River Edge Land Use Board

BOROUGH OF RIVER EDGE LAND USE BOARD MEETING MINUTES ZOOM MEETING March 24, 2021 Zoom - Meeting called order at 7:30 Vice Chairman Mehrman Chairman Caslin made the required announcement concerning the Executive Orders 103 and 104 Open Public Meetings Act and N.J.A.C. 5-39-1.1 to 1.7: Adequate notice of this meeting has been displayed on both the bulletin board at Borough Hall, and published in the Record and Ridgewood News for the people who are interested in this meeting. The meeting is being recorded electronically through ZOOM. No flag salute. Meetings are held electronically via ZOOM. To join the hearing via smart phone, computer or tablet. log in information and a link to the meeting will also be posted on the Borough web site at https://www.riveredgenj.org/. Members of the public may submit written comments in advance of a meeting, which will be read during the public portion of the meeting. Written public comments submitted prior to the meeting must identify the name and address of the commenter8. No anonymous comments will be accepted. Written comments may be submitted via e-mail with the subject line “Public Comment” to the Municipal Land Use Clerk, Ed Alter at ealter@riveredgenj.org or by mail addressed to: Ed Alter, Municipal Land Use Clerk, Borough of River Edge, 705 Kinderkamack Road, River Edge, NJ 07661. E-mailed comments must be received at least forty eight (48) hours prior to the meeting. Mailed comments must be received by 12:00 p.m. the day before the meeting. If you would like to make a public comment during the meeting, please press the “Raise Hand” button on Zoom or dialing *9 on your telephone keypad to raise your hand. The Board will address you by name or by the last 4 digits of your telephone number. The Board will unmute your microphone. You must state your name and address prior to making a public comment. You may also mute and unmute yourself by pressing the microphone icon on Zoom or dialing *6 on your telephone keypad. Members of the public are permitted to submit written comments prior to the meeting via mail or email which will be read during the public comments period. Roll call: Mayor Papaleo – Here Chairman Chris Caslin- Absent James Arakelian – Here Vice Chairman, Dick Mehrman - Here Lou Grasso - Here  Page 2 Ryan Gibbons - Here Michael Krey – Here Eileen Boland – Here Dario Chinigo – Here Gary Esposito – Here Bruce Feffer - Here ALSO PRESENT: Marina Stinley, Esq., Mr. Behrens, Robert Costa 2/10/2021 · Approval of Minutes – 2/19/21 – Motion – Mr. Gibbons; Second Councilman Chinigo – - Minutes approved (Noted that Ms. Boland abstained as she was not at this meeting) · Memorializations 2020 Land Use Annual Report – Motion to accept the Resolution – So moved – Mr. Arakelian; Second – Mayor Papaleo Roll Call – Mayor Papaleo – yes; Chairman Caslin (Absent); Ms. Boland yes; Mr. Mehrman – yes; Mr. Grasso – yes; Mr. Krey (is ineligible to vote); Mr. Arakelian – yes; Councilman Chinigo – yes; Mr. Gibbons – yes; Mr. Feffer- yes and Mr. Esposito – yes. The Motion passes. · Completeness Review David Porter – 203 Berkley Road, Lot 14, Block 906 – Addition to existing dwelling. Proofs were submitted and are sufficient and the application can proceed to be heard by the Board. Applicant is sworn in. Applicant is looking for variance relief to put an addition on his home on the side and along the back with a front porch. Motion for completeness - So made – Mr. Gibbons; Second – Mr. Krey. Roll call - Mayor Papaleo – yes; Chairman Caslin (Absent); Ms. Boland yes; Mr. Mehrman – yes; Mr. Grasso – yes; Mr. Krey - yes; Mr. Arakelian – yes; Councilman Chinigo – yes; Mr. Gibbons – yes; Mr. Feffer- yes and Mr. Esposito – yes. The Motion passes. Mark Dolaghan – 608 Fifth Street, Block 508, Lot 28 – Addition to existing dwelling.  Page 3 Proofs were submitted and are sufficient and the application can proceed to be heard by the Board. Applicant is sworn in. Looking to install and porch and is looking for variance relief in terms of setback. Property is located on the corner of 6 th Avenue and Madison so the property has two front yards on the front of the house on 5th and side on Madison so the setback is 30 feet and the porch will come to 24.5 and 24.3 respectively in both the front on 5th and the front on the side of Madison. Motion for completeness – So made – Mr. Gibbons; Second – Mr. Krey. Roll call - Mayor Papaleo – yes; Chairman Caslin (Absent); Ms. Boland yes; Mr. Mehrman – yes; Mr. Grasso – yes; Mr. Krey - yes; Mr. Arakelian – yes; Councilman Chinigo – yes; Mr. Gibbons – yes; Mr. Feffer- yes and Mr. Esposito – yes. The Motion passes. Mr. and Mrs. Kirimca – 120 Davis Drive, Block 1202, Lot 21. Approval for a 23 x 14 deck (Rear yard) Proofs were submitted and are sufficient and the application can proceed to be heard by the Board. Applicants are sworn in. Applicants are seeking approval for a 23 x 14 deck (Rear yard). Motion