Board approves one, declines one use variance.
By: Lea Kahn
The township Zoning Board of Adjustment swore in four newly appointed members and also appointed its staff of professionals at its annual reorganization meeting last week.
After selecting its officers for the year, the board also approved one use variance application and rejected another use variance application at the Jan. 14 meeting. The votes were unanimous.
Stephen Brame and Robert Kulak were sworn into office for four-year terms as regular members, expiring in December 2007.
Richard Taylor was sworn in to fill out an unexpired term as alternate member No. 1, which expires at the end of this year. Peter Rand was sworn in for a two-year term as alternate member No. 2. His term ends in December 2005.
Board members chose Leona Maffei to serve as chairman and Lisa Hosfield to serve as vice chairman. Their terms are for one year.
Attorney Marc Citron of the West Windsor Township-based law firm of Saul Ewing Remick & Saul was reappointed as the board’s attorney. Brian Slaugh of Clarke Caton Hintz was reappointed as the board’s planning consultant.
Assistant Municipal Engineer Brenda Kraemer was named to be the board’s engineer and also to serve as the board’s in-house secretary. Sara Summiel was hired to be the recording secretary.
In other business, the Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a variance to permit Douglas and Donna Buxton of 240B Cold Soil Road to add a room to the rear of their house. A use variance was needed because the addition is an expansion of an existing nonconforming use. The zoning permits one residence on a lot, but there are already three residences on the property in two buildings.
The zoners denied a use variance application by Beatrice Johnson of 94 Eldridge Ave., who sought to convert an accessory apartment in her house into a rental unit. Permission had been granted in 1991 to create an accessory apartment, but the Land Use Ordinance says such units can be occupied only by a family member.