Sunset Boulevard Cape Cod Renovation Wins Approval for Aging-in-Place Design
The owners of 319 Sunset Boulevard received unanimous approval to renovate their Cape Cod-style home with an addition designed for aging in place, including a first-floor primary bedroom suite. Attorney Bruce Whitaker represented the Bisone family, noting the existing detached garage — a nonconforming accessory structure — will be removed, eliminating two nonconformities. Building coverage rises to 17.6% against a 15% permitted maximum, but combined principal and accessory coverage remains under the 20% cap with the garage gone. A detailed landscaping plan presented by landscape architect Andrea Buckingham proposes Kwanzan cherry trees, skip laurels, Japanese forest grass, and arborvitae throughout the property. The board voted 6-0 to approve.
Pool Approved at Yale Avenue Home, with Conifer Screening Required
The owners of 88 Yale Avenue received unanimous approval to install a 480-square-foot in-ground pool on a corner lot in the R-15 zone. Engineer Kierston Osterkorn testified the primary variance request is for accessory structure coverage, as an existing detached garage approved in 2023 causes the property to exceed the 5% accessory coverage limit on an undersized 14,350-square-foot lot. Pool setbacks are conforming. As a condition of approval, the board required the installation of eight conifer trees to be planted to achieve a minimum height of 10 feet at maturity. The board voted 6-0 to approve.
Franklin Avenue Homeowners Granted One-Year Extension
Haakon Jepsen of 475 Franklin Avenue received a one-year extension of the board's prior approval for additions to his corner ranch home. Jepsen testified the project is being completed in two phases and that the first phase has been finished. The board voted 5-0 to grant the extension, with Domenico Cirilli abstaining.
March Approvals Formally Memorialized
The board memorialized resolutions for the three applications approved in March: the front portico at 635 Quackenbush Avenue for the Prell family, the porch enclosure and new entry at 35 Ravine Avenue for Frank Castellvi, and the Dutch Colonial expansion at 76 Wyckoff Avenue for the Telesca family.
Government
'I HAVE NEVER APPROVED 33.4% COVERAGE': BOARD SENDS TWO APPLICATIONS BACK FOR REVISIONS
Two families sought to expand small Wyckoff lots with pools and additions, but the board adjourned both applications after the chairman said proposed coverage levels were the highest he had seen — and three neighbors showed up to oppose one of them.
Two families brought ambitious expansion plans before the Wyckoff Zoning Board of Adjustment at its April meeting — one seeking a pool and sunroom on a small Sheldon Street property, the other proposing to add a second story and pool to a Village Place ranch on an undersized corner lot — and both were sent back for revisions after board members signaled the proposed coverage levels exceeded what the lots could reasonably support.
The sharper exchange came at 105 Sheldon Street, where Christopher Anzano, a lifelong Wyckoff resident who coaches in the local school district, is seeking to add a rear sunroom and an in-ground pool. The property contains just 8,541 square feet — less than 60% of the 15,000 square feet required in the R-15 zone. The combined lot coverage proposed, accounting for the principal structure, pool, existing garage, and a large rear deck, totals 33.4% against a 20% combined maximum. Chairman Mark Borst, who has led the board for several years, said he could recall no comparable request. "I have never approved a total coverage of 33.4%," he told the applicant's engineer. Board member David Hubert was equally direct: "I have been on the Board since 2013 and have never seen a request for 33.4% coverage." [1]
Engineer Kierston Osterkorn noted that the large existing wood deck accounts for a significant portion of the coverage figure, and offered a concession: if the deck is replaced with a patio — which does not count as accessory structure coverage under the ordinance — total coverage would fall to approximately 29.2%. The board acknowledged the proposal but said it was not sufficient. Borst suggested a target range of 25% to 28% and recommended the applicants consider a smaller pool, perhaps a plunge pool in the 12-by-20-foot range, and revisit the necessity of the sunroom. The board also raised a prior landscaping condition from a 2020 approval that it said did not appear to have been implemented. [2]
An opposing attorney appeared as well. Danielle Cardone, of Englewood Cliffs, represented the owners of 107 Sheldon Street and described the proposal as "aggressive and oversized for the lot," noting that a survey of roughly 20 to 24 surrounding properties found only two with pools. Borst suggested both legal teams communicate before the next hearing to explore a compromise on pool size. The application was adjourned to May 21. [2]
At 284 Village Place, Christopher Naumov, who said he purchased the home to raise his family in Wyckoff, is proposing to expand the footprint and add a second story to an existing one-story ranch. The pie-shaped corner lot contains 15,064 square feet — about 60% of the 25,000 square feet required in the RA-25 zone — and the proposal seeks variances on multiple fronts: front yard setbacks on both street frontages, a side yard reduced from the required 25 feet to 15.5 feet, a rear yard setback of 36 feet where 40 feet is required, building coverage rising from 12.2% to 18.6% against a 15% maximum, combined coverage reaching 21.3% against a 20% cap, and an in-ground pool sited just 9 feet from the property line where 20 feet is required. [3]
Three neighbors testified against the application. Sally Merchant of 303 Village Place said the house would be "too large and too tall for the neighborhood" and raised drainage concerns, noting the area between Martha and Village Place already lacks adequate stormwater infrastructure. Virginia Zmuda and Steven Zmuda of 314 Village Place added similar objections: Virginia warned of an "overbuilding" trend on a block made up primarily of ranches and Cape Cods, and Steven raised concern about the front porch reducing corner sightlines on a street where vehicles frequently cut the turn. [4]
Board member Gary Lombardo advised the applicant plainly: "I would strongly encourage you to make meaningful changes before returning. Based on the Board's feedback, you may need to eliminate or significantly reduce elements such as the front and rear porches and address the overall height. I would not want to see you return without sufficient revisions and face a denial." Borst echoed the sentiment, calling the proposal "very intensive for a property of this size." Naumov said he was willing to revise the plans. The application was adjourned to May 21. [4]