Planning board approves 12‑lot Warner Estates subdivision with conditions on stormwater, trees and access

Morris Township Planning Board approved a 12‑lot subdivision proposed by Murray Contracting at a public meeting, granting preliminary and final subdivision approval and three limited variances while attaching a set of conditions meant to address stormwater, tree removal and neighborhood access concerns.

The plan, presented by the applicant’s project team, would split a roughly 14.9‑acre parcel into 12 lots: nine new houses, two existing residences to remain and one separate lot for a stormwater bio‑retention basin. The board and township reviewers required the developer to (1) add landscaping and screening around the detention basin and relocate its spillway to reduce direct sightlines to neighboring houses, (2) submit a lot‑by‑lot tree removal and replacement plan during compliance review rather than rely only on a site‑wide sampling estimate, and (3) record deed restrictions preventing new lot access from Eagle’s Nest Road for certain lots.

Mitch, the applicant’s project representative, told the board the design would meet the RA‑35 zone minimum lot size and related dimensional standards without variances for most lots. “The lot sizes range from 36,896 square feet to 67,936 square feet,” he said, and he said the largest retained parcel around the existing main house will exceed 90,000 square feet. He…