Planning board approves Springbrook Country Club clubhouse expansion; parking and retaining-wall variances granted

The Morris Township Planning Board approved Springbrook Country Club’s amended preliminary and final major site plan to expand portions of the clubhouse and replace a temporary awning with a permanent covered terrace and expanded lower terrace.

Why this matters: The project includes a modest 1,300-square-foot enclosed addition, expanded covered and open terraces, new stair and ramp circulation for ADA and egress, and a new drywell to handle additional stormwater from about 7,400 square feet of added impervious surface. The project triggers bulk relief because the site’s existing parking shortfall grows under the zoning formula and a proposed retaining wall exceeds the local 4-foot maximum.

What was proposed and approved - Scope: Architect Ian Buckley described a 1,300-square-foot indoor addition (an indoor/outdoor bar) and expanded upper and lower terraces. The lower terrace will be supported by a new retaining wall that reaches a maximum height of about 8.9 feet at its center; much of the wall will be screened by new plantings and boulder-style facing to match existing character. - Stormwater: Civil engineer Robert Byra explained a new 10-foot-diameter drywell and interconnection with an existing drywell to manage runoff from the increased impervious area; runoff that is not captured by the system will continue to drain toward the site pond. The engineer said the improvements are about 450 feet from the nearest property line and that the projected additional runoff is “de minimis.” - Variances requested and board analysis: Planner Paul Rickey testified the project is a modest reinvestment in an existing recreation facility on a large 63-acre parcel in the OSGU zone and that the requested relief meets local planning criteria. Specific relief approved included: (1) off-street parking variance (the zoning calculation increases required spaces given the addition, although the applicant is not increasing membership or on-site stall count), (2) retaining wall height (maximum proposed ~8.9 feet where 4 feet is permitted), and (3) a design waiver to permit disturbance of about 7,233 square feet of slopes 25% or greater (man-made slopes disturbed during prior development).

Board and public concerns addressed - Parking: Board members noted this and similar country-club applications historically show a disconnect between code minimums and operational realities for private clubs. The applicant told the board there is no membership increase and no new off-street stalls are being added; planner testimony said the club operates without known off-site overflow problems. - Visual/landscaping mitigation: The design includes roughly eight replacement trees (the applicant proposed eight despite ordinance requiring one replacement) and about 70 shrubs and perennials to screen the retaining wall and terraces. The applicant agreed to replace invasive plant selections with noninvasive native species in response to the environmental commission’s comment. - Lighting and sustainability: The architect said exterior lighting will be low-level sconces and recessed/downward-directed fixtures; the applicant agreed to dark-sky-type controls. The applicant also said the club is pursuing interior mechanical upgrades and low-flow plumbing fixtures as part of broader energy and water-efficiency efforts.

Public comment: A nearby resident raised a separate existing runoff concern on Exeter Lane. The engineer said the Springbrook improvements are far removed (the project area is roughly 450 feet from the nearest property owner and more than 2,000 feet from the resident’s site) and would not contribute to that neighbor’s runoff condition; the resident was advised to pursue the condition with township code enforcement if needed.

Outcome: The board moved and approved the application by roll call vote. Conditions discussed included final stormwater and steep-slope stabilization details, the substitution of noninvasive plantings, dark-sky-compliant exterior lighting, and standard engineering approvals prior to issuance of building permits. The applicant indicated an intention to submit building-permit drawings and pursue construction upon resolution adoption, recognizing that filing and work prior to final resolution would be at their own risk.