Okay. The Red Bank zoning board of adjustment will come to order this let's say 15 >> 10 uh 60 >> 16 >> October of 2025. Roll call. >> An Tori >> here. Raymond Mass >> here. >> Eileen Hogan
>> here. >> Benro >> here. Sharon Lee absent. Vincent Light >> here. >> Cagno >> here. >> Anna Cruz >> here. >> Amanda Calico absent. Eugene Horowitz >> here. >> And Chris Havens absent.
>> Adequate notice of this meeting has imposed on Burough Hall filed with the burough clerk and mailed to the Asbury Press to River Times. This meeting is being tape recorded. In the event the applicant uses services of the court reporter to transcribe the tapes, the
board requires a copy of the transcript. We will break at about 8:00 p.m. for deliberation. Testimony heard this far in the conference room on the first floor. The public is invited to attend. However, discussion between board members, the public is not permitted at that time. No new cases will be heard
after 900 p.m. The run presenting board of adjustment has maintained a policy cutoff hour of 9:30 for its hearings. Any applicants not heard this evening will over to next scheduled meeting. Uh pledge of allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America to the republic which stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay, we have administrative matters regular meeting minutes August 7th.
>> I'll move to accept them. I'll second. >> I I just have a quick comment. My my name is on well in the resolution for um 196 broad it says Paul Anna Cruz. >> Sorry. >> I'm assuming I was voted for it.
>> Yeah, you voted for it because it wasn't expected. Sorry. >> Um All right. Roll call. >> Anor. >> Yes. >> Ray. >> Yes. Eileen Hogan. >> Yes. >> Senior. >> Yes. >> Um Vincent Light, I think you
>> Yeah. >> Paul Kagna. >> Yes. >> Um Anna Cruz. >> Yes. >> And Eugene Horowitz. >> Yes. Okay. New business. We have 134 Leighton Avenue. Come on up.
>> You give that to Shauna. >> You can have a seat right over here. Um that's the mic that works. >> Okay. Is there anyone here who had any questions or comments or concerns on the sufficiency of the notice? We don't see any. And what we'll do is Shauna, before
I forget, we'll swear you in. Shauna, you are the burrow professional planner and the burough's director of community development. Do you swear that the information and testimony you're about to provide to the extent you provide will be the truth to the best of your knowledge to help you guide? >> I do. >> Thank you. And we're going to mark into
the record what we as a board have before us. So um A1 is going to be the application. A2 is going to be the intent to proceed dated September 9th, 2025. A3 is the zoning narrative of intent. A4
is the deck construction plan. A5 is the survey prepared by Kenneth Frank and that's dated March 5th, 2025. A6 is the survey uh with the proposed deck highlighted and A7 is the uh denial
letter dated August 5th, 2025. And last but not least, we're going to mark as A8 is Shauna's review memorandum dated October 16, 2025. So, what we're going to do is we're going to swear you in and uh as is very common and going to
ask you a couple questions and then you can present your case to the board. So, if you could just uh state your name, please. >> Speak in right into a real close. >> There you go. >> Okay. >> Still speak real close. and
>> and uh the hardest question I'm going to ask is how do I spell your last name? I see different. Is it B E R G >> I N >> I N. All right. So, good evening and welcome to the Redbank Zoning Board of Adjustment. If you could just raise your right hand for a moment. Do you swear that the information and testimony
you're about to provide will be the truth to the best of your knowledge to help your God? >> Thank you and welcome. And just for the record, we are talking about the property at 134 Leighton Avenue. Correct. >> Correct. >> And are you the owner of that property? And how long have you owned it roughly?
>> Does not. >> Okay. And my notes reflect that there's a single family home at the site. >> Yes. >> And do you live there? >> Yes. >> Okay. And uh I know uh just if I can get some information on the record, um
you're proposing an attached deck. Um, my notes reflect it's going to be 240 square ft. And uh, my notes, Shauna's email suggest it's going to be attached to the rear of the home. >> My intent is for it to be buted up against the the house but not quite
attached. >> Okay. So, but but not >> Thank you. And what about is it going to be covered? >> No. >> Is it going to be enclosed? >> No. And just for the record, what are the materials if you know
>> timber type would be the topic and there's standardized treated lumber for the support >> treated lumber. Okay. So why don't you speak to the board about why you want to do it and the variance relief that that
you need. >> I u my home is on an undersized lot and I think that's the problem. Um the day I moved in, I hoped to put a deck in and it took until now for me to be able to personally be able to think that I could
do it. Um it would cover a grassy area that's 10 ft wide that's right between my house and a pavement. The paved area allows off streetet parking and I would not interfere with that.
Um this they would the stairs that are already there are builder grade and they would be pretty much the same size just moved out further toward the paved area and be enclosed in the footprint of the deck. So they would not extend outward.
