The Livingston Zoning Board, at its January 23 meeting, revisited its October 24 applications forAbhishek Gangwal at 6 Hazelwood Avenue and Jian Hu at 68 Amelia Avenue, ultimately rescheduling the former to February 27 and approving the latter. The Board then heard arguments for six new applications before approving all six requests.
Before the meeting, the Board appointed Edward Bier its new chairman, replacing Lauren Tabak Fass. A vote on the vice chairman position was put on hold, although Laurie Khan was named the new recording secretary. Additionally, Michael Affrunti and Ketan Bhuptani were reappointed as Class 4 Members, while Kalpesh Kenia and Vineeta Khanna returned to the Board as Class 4 Members; Todd Sherman and Hong Yuan were also appointed as Alternate members.
6 Hazelwood Avenue
During his October 24 hearing, Gangwal had provided a revised version of his plan for an attached garage, deck, right side, and rear addition to 6 HazelwoodAvenue. Notable changes had included reducing the house size and habitable floor ratio, as well as altering the garage’s position, although its increase in existing habitable floor ratio percentage concerned multiple Board members. In addition to requesting that Gangwal submit another revision, they had asked him to bring a legal witness to help make a stronger case for the Boardmembers to authorize his plan.
This time, Gangwal was represented by lawyer Diana McGovern, while architect Frank Hall provided drawing sets of the house additions, which would provide more room for his family. This extra space, he added, would include additional bedroom space for visitors and bathroom capacity for family and guests. He also pointed to the house’s small lot area as a reason for the variance request. The lot measures only 7,140.54 square feet, where 9,375 square feet is required.
However, after learning that a form required to confirm a setback on the application had not been submitted, the Board requested that Gangwal resubmit it by the next meeting on February 27 at 7 p.m. The case was adjourned until further notice.
68 Amelia Avenue
Jian Hu and architect Qiong Wu had requested that the Board approve a rear, left side, second-floor addition and deck for 68 Amelia Avenue in order to create more household room for Hu’s family. The Board, however, cited concerns over its elevation and total height compared to other neighborhood homes, prompting Hu and Wu to revise their attic ceiling height and roofline.
New changes made by Hu and Wu included lowering the attic height from 11’ 10” to 8’ and adjusting its full height from 35’to 32’2”. Hu also acknowledged that his desire for the higher roof is largely cosmetic, but assured the Board that the attic will not be used for habitable space postconstruction. A motion to approve Hu’s application passed.
4 Melrose Court
72 Fellswood Drive, LLC sought approval for a new single-family residence at 4 Melrose Court, requesting variances for a front yard, right front side street, and right rear yard setback. Owner Kamil Wyrzkowski, who purchased his existing house last October, wished to rebuild it but, due to the house’s odd shape and location on a corner between Melrose Court and Fellswood Drive, required the bulk variances to begin construction.
According to Wyrzkowski and architect Charles Baldanza, the new home will be a two-story family dwelling and abide by Side Yard setbacks. Its maximum building height will be 34.8 feet – measuring just under the 35-foot limit – and have a ratio of 3,132 square feet. Internal features included a kitchen, dining room, powder room, pantry, and mudroom, as well as four bedrooms (including a master suite) and three full baths on the upper floor. Meanwhile, its external design, which Baldanza showcased via a 3D rendering, will include traditional siding, a standing seam roof, double-hung windows, and a covered porch. The project, he added, will prove beneficial to the public good, as it won’t distract from the rest of the neighborhood and improve its quality of life by replacing an older, outdated home with a newer model.
After answering questions from multiple neighbors, Board member Michael Affrunti lent his support for the house design while praising Baldanza’s thorough testimony. A motion to approve the residence passed.
45 Shadowlawn Drive
Helena Friedman wished to build a first-floor addition and an addition over her garage at 45 Shadowlawn Drive, requesting a 1.8’ variance for an established front yard setback and a 1.55 percent variance for the habitable floor ratio. At her hearing, engineerAnthony Devizio noted that Friedman has two small bump-outs at the front of the house, one of which will be used for a proposed powder room and the other an architectural bump out for purposes of symmetry. Architect Sergio Chavarria, meanwhile, discussed the building’s floor plan, which included a car-attached garage, a living space, dining space, and kitchen on the first floor, as well as three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the upper levels. The plan, he noted, is to add the powder room opposite the left side of Friedman’s existing porch, requiring variances due to the bump-outs’ placement. This, as reiterated by Friedman’s lawyer, would come to a variance of 55 square feet.
A motion to approve Friedman’s additions passed.
1 Kathay Drive
Gil and Rachel Naaman of 1 Kathay Drive asked the Board to approve a two-story rear addition and deck, requesting a three percent variance for the habitable floor ratio. Although significantly undersized for an R3 zone lot at 9,258 square feet, architect Robert Emert stated that the applicants have worked to minimize any variances, requesting a ten-foot expansion along the back of the house. The addition would include the kitchen and dining room space. The design of this single family home, Emert said, will be kept “functional but minimal,” while also improving the general character of the Naamans’ neighborhood.
The Naamans’ plan was praised by the Board members, with Laurie Kahn deeming it a good addition that successfully kept in line with the house’s size. A motion to approve the plan passed.
8 Wynnewood Road
West Hobart, LLC requested a 7.92 percent habitable floor ratio variance to construct a new single-family residence at 8 Wynnewood Road. According to stand-in architect José Carballo, the building conforms to all R3 zone standards except for the habitable floor area ratio, due to its wide size. Planner Nicholas Graviano, meanwhile, spoke about creating a setback that meets all building requirements of the township in an undersized lot, thus requiring a floor area ratio (FAR) variance. This variance, he added, would require the applicant to demonstrate that its project can handle any detriments generated by a granting of the FAR variance; Gravian, however, countered that he did not see any substantial detriment to the zoning plan, said he believed it would ultimately benefit the neighborhood’s welfare.
A motion to approve West Hobart, LLC’s plan passed.
18 Tower Road
Leke Gjoni asked the Board for a 17’ rear yard setback variance and a 10.1 percent habitable floor ratio variance to build a new single-family residence at 18 Tower Road. The property, according to lawyer Steven Schepis, is severely undersized, measuring 10,650 square feet, where 25,000 square feet is required in the R2 zone and, as a result, does not meet required front and rear yard setbacks.
The proposed house, according to architect John Babula, would be a two-story dwelling, with the first floor including a formal kitchen, mudroom, and powder room along with a two-car garage. The upper level, meanwhile, would include four bedrooms, a laundry room, and three bathrooms.
Following Babula, planner Nicholas Graviano returned to discuss whether the applicant’s plan met all ordinance and engineering requirements, including off-street parking. He also stated that no potential negative impacts would arise as a result of the property’s development.
A motion to approve Gjoni’s application passed.
