St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church received approval from the Wyckoff Zoning Board of Adjustment at its January meeting to add 46 parking spaces to its nine-acre campus on Wyckoff Avenue — addressing what its pastor described as a chronic shortage driven by years of strong attendance growth.

Father Steven Victor, who has served as pastor for approximately eight and a half years, told the board the parish has seen consistent year-over-year increases in attendance, including roughly a 10% rise in the past year alone. On a typical weekend, he said, approximately 2,200 to 2,300 parishioners attend one of six services, with the 10:30 a.m. Sunday mass regularly exhausting all 238 existing parking spaces. [1] "While it is a positive problem to have due to growth, it is still a concern from a public safety perspective," he testified.

The proposed expansion would convert a section of the church's rear soccer field into two rows of parking, bringing the total to 284 spaces. The project includes stormwater detention, LED lighting designed to produce no spillover onto adjacent properties, and a row of Green Giant arborvitae along the northern property line. At the board's suggestion, the applicant agreed to substitute Red Maple trees for the originally proposed Bradford Pear species. [2]

The board also approved a variance for a 16-square-foot electronic message sign along Wyckoff Avenue, one square foot over the permitted maximum. The sign must comply with a municipal LED ordinance currently being drafted by the Township Committee; no sign permit may be issued until that ordinance is adopted and the sign meets its requirements. [3]

Not everyone was satisfied. Kevin Hanly, a Wyckoff resident whose property abuts the northern edge of the proposed lot, told the board he had personally observed parking conditions across multiple Sunday masses and questioned whether all 46 new spaces were necessary. He counted eight unused spaces during the 10:30 mass and proposed that restriping an area near the rear entrance could yield approximately 17 additional spots without new asphalt — requiring only 29 additional spaces from the field expansion, and pushing the parking lot further from his property. [4]

The church's engineer, Steven Napolitano, responded that the area Hanly described was not suitable for perpendicular parking without significant regrading and retaining walls due to a grade change along the school walkway. Father Victor agreed, noting the idea had already been considered. [4]

A second neighbor, Chris Miggels of 437 Greenwood Avenue, raised concerns about vehicles routinely rolling through a stop sign at the church's Greenwood Avenue entrance — during both school drop-off and Sunday services — and about existing floodlights on the church building that illuminate his property at night. "It's quite bright in my kitchen," Miggels said. Father Victor said he would look into the lighting situation. [5]

Vice Chairman Brian Tanis also noted he had nearly experienced a head-on collision pulling into the parking lot the evening of the hearing, citing confusing directional markings. Township Engineer Mark DiGennaro recommended improved pavement markings, stop bars, and a solar LED stop sign as potential solutions. [5]

The board voted 4-0 to approve the application. Member Domenico Cirilli recused himself. Conditions include irrigation for all new plantings, Bergen County Soil Conservation approval prior to construction, compliance with the forthcoming LED ordinance, and a sign permit withheld until that ordinance is in effect. [6]

The board meets the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Town Hall. The next meeting is February 19.