15 Hillside Rd. application carried to Dec. 10 after neighbors raise drainage concerns

The Princeton Zoning Board on Nov. 12 carried the application for 15 Hillside Road (Z25-69815) to the board’s Dec. 10 meeting and directed the applicant to submit a completed engineered drainage plan for town-engineer review and for neighbor review at least 10 days before the hearing.

The applicant (15 Hillside Road LLC) seeks C-1 and C-2 variances to construct a two-story second-floor addition, a two-story rear addition and a detached one-car garage on a lot that staff said is nonconforming by lot area (required 10,890 sq. ft.; existing 8,250) and by side-yard and frontage requirements. Staff listed multiple required variances, including side-yard setbacks for the second-floor and the two-story addition and a proposed three-foot garage setback where five feet is required.

Architect Anthony LaPlaca described the design and said the proposed garage was sited to minimize impervious coverage while allowing feasible maneuvering into the garage. Neighbors raised drainage and runoff concerns: Alex Levine (327 Walnut Lane) said lengthening the driveway farther back would increase runoff into adjacent backyards and recalled a 2004 incident where hillside grading sent significant water into neighboring properties; Dan Guo (335 Walnut Lane) described his backyard as roughly one foot lower than 15 Hillside and said existing conditions create wet areas that additional pavement could worsen.

Both neighbors asked for a revised site plan showing engineered mitigation. The applicant (owner Hwan Lee) told the board he had met with neighbors and volunteered two corrective actions: extending the existing retaining wall along the property line and adding gutters/downspouts with an underground drain (described as a subsurface drain) to redirect runoff toward the center of the applicant’s yard. Architect LaPlaca concurred these measures would mitigate concerns if designed and located away from property lines.

Board members and staff concluded that an engineered drainage/stormwater plan was necessary to ensure the neighbors would not be adversely affected. The board carried the application to Dec. 10 with the requirement that the completed plan be filed and available for municipal-engineer review and neighbor inspection at least 10 days prior to the hearing. The applicant will meet with municipal staff and the land-use engineer before the next hearing and will not be required to re-notice the application for the Dec. 10 date.