Board approves Nugent Drive addition after engineers propose larger drainage system; vote 5–2

The Clifton Zoning Board approved a rear‑addition application for 94 Nugent Drive on March 5 after the applicant’s civil engineer presented a revised grading and drainage plan aimed at reducing stormwater runoff to adjacent properties.

Engineer David Atwood testified the site has a 10‑ to 15‑foot drainage easement along the rear property line and an inlet on the neighboring property. Atwood said the proposal preserves the existing drainage patterns while providing an over‑designed retention system — roughly a 1,200–1,500‑gallon percolation chamber array (three 330 XL chambers) — to collect and slow roof runoff; he recommended soil borings and percolation tests before installation.

Nut graf: Neighbors had raised longstanding concerns about water in rear yards and requested that the city inspect the public easement; the board heard testimony from neighbors and the applicant’s engineer, then approved the project with findings that the revised plan reduced runoff and did not aggravate adjacent properties.

Atwood described the site as lower in elevation than adjacent houses and said runoff currently flows toward an inlet; his design captures four times the runoff the rules require (picking up an estimated 53 cubic feet required vs. about 224 cubic feet proposed) and places a low‑profile infiltration system where groundwater risk may be higher. That approach reduces the chance of adverse impacts to adjoining yards, he said.

Neighbors asked about the Bilco door access to the basement, basement use, and whether municipal crews had inspected the downstream pipe; the owner and witnesses said the basement contains utilities only, not additional apartments, and that only the owner has access to the basement Bilco doors. Several neighbors expressed frustration that the city’s Department of Public Works had not televised or inspected the easement pipe; the board encouraged the parties to continue coordination with municipal staff.

Commissioner Braid moved to approve the application; Commissioner O'Connor seconded. The motion passed 5–2 (Commissioners Ramos and Fucas voted no). The board noted the approval included conditions tied to the engineer’s recommendations, including required percolation testing and submission of final drainage details before permits are issued.

Ending: The approval advances the addition project subject to final engineering data (soil logs/perc tests), submittal of final drainage construction drawings and coordination with municipal stormwater/sanitary staff to confirm the downstream inlet condition.