asked about two small sheds on the property that are not shown on the plans and if there was a patio that is not shown on the survey or the plans. Ms. Halpert said that there is 2 a bike shed, an enclosure for garbage cans and a stone walk way to the grill. Board members asked if the shed was included in the calculations. Mr. Barree said the sheds would not affect the variances. Ms. Halpert said she would relocate the bike shed to be five feet from the property line. Board members asked about any attic space over 7 feet. Mr. Bella said there was a narrow sliver of the attic at the peak that is seven feet but not included in the gross building area. Mr. Barree said it would not create a variance for gross building area but that the calculations should be updated and an attic floor plan shown. There were no questions or comments from the public. The hearing was closed. Following Board deliberation, Mr. Bandelt made a motion to approve with the conditions discussed, Mr. Papietro seconded, and the application was approved. Resolution memorialization: The following resolutions were memorialized: - Christiano and Yang, 68 Fairmount Road, Block 1503, Lot 4 - Kaul and Laurita, 468 Cambridge Road, Block 3002, Lot 2 Discussion: The Board discussed appointing Allyson Kasetta, Esq. to represent the Board for the 55 North Broad LLC application as Mr. Whitaker has a conflict of interest. The Board voted to approve the appointment of Ms. Kasetta. Adjournment - The meeting was adjourned at 9:39 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Jane Wondergem, Board Secretary Date Approved: February 11, 2025 3