Board approves variance allowing side-entry garage at 141 Dodds Lane, with driveway corrections required

The Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment on April 23 approved a c.2 variance permitting the conversion of a previously nonconforming two-bay front-entry garage to a side-entry garage at 141 Dodds Lane.

The homeowners, Nitish and Miriam (last names provided to the board during testimony), told the board they remodeled the house within its existing footprint and reconfigured the driveway during construction to reduce the garage’s visibility from the street and to improve on-site safety for their children. The applicants and their attorney said the change was intended to make the property more consistent with the town’s neighborhood-character goals.

Ryan Kennedy, attorney for the applicants, said turning the garage sideways reduced the visual prominence of the cars and brought the property closer to the design the neighborhood-character ordinance favors. Architect Jeff Fleischer testified the work did not alter the garage foundation or increase the structure’s nonconformity, and in his view the modification reduced the nonconforming condition.

Board staff, Derek Bridger, noted the project requires variance relief because the field change to side-entry doors occurred after the zoning approval was issued. Bridger’s memo recorded specific noncompliant driveway dimensions and reported the applicants intend to correct those driveway-width violations rather than seek variances for them.

During deliberations a board member moved to approve a c.2 variance and conditioned the approval on the applicants correcting the driveway width violations cited in the staff memo. The motion passed by roll call; votes recorded as: Miss Colson (yes); Mister Floyd (yes); Mister Stein (yes); Miss Dobkin (yes); Chairman Cohen (yes).

The board’s written decision requires the applicants to adjust the driveway measurements so they comply with the municipal driveway-width limits stated in the staff report.