for completeness – So moved – Councilman Chinigo; Second – Mr. Krey. Roll call - Mayor Papaleo – yes; Chairman Caslin (Absent); Ms. Boland yes; Mr. Mehrman – yes; Mr. Grasso – yes; Mr. Krey - yes; Mr. Arakelian – yes; Councilman Chinigo – yes; Mr. Gibbons – yes; Mr. Feffer- yes and Mr. Esposito – yes. The Motion passes. · New Business · Mr. and Mrs. Kirimca – 120 Davis Drive, Block 1202, Lot 21. Approval for a 23 x 14 deck (Rear yard) Applicants are looking to extend the deck in their backyard which would encompass 37.9% of the lot coverage. Applicants are seeking a variance to increase the size of the deck. Mr. Behrens addresses the Board stating that the existing deck is 17' x 10' or 170 square feet. The applicants are requesting two variances to expand the deck to approximately 23' x 14' (322 square feet). The first variance is for the maximum lot coverage. The proposed is 26 .8% where 25% is permitted and the second variance is for the improved lot coverage where the proposed is 37.9% and the maximum permitted is 35%. The lot is a 50 x 100 lot which is undersized relative to the Borough's R1 zone standards which require a minimum lot size of 7,500 square feet. There is some element of a potential hardship in meeting the compliance and developing a deck on on the property at the same time. Mr. Behrens asks the applicants if whether or not the proposed deck would be consistent with their neighbors' properties. The applicants explained that their neighbors' homes extend  Page 4 out further setback then where the applicants want to go with their replacement deck. Mr. Behrens turns it over to the Board for questions. Mr. Arakelian asks what the deck will be made of. Applicant responds - Trex. Ms. Boland – questioned the proposed lot coverage. The survey appears to show all the existing coverage which is 37.28 she believes therefore they are requesting a higher variance than the 37.9. Mr. Behrens explains that the most recent survey is dated 3/2/21 so the actual coverage is less than previously mentioned. Ms. Boland requests the right variance that is being requested. The variance being requested is 39.98. Mr. Mehrman opens up questions from the Board. Mr. Gibbons wanted clarification on the improved lot coverage which he sees as going up to the 39.98 and the lot coverage is going up 3% - he wanted to know where that 3% proposed is coming from. He wanted to know why the lot coverage would be going up if they are not improving the home. Mr. Behrens explains that the lot coverage represents the structures on the site, the dwelling and the deck essentially increasing the size of the deck so that factor would go up by that amount. The improved lot coverage captures the built element plus all the paved surfaces. Motion to open to the public – So moved – Mr. Gibbons – Second – Mr. Grasso. No comments from the public. Motion to close to the public – So Moved – (Mr. Mehrman went right to the motion to approve after some discussion with Mr. Behrens). Mr. Arakelian makes a motion that the application be approved and the variance of lot coverage be 30% and the improved is 40% and that the Board move to accept the application. Second – Councilman Chinigo. Roll call - Mayor Papaleo – yes; Chairman Caslin (Absent); Ms. Boland yes; Mr. Mehrman – yes; Mr. Grasso – yes; Mr. Krey - yes; Mr. Arakelian – yes; Councilman Chinigo – yes; Mr. Gibbons – yes; Mr. Feffer- yes and Mr. Esposito – yes. The Motion passes. · Mark Dolaghan – 608 Fifth Avenue, Block 508, Lot 28 – Addition to existing dwelling. Applicant is renovating his entire home which is currently a cape by going up. They also want to install a wrap around porch which will come out about 6 feet from the existing structure which brings the setback which is currently 30 to 24.5 on 5 th and 25.3 on Madison. Mr. Behrens – the only variance that is required is the front yard setbacks. The distance is 24.3 feet to the porch on Madison Avenue where a minimum of 30 feet is required. On 5th Avenue the distance of the porch is 24.5 feet where a minimum of 30 feet is required. The porch has a depth of 6 feet. Its an open porch and the application complies with the setbacks and coverages. Mr. Mehrman noted the one of the addition seeks to square off the breezeway, the space between the dwelling and the garage. That would create a mudroom and it complies with the setbacks. It aims to square off the front portion of the house. Mr. Mehrman opens to the Board for questions. No questions. Motion to open to the public. So made – Mr. Gibbons; Second – Mr. Krey. Motion to close to the public. So made – Councilman Chinigo; Second – Mr. Krey. There is someone from the public who is a neighbor Debbie Daley, 269 Madison Avenue. Motion to reopen to the public – So moved – Mayor Papaleo; Second – Mr. Krey. Ms. Daley inquires as to the trees on the property, she wanted to know if they are being removed or are they staying. Two town trees and another big tree