They would be within that um deck area. Um it would be railed. Uh no utilities would be affected. There are no mechanicals involved. Um there's a clearance of over a foot 18 inches in
one case of between utilities and the nearest um part of the deck if it does. I have a fenced in yard on the corner of Leighton and Bang and the fence was inspected and approved and it's a
chainling but the the walkway between the house and that deck would not be affected but I'm asking that the deck extend three feet beyond uh three feet beyond my house to shorten the walkway to just three
feet between the fence and the wouldbe deck. And I'm hoping that doesn't cause a problem, but that would make a more realistic um floor space on the deck. Otherwise, it would be very confining. Um
I would have it professionally installed. The height of it would be 20 in. Uh there would be no poured concrete only the footings for the support once
be place for my grandkids to play where I could watch them closely. What else is needed by the yard? Right now my yard desperately needs to be beautiful and I think that would be a nice way to help it look crisp. And um
I'm a gardener or at least a house planter. So it would be a nice way to make a nice area outdoors. >> My dream is to have cup of tea and a book on a deck. >> Any questions? >> I am. >> Did you say that you're going to
continue to have off street parking because then what I read it was you were losing. >> It was a little bit difficult based on the drive. Well, it's because it's not to scale >> but you're going to keep it. Yeah. >> Yeah. There'd be so now I'm well aware of parking.
>> So I front of my own driveway so my neighbors have the extra space. >> Okay. >> If there's ever a weather condition or reason to clear the space >> and there's a there's a photo included in the information you got and I'm embarrassed because I only park my car
like that when I have something really heavy to get out of the front. So it's often right up by the house. that very clear area. The space paved area is 16 and 12 ft wide by 18 1/2 ft deep. So in a pinch I
could fit two and I have fit two SUVs on there. I don't have an SUV but I there have been two SUVs on a new area that would not be altered. >> Okay. Okay. Um I have a question too. Are you able
to I did a quick drive by you know trying not to run anybody over you know you have some hedge along >> it's all a grape vine so that can be trimmed to any extent >> are you going to be able to keep that or keep some kind of >> like privacy and up
>> but it would certainly be trimmed >> right but but you could keep some kind of a buffer >> that area I make like I'm very mindful of it I walk by I managed Perfect. Yeah. Had a tape measure out there to make sure it's a reasonable clearance even if it was a little bit thick on the
>> for the sidewalk. >> You mean clearance >> on the inside? >> On the inside. Yeah. Also for the sidewalk because it's very narrow. >> Okay. >> So I But the sidewalk I don't see how that affects the I could trim the grape
vine to whatever extent is needed. >> No, I I'm just happy that something green staying there. I also I got the impression reading that you were having to take that out. >> No, I would I would maintain it. It's pretty bushy right now. >> Okay.
>> Okay. Any other questions? >> Yeah, I did a couple questions. Um I'm looking at the photo uh of your car parked in the backyard. So, if I was looking at the drawing correctly, the deck is going to extend >> behind where the car is parked, like
where the trunk is. Isn't it going out eight? Is it going out eight feet there? >> That trunk is close to it's towards my neighbor. The fence between my neighbor's yard and my my the corner of that paved area is under my car. I kind
of over the corner of that paved area. And again, because I think I usually it's because sometimes if I think a branch might fall and the weather's predicted to be really bad, I might back up as far
as I can to make sure any branch won't land on the bottom. >> But that's not the typical way I park when I park at the street. >> But if you were to park like in other words, there is like an L the deck does extend to what would be
>> I would like front of the Okay. Yes. The way my car is parked now would not be possible with the L of the deck. >> Right now I'm but I'm kind of like angled towards the AC unit >> out there. >> Yeah,
>> that AC unit would would have a cutout of the deck, >> right? That I see. Oh, but my question is this, and if I could just finish the the final pro, the final deck, if I was to back into your driveway with two
vehicles, would I still be able to do that and be able to walk behind those cars, too, and still have five feet? Five feet, I think, before my neighbor's fence. So, they'd be full ability to walk around the house totally.
>> Okay. with two cars in two big cars in the driveway and the deck as proposed. >> Uh qu a question we always ask uh have you heard from any of your neighbors on this? >> Um h about half responded. Nobody
objected as my knowledge. >> Okay. >> And you no one has come over and said I hate it. I think people get fearful when they see certified letter. They're so relieved it's not for something we're >> just got me off their plate.
