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Cranford ZBA approves C2 variance for two-story addition at 11 Sutton Place
Summary
The Cranford Zoning Board granted a C2 variance to Bradley and Kate Moore for a two-story rear addition and front portico at 11 Sutton Place, approving the plan after the applicant presented design, stormwater mitigation, and landscaping plans; the board voted in favor by roll call.
The Cranford Zoning Board of Adjustment voted to grant a C2 variance for a two-story rear addition and a roofed front portico at 11 Sutton Place, the home of Bradley and Kate Moore.
Applicants Kate and Bradley Moore told the board the addition is intended so the family can remain in their home as their children grow. "Our goal overall with adding on to our home is to have a home that we can grow into with our 2 small children," Kate Moore said. The Moores said the house backs onto Roosevelt Park and that they regularly use nearby amenities including Orange Avenue Park and the summer pool.
Architect Thomas Dorris presented the plans and said the proposal includes a rear addition that encroaches on the rear yard setback and a roofed front portico over an existing masonry stoop. He described the design as extending the existing gable roof to wrap the addition so the new work appears integrated with the house. Dorris explained the first-floor addition will include a family room and sunroom and that the second floor will accommodate a primary bedroom suite and related spaces. He described efforts to align the addition's rear extent with neighboring additions and decks visible in aerial imagery.
On stormwater, Dorris said the required dry well capacity was 39 cubic feet under town standards and that the engineer retained by the owners, EK Associates, designed a dry well with capacity for 202 cubic feet to accommodate the projected 499 square-foot increase in impervious coverage and to provide capacity for a possible future patio. "We were advised design the system to that maximum amount," the architect said, noting the engineer supplied the figures.
The Shade Tree Commission had requested that a permit be required for removal of any tree six inches diameter at breast height or larger; the applicants said there are currently no trees on the property and that additional plantings are planned. The applicants said Shed No. 1 on the property will be demolished and Shed No. 2 will be relocated further from the proposed addition. They also said they plan to work with a local landscape architect on front- and back-yard plantings, though immediate backyard landscaping may be deferred while small children are young.
Board members moved to deliberation and several said the proposal fits the neighborhood pattern because there are no houses directly behind 11 Sutton Place and because surrounding properties show similar rear additions. The board discussed the C2 variance standard under the Municipal Land Use Law, noting the applicant needed to show the variance would advance the purposes of the law and not create a substantial detriment to the public good.
A motion to grant the C2 variance and approval passed on a roll-call vote. The board recorded affirmative votes from Burns, Vidwans, Reese, Sikorski, Murata and Daley; the motion carried and the application was approved. The board directed the applicant to coordinate final technical details with town staff and professionals in advance of any building permit.