on the applicants property. One tree on 5th and Madison is being taken down, the Shade Tree Commission will take care of that. Then the only tree on the property that will be coming down is between the applicant's property and his neighbor on 5th Ave. sitting at the end of his driveway. The town is pruning all of the trees on Madison  Page 5 and 5th by the applicant's property and the one on the corner of 5th is coming down. Motion to close to the public. So made – Mr. Arakelian; Second – Mr. Krey. Motion to approve the application – Mr. Arakelian would like to approve - Mark Dolaghan – 608 Fifth Avenue, Block 508, Lot 28 application. Front yard setback at 24.3 and the side yard setback for a new wrap around porch that is not enclosed. Subject to review by the Borough Engineer for any storm water matters. Motion to accept the application as amended. So moved – Mr. Arakelian; Second – Mr. Esposito. Roll call - Mayor Papaleo – yes; Chairman Caslin (Absent); Ms. Boland yes; Mr. Mehrman – yes; Mr. Grasso – yes; Mr. Krey - yes; Mr. Arakelian – yes; Councilman Chinigo – yes; Mr. Gibbons – yes; Mr. Feffer- yes and Mr. Esposito – yes. The Motion passes. · David Porter – 203 Berkley Road, Lot 14, Block 906 – Addition to existing dwelling. Adding a master bedroom over the garage, a second addition over the back. Configuration downstairs staying relatively the same. Looking to add a mudroom and powder room and push kitchen out and put a dining room. Applicant shows Board several photographs of other properties in the neighborhood that depict what he is intending to do with his property along with a rendering of the applicant's home. The first being the offset, from the street currently 30 feet, they will be going to 26. 3% which means it is a 8 foot deck. Three variances that are being sought; front yard setback where the porch will have a non-conforming setback of 26.3% where a minimum of 30 feet is required. The proposed lot coverage which includes the dwelling and the deck is 27.6 and the improved lot coverage which is proposed is 39.5 where a maximum of 35% is permitted. The rear addition that is replacing the existing deck is about 13.5 x 8.5 feet (115 square feet). There is then a new deck that will replace the existing patio. (13.5 x 8.5) (115 square feet). The new porch is about 370 square feet. Total proposed coverage factor is 600 square feet. The 27. 6% lot coverage translates to 209 square feet and the improved lot coverage of 39. 5% translates to 36.3% and so those overages are both less than the porch itself. The applicant's architect is sworn in. Amy Hummerstone, 14 Greerly Crescent, Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Licensed architect since 1994. She points out that Mr. Behrens stated that the deck was not included and that is correct. It was included in the impervious coverage but not the improved lot coverage so that is 132 square feet to be added to the building coverage proposed and the existing deck she did not include so she has that going up to 20.0% from 18.5% as a result of that. Comments from the Board – Mr. Costa for clarification adds that for every square foot of new impervious is roughly 1.85 gallons of storage. So in this case take that number times the amount of square footage and that will be the amount of seepage pits needed. Motion to open to the public. So made – Mr. Gibbons; Second - Councilman Chinigo. Motion to close to the public. So made – Mr. Gibbons;  Page 6 Second – Mr. Krey. Motion made by Mr. Gibbons to grant variance relief for front porch setback to 26.3 feet and lot coverage of 27.6 and 39.5 for the improved lot coverage for 203 Berkley Road, Lot 14, Block 906 pending anything necessary for water maintenance from the Building Department and Mr. Costa; Second – Mr. Arakelian. Roll call - Mayor Papaleo – yes; Chairman Caslin (Absent); Ms. Boland yes; Mr. Mehrman – yes; Mr. Grasso – yes; Mr. Krey - yes; Mr. Arakelian – yes; Councilman Chinigo – yes; Mr. Gibbons – yes; Mr. Feffer- yes and Mr. Esposito – yes. The Motion passes. Committee regarding lot coverage. Ms. Boland is Chairwoman. She gives the Board an update as to where the committee is. The Borough is pretty consistent with the surrounding towns regarding lot coverage. The Borough is lower than other towns as far as improvement coverage. 40% is more consistent with the improved lot coverage. They are still going over ideas and will give the Board an update at another meeting. Mr. Behrens advises the Board of a billboard issue on Rt. 4 the Futon World site. The billboard can be seen from some homes. They are looking into toning down the screen to buffer it from River Edge residents in that area. Sonny T's is back in operation. A potential new applicant is looking to come in at the Yeshiva site 666 Kinderkamack Road -two solar panel car ports at the rear of the property . Motion to adjourn - So made – Mr. Gibbons; Second – Mr. Grasso. Meeting adjourned. -7 -