McMansion built on a mound of fill may spur height reforms

Princeton Township Committee to consider zoning changes

By: Kara Fitzpatrick
   As a result of the growing controversy surrounding the construction of a 6,005-square-foot house on Littlebrook Road, Princeton Township officials have begun reviewing local zoning and planning ordinances in order to avoid inappropriate development on unsustainable lots, Township Attorney Edwin Schmierer said.
   Mr. Schmierer said that typical density regulations used to determine permitted development parameters, such as floor-to-area ratios — how much of the lot is covered by the house — and maximum improvement coverage — how much of the lot is taken up by impervious coverage — will be reviewed by township staff in the coming weeks.
   "I think we need to take a look at some of these older neighborhoods and look at the (floor-to-area ratio) and the (maximum improvement coverage) to see if those regulations are appropriate," Mr. Schmierer said. Mr. Schmierer said Wednesday that meetings were scheduled for staff to begin reviewing the current regulations this week.
   Neighbors’ complaints about the house being built by KP Burke Builders LLC at 73 North Littlebrook Road prompted the review, Mr. Schmierer said. The project complies with all existing ordinances.
   "It think it was the Littlebrook Road house that triggered it," he said of the push to review local guidelines. He said the height of the structure is what truly makes it stand out from others in the neighborhood.
   Concerns from the neighbors about the house have been fueled not only by its size, but also because it is positioned on top of truckloads of fill. The fill was brought in after a groundwater problem was discovered, officials have said.
   "One of the main objections (to 73 North Littlebrook Road) is how high the house is," Mayor Phyllis Marchand pointed out. "That height was caused by something that we could not foresee."
   The house itself does not exceed the township’s 35-foot maximum height limit, but as a result of the use of fill to elevate it, Mr. Schmierer said the township will likely explore options that would require height measurements to be taken from existing or pre-existing grade.
   Mayor Marchand said professionals will also look into the amount of fill that can be imported onto certain lots. When building a house, "There shouldn’t be extraordinary measures taken," the mayor said. "And those measures were taken in this case."
   Mayor Marchand said the township aims to keep all parties in mind — neighbors, builders and the environment — when reviewing rules regarding new development. "We have to have that balance," she said.
   The decision by township officials to review current ordinances comes on the heels of a plea for help from neighbors. During a Princeton Township Committee meeting Monday, a handful of neighbors attended to voice their displeasure. They asked officials to do something to avoid a similar situation in the future.
   "We need some help here," Clover Lane resident Elizabeth Marshall said to the committee. "We’re trying to develop a plan to control this kind of development."