HOWELL – On March 9, members of the Howell Zoning Board of Adjustment are expected to hear an application that has been stalled for nearly two years.
Board members previously said they are unhappy with a business operator’s lack of progress on an application for more than a year following the issuance of a zoning violation regarding wetlands on the firm’s property, Sakoutis Brothers Disposal, 113 Route 34, Howell.
Sakoutis Realty is before the zoning board seeking use variance approval and preliminary major site plan approval for the proposed expansion of a nonconforming contractor’s storage and refuse yard.
A municipal zoning violation regarding the Sakoutis property, which also borders Route 33 where that highway intersects with Route 34, was written on July 16, 2018. The zoning violation remains unresolved, according to the board.
During a meeting on Nov. 25, board members were informed in a letter from the applicant’s attorney that Sakoutis is still working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding the wetlands and a wetlands buffer area. The attorney asked that the matter be rescheduled from Nov. 25 to a meeting in 2020.
During the zoning board’s 2020 reorganization meeting on Jan. 13, board members were informed the attorney representing Sakoutis has requested a March 9 public hearing.
“Are we just playing games?” Chairman Wendell Nanson asked the professionals who represent the panel.
Jennifer Beahm, the board’s planner, said the board’s professionals met with the applicant’s professionals on Jan. 10.
“We had meetings with them, I know (Charles Cunliffe, the zoning board’s engineer) has met with them twice, I met with them once … and we went over a lot of things we expect to see. They recognize the fact they need to get moving and get the plans in. They had a long back and forth with the DEP with the issues they had over there,” Beahm said.
The planner said she was confident the board should see plans within a month and added, “They recognize the fact that the board has about had it, and they realize they have to get moving.”
Ronald Troppoli, the board’s attorney, said he was cautiously optimistic Sakoutis has gotten the message about moving forward.
Referring to a recent Tri-Town News article about the Sakoutis application, Vice Chairman Paul Sayah said, “The optics on this are not good … so we will move forward, but if there is a hiccup along the way that is not looking favorable to what we anticipate or expect, then we are going to levy the ax on it, that is all.”