John Street duplex gets OK to rebuild

Neighbors object to size of proposed two-family house.

By: Jennifer Potash
   A plan to redevelop a property that contained a burned-down duplex on John Street was approved Thursday by the Princeton Borough Zoning Board of Adjustment despite opposition from neighbors.
   The zoning board also deferred to January an application by Princeton University to demolish two vacant apartment buildings at Olden and William streets and replace the structure with an academic building.
   The board approved the John Street application with several conditions by a 5-2 vote. Zoning board members Russell McFarlan and Steve Cohen voted no. Zoning Board member Shirley Kauffman said she voted yes "with great reluctance."
   Carmen Nastus, with his brother and nephew, own the property and plan to build a larger duplex on the site. Michael Nastus, the nephew, plans to live in one half of the duplex and the other will be a rental unit.
   The two-family John Street house was heavily damaged in a 2002 fire. The Nastus relatives purchased the vacant property, located in the R4 zone, from owner Ann Thomas in June. The residence was partially demolished in July leaving only the foundation in place.
   Borough Zoning Officer Frank Slimak said owners of properties destroyed by fire have the right to rebuild what previously existing on the site. Mr. Nastus needed a variance for his proposal because the new duplex is 382 square feet larger than the former residence, Mr. Slimak said. The development plan also required another variance because part of the second-floor extends 8 feet into the side yard setback.
   Carmen Nastus said the additional 382 square feet resulted from the design that "squares off" the second floor to make the building more uniform with other properties on John Street.
   A benefit to the design is a 4-foot gain in the side yard area, Mr. Nastus said.
   Thomas Bogden, a licensed planner who testified on behalf of the Nastus application, said if the new house were designed to conform to the zoning ordinance, it would look like a "railroad car style house that is not keeping with the rest of the neighborhood."
   Overall, the proposal is "a better scenario for the neighborhood," Mr. Bogden said.
   Neighbors expressed concern about the size and bulk of the proposed duplex and said the floor plan could lead to overcrowded living conditions in the future.
   Rene Boatman, who lives next to the property, said the proposed duplex is too bulky and would block natural light to her property and obscure views of the sky.
   "The residence is in jarring conflict with the rest of the neighborhood," she said, adding that she was not opposed to change in the neighborhood.
   "But it should respect our quality of life," she said.
   Joanna Kendig, a John Street resident who lives near the proposed duplex, said the added bulk — a 44-foot-deep house where the previous one was 30 feet deep — concerned her.
   The building’s proposed floor plan, which puts the kitchen in the front and a first-floor bedroom at the back with a private entrance, could lead to overcrowded housing conditions, said Eugene Imhoff, a John Street resident.
   Mr. Imhoff said he tried to convince Princeton Borough, to no avail, to purchase the property for inclusion in the municipal affordable-housing program.
   Carmen Nastus said he had no problem removing the exterior door to the first-floor bedroom in each unit and his nephew, Michael, added that he will not rent out rooms in his portion of the duplex.
   The zoning board first proposed delaying a vote on the application until Mr. Nastus returned with plans addressing the floor plan and bulk concerns. Mr. Nastus said he was willing to make the changes but first wanted the variance approvals from the zoning board.
   Zoning board member Ann McGoldrick said while sympathetic to the neighbors’ concerns about overcrowding, she views the replacement of housing a greater benefit for the neighborhood.
   "I am glad to see the old structure replaced with a modern structure that at ground level tends to conform better with the streetscape existing in the surrounding area," Ms. McGoldrick said.
   The board granted the variances with conditions including a provision to ensure windows do not face windows on adjacent buildings and a provision adjusting the height of the building to address the bulk concerns. Ultimately the board did not require Mr. Nastus to change the floor plan but left it to his discretion.
   In other action, the board postponed Princeton University’s application to consolidate three lots into a single lot on Olden Avenue, demolish two existing multifamily dwellings and replace them with a three-story, 27,000-square-foot academic building for the School of Engineering. The hearing will be held Jan. 20.
   The university was the last of four applicants before the board Thursday. As the third application was not heard until after 10 p.m., the university and the zoning board agreed to move the proposal to the January meeting. The properties are located in the RO-1 and R4 zoning districts and would need variances for floor-area ratio and lot coverage.