>> Any other questions from the board? Any questions from the public? I don't see any. So, I'd like to make a motion to approve or deny this application >> under Mr. Kennedy summarizes our >> I I think some of the conditions that
you all typically or uh impose or came up tonight would be compliance with all the promises, commitments, and representations that the applicant made, compliance with Shauna's review memorandum A8. We usually have a 24-month time frame within which you have to get uh the the permits to and
and have it constructed um that I or any agreed upon extension. Um and we usually um Shauna you had written in your memo something about aligning the deck with the existing home. Is that >> Yeah. So I was recommending because um
there was a fear that it may inter it. It's going to lessen the um setbacks uh that's already there um because it's eight and it's already non-conforming. Um, so I was saying to align the deck if
uh to trim it to make to match the existing um setback, but as um Anita explained, she wants it to stick out, I believe, to allow for more cover um more
I guess habitable area. >> Yeah, more usable area. >> But right next to that area that would stick out. Mhm. >> Well, within within like I think a 12 12 foot minimal distance are the like the
guests where the guest enters the house and the you know it would give a clearance and almost a protection would make it in that corner. So, >> right. >> Okay. And then continuing we had uh it's not going to be enclosed or or covered
absent further approval and uh Shauna and getting all necessary permits and Shauna you had had said something about um additional buffering or landscaping is >> right um from what the description had read it seemed as though you were going to remove some of the landscaping that's
there um some of the but you meant that you were going to cut trim back. Um, so as Ann was saying, I got it. >> I think we would prefer if you just left it. >> Yeah. >> Oh, okay. >> If it needs maintenance, but you know, just to help you with a little security
and just from the public plane into your house, it just would to remove all of that. It it, you know, would just wouldn't be helpful for you if you wanted some privacy. And >> it's fine. As long as it doesn't, that's fine. And then continuing with the conditions, it's and I I think this was
the big one that it's it's not going to interfere with the existing >> parking. Yeah, that was the fear that you would lose one parking space, but as you testified, you would not be losing any parking space and that the driveway will remain the same. Um and it's not
going to encroach just above the um pave space for your driveway. >> Uh just say that last one again. uh not encroach but just what >> it would just abut the um paved area.
>> Got it. And um railing and maintaining that buffer. Those are things that we uh uh the parking to remain. So I think that was it Mr. Chairman. Hey, anybody like
a motion? >> I'll second the motion. >> Roll call. >> Anor, >> yes. >> Ray Mas, >> yes. >> Eileen Hogan, >> yes. >> Benro, >> yes. >> Ben Site, >> yes. >> Paul Cagwell,
>> yes. Uh, >> Anna Cruz, >> yes. Eugene Horowitz, >> yes. Okay. So, I just am asking um we do not have a wait, no, do I? Maybe or maybe not. Um we may have a meeting on
the 20th possibly. Um some insightful things have happened. Um but I'm asking if the board would be okay with I know the resolution is not written. Um, but because this is a very minor application and I don't want to
hold up Miss um, >> your last name, >> Bergen. >> Bergen, I don't want to hold up Miss Bergen with getting her permits. Would it be possible for us to approve her brie? >> And I mean, we can authorize the
issuance of permits if everything else is satisfied. if if that's the pleasure of the board >> because there's no to she doesn't have to revise her plans. Um it's presented as is, approved as is. Um so what >> I I have no objections with that and the
court is acceptable with that. >> Any concerns? >> Just Sha you said something about meeting on the 20th that I missed that >> on the 20th of um what is that? um November >> and there there's a meeting that's our
next a possible next meeting, >> but I'm not sure if it's actually going to happen that I only have one application on for that. But um some enlightening news has come forth today that I'm not sure >> for something but
>> I'm not sure if they're going to be ready for the 20th. >> I'm sure Kevin Mr. Kennedy can draft a >> Yes. Okay. >> We'll have a doubt. But yes, >> ask Vincent. >> Oh, Vince. I thought I called you Vince.
>> Yeah, I said yes. >> Oh, you did. >> That's it. >> But you get a point after him. >> So, we just need a motion for the approval of the resolution. >> Make a motion to approve >> or with the issuance of permit subject
to the adoption of the resolution. >> There we go. >> Or issuance of permit. So releasing the de the development permit the zoning permit prior to the res resolution adoption. Okay. So I need to write that. >> Yes. >> Um >> we can do that.
>> So release uh the >> it's certainly not the standard practice but under the circumstances I think it would there there'd be no harm >> to the >> concern. There's nobody here. >> Right.
>> Resolution. Okay. All right. So Ray's first second. >> I'll second. >> Who's that? >> Sorry, Vince. I don't want to keep missing. >> An Tory. >> Yes. >> Ray Mack. >> Yes. >> Eileen Hogan. >> Yes. >> Bennett.
>> Yes. >> Uh Vince Light. >> Yes. >> Paulagno. >> Yes. >> Anna Cruz. >> Yes. >> And Eugene Horowitz? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Okay. You're all set. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Motion to adjurnn.
A motion to adjurnn. >> Motion motion and a and in a second. >> A second. >> Okay. >> Meeting that. Yeah. Thanks >> Sha.