Owner seeks variances to demolish and rebuild at 263 Lakeshore Drive; DEP permit and drainage discussed

On Jan. 8, 2025, an applicant seeking to demolish an existing home at 263 Lakeshore Drive asked the Parsippany (Troy Hills) Board of Adjustment for two bulk variances: relief for a 50‑foot lot width where the ordinance requires 60 feet, and a de‑minimis front‑yard setback deviation (the site plan lists the setback as about 24.03 feet where 25 feet is required).

Steven Shepis, the applicant’s attorney, presented a title history and a 1932 filed map to show the lot’s historical creation and argued the pattern of 50‑foot lots on the block supports a hardship variance for lot width. Owner Hardik Shah testified he planned to demolish the existing house and build a larger single‑family home to accommodate his extended family.

The application included a DEP authorization: the applicant said a general permit (recorded with the county clerk) governs construction in an adjacent wetland transition area and that the permit was recorded July 28, 2022. The applicant and counsel said they had discussed stormwater measures with the township engineer and proposed infiltrator/seepage beds to manage runoff; board members asked that any approval be conditioned on final engineering sign‑off.

Board members and professionals reviewed architectural and engineering exhibits showing the overhang that creates the front‑yard encroachment and the proposed footprint constrained by the regulated transition area behind the property. The applicant said the project otherwise complies with ordinance requirements and that engineering had approved proposed stormwater controls prior to the hearing.

A member of the board said the application appeared to provide hardship proofs related to the preexisting 50‑foot lots and that the proposed replacement would be an improvement for the block. A board member said they would vote in favor, but a formal roll‑call approval for this application is not recorded in the meeting transcript provided.