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Resident says she was not properly notified before neighbor's large addition; council pledges process review
Summary
Mariana Staley told the Boonton Town Council she did not receive the 200-foot return-receipt notice before a neighbor's variances were approved, and she asked the town for remedies; officials acknowledged a staff oversight and said the administration or finance committee will examine process fixes.
Mariana Staley, a Boonton resident, told the Town Council during public comment that she learned April 8 that a neighbor had begun significant construction for an addition and that she had not received the required mailed return-receipt notice within the 200-foot radius before the planning-board variances were approved.
The council's mayor, identified in the transcript as Mayor Lynch, said the town's planning-board attorney had reached out to Staley and acknowledged there had been an oversight by a staff member and others in the notice process. The mayor said that, had proper notice been given, residents within 200 feet would have had the opportunity to be heard.
Town counsel (speaking in the meeting) described the matter as a private-property dispute and advised caution about public commentary on litigation. Several council members said the town's authority to reverse an approved variance may be limited and encouraged the resident to obtain private legal advice if she wished to pursue a court remedy. Council members also said they would seek administrative changes to the internal checklist and notice procedures to reduce the likelihood of similar oversights.
Why it matters: The resident said the unanticipated construction threatens privacy, sun exposure, drainage and potentially property values. Council members agreed the town can improve its process for notifying neighbors even if the immediate remedy for the resident may be a private legal action.
What happens next: Council members suggested the administration or the finance and administration committee review the notice procedures and return with recommended process fixes. The planning-board attorney had already contacted the resident, according to the mayor. No formal town action to reverse the variance was recorded at the meeting.
