The Livingston Zoning Board of Adjustment held its reorganization meeting on Tuesday, January 24. The Board also approved three applications, including one for a PSE&G substation on North Livingston Avenue, at its first meeting of the year.
The meeting was held on Zoom and may be viewed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page.
Reorganization
The Board elected Lauren Tabak Fass as its new chairperson, the .rst woman to hold this position. Fass was nominated and won the position by a 4-3 vote, taking over from former chairman Jim Hochberg. The Board also unanimously elected Ed Bier vice chairman and Laurie Kahn recording secretary, while Lou Rago was appointed board attorney by a similar unanimous vote.
Two Story Garage Addition
The Board revisited Richard and Pamela Tepper's request for a two story garage addition at 10 Langtree Drive, including an aggregate side yard variance of 28.4 feet and a habitable .oor area variance of 970 square feet. The Teppers had originally presented their application to the Zoning Board on December 13, but it had been adjourned to January 24 so the numbers could be reviewed.
The request was unanimously approved.
Front Yard Fence
Igor and Taisiya Faynzilbert sought approval for a front yard fence at 3 Notch Hill Drive. The application requested a one-foot variance after proposing a .ve-foot fence, while a maximum height of four feet is permitted.
Igor Faynzilbert attributed the variance request to “a topographical issue with our driveway and our lot. It has a very steep hill going from Notch Hill Drive toward our house. If we try to install the fence parallel to the front panel of the house, it makes entry to the garage very impractical and very hard to the point where it creates the issue of potential damage on the car by simply scratching it at the fence.“
Elaborating on other risks for his family, the applicant added, “As you install it lower on the driveway, the elevation makes four feet fence, again, very impractical.” He expressed fears that his young children and the family dog could climb or jump over the fence.
After some discussion, the Board unanimously approved the couple’s application.
Construction of Substation
Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) sought a preliminary and final site plan approval for the construction of a Class-H Substation at 293 North Livingston Avenue, as well as related site improvements. The property is situated within both Livingston and Roseland.
As PSE&G legal spokesperson Jennifer Carrillo-Perez – a representative of Connell Foley LLP – explained, the majority of improvements being proposed will take place in Livingston. She also confirmed that, “We provided notice to both property owners within Roseland and within Livingston Township. We presented the application to the Borough of Roseland and received just one memorandum from them. In our testimony, we plan to address the relief that’s being sought within both municipalities.”
Elaborating on the site plans, Carrillo-Perez said that project improvements for the Livingston area, “will include a control house, switch gear enclosure, transformer, station light and power transformers, A-frame structures, monopoles, and some miscellaneous equipment.” The Roseland site’s improvements will include “a transformer,A-frame structure, two monopoles, as well as other miscellaneous electrical equipment.”
The applicants also requested “relief for a D-1 use variance; a D3 variance for expansion of an existing non-conforming use. D6 height variance for relief for the monopole andA-frame structures. Various bulk variances for side yard setback, rear yard setback; accessory structure building height; and off-street parking and loading.”
Following Carrillo-Perez’s statement, a group of experts provided testimony on why the preliminary and final site plan should be approved. These included PSE&G project manager Michael Bartocci, manager of PSE&G Civil Design Engineering Kenneth Kimmel; K & R Consulting, LLC president Kyle King; Ostergaard Acoustical Associates senior engineer Michael Conaway; landscape architect Jim Mazzucco; and project manager Kathy Hering.
King noted, “PSE&G feeds the majority of Livingston from about this location…. The demarcation line is about halfway between Eisenhower Parkway and Livingston Avenue.”All of the area substations, he said, “are currently overloaded” and “running in excess of their design capacity… That’s why we need the substation in this location within our service territory.”
King concluded, “By building the station here, we’re actually improving the distribution network” for the company’s Livingston customers.
After listening to all the testimony, the Board approved PSE&G’s application 6-1, with Jared Resnick voting against it.
