The Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously rejected the church’s application to build at the historic John Feaster Phillips House early Thursday morning.
By: Lea Kahn
The Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously rejected the Westerly Road Church’s request for a use variance to build a church at the historic John Feaster Phillips House early Thursday morning.
The Princeton Township-based church needed a use variance because a house of worship is not a permitted use in the residential Environmental Protection-2 zone.
Several zoning board members said the church proposed too much for the site, which is surrounded by Lawrence Township- and Mercer County-owned land that has been permanently preserved for open space.
The Westerly Road Church wanted to build a 42,600-square-foot facility on the 13.35-acre property, plus parking for 360 cars initially. More parking could have been built later. The 18th-century house would have been converted into office space.
The church also sought variances for the height of the church, and for the maximum impervious coverage of the property. The proposed height of the church is 45 feet, but the maximum allowed is 35. The maximum impervious coverage sidewalks, buildings and parking lots is .08. The church proposed .34, but scaled it back to .29 by reducing the size of the parking lot.