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Board approves steep‑slope variance for 15 Cambridge Road, with conditions
Summary
The Board of Adjustment approved a plan for a single-family house on 15 Cambridge Road that included variances for disturbance of steep slopes, building height/stories and a front-yard setback; the board required a modest increase to the approved disturbance allowance and requested a design change to the basement bath.
The Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Adjustment on March 19 approved a C-variance application for 15 Cambridge Road (application listed on the agenda as Harquishan Ervadia), allowing construction of a single-family home that required relief for disturbance of steep slopes, building height (stories/height) and a reduced front-yard setback.
The board’s approval followed testimony from the project team — civil engineer Adam Kandel, architect Avard Patel and planner Matthew Flynn — and conditions recommended by board professionals. The board adopted a c(2) balancing test rationale on the record, finding that the benefits of the project, including minimizing disturbance relative to an earlier approval, outweighed the detriments when coupled with the conditions imposed.
Key conditions and clarifications - Disturbance allowance: The applicant agreed to seek a revised disturbance limit of 6,704 square feet (an increase of 500 square feet over the submitted 6,204 figure) to accommodate temporary construction access for the sanitary lateral and other necessary work; the board instructed that temporary disturbance areas be restored after construction. - Basement bath: The architect agreed to convert the basement-level full bathroom to a powder room to reduce concerns about potential future conversion into a second dwelling unit; the board requested that the revised plan reflect that change. - Utility connections and erosion control: The applicant agreed to comply with township sewer and water superintendent directives and the township soil‑moving/erosion-control requirements as set out in the municipal review letters. The board discussed options for the sanitary lateral routing and encouraged the applicant to shift the lateral to the front corner of the house or consider directional drilling to reduce disturbance in critical slope areas.
Votes and next steps The board took a formal roll-call vote and approved the application with the conditions described above. The applicant will be notified in writing and must submit final, revised plan sets and any required permits, inspections and as-built materials to satisfy the conditions imposed by the board and by municipal staff.
