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Board approves Markham Road renovation, allows front-yard parking with a condition
Summary
The zoning board approved an application to convert a protruding front garage into living space at 45 Markham Road and granted variances allowing front-yard parking, conditioned on side-by-side parking where practicable; vote was unanimous.
The Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment on Jan. 28 approved the application for 45 Markham Road (Z25-71545), allowing the owner to convert a nonconforming front-facing garage into living space and to continue using the existing front driveway for required parking.
The owner, Miguel Beck, testified the change would create a more workable family layout — including an open kitchen, mudroom and a larger primary suite — and that the existing garage is rarely used. “The living room today is very small, very narrow,” Beck said, describing why the family wants more usable first-floor space. Neighbor testimony supported the plan: the immediate next-door resident said tenants historically parked in the driveway and that the garage was not used for parking.
Applicant counsel Ryan Kennedy and architect Jeff Fleischer presented plans showing the property is an unusually narrow 42-foot lot where rear-yard parking would require removal of mature hedges and a large tree, and would also conflict with required setbacks. Fleischer told the board the proposed layout preserved neighborhood character by replacing a protruding garage with a porch and matching facades.
Board members said they were uncomfortable formalizing front-yard parking but acknowledged limited alternatives on this constrained lot. After deliberation, the board approved the application with a condition that, where practicable, parking be provided side-by-side (not stacked/tandem) to reduce potential obstruction of the sidewalk and public right-of-way. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote; all members present voted yes.
The board’s decision recognizes existing neighborhood parking patterns while removing a protruding front garage and allowing a design intended to better match surrounding facades. Staff will file the formal approval and the decision with conditions in the municipal record.
Votes at a glance: roll call recorded unanimous approval from members present; conditions include a side-by-side parking configuration where practicable.
