Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Deck Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Red Bank zoning board approves deck variance for 134 Leighton Avenue
Summary
The Red Bank Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a variance allowing homeowner Anita Bergen to build an approximately 240-square-foot rear deck at 134 Leighton Avenue, authorizing permit issuance before the written resolution provided the applicant meets conditions in the borough planner's Oct. 16 memorandum and obtains permits within 24 months.
The Red Bank Zoning Board of Adjustment voted unanimously to approve a variance permitting a roughly 240-square-foot deck at 134 Leighton Avenue, the board decided after hearing testimony and clarifying conditions on Oct. 16, 2025.
The applicant, Anita Bergen, told the board the deck would sit at the rear of her single-family home on an undersized lot, would be constructed of treated lumber, stand about 20 inches above grade with footings only (no poured concrete), and would not be enclosed or covered. "It would be a place for my grandkids to play where I could watch them closely," Bergen said, adding that the deck would abut the house and shorten a narrow walkway to about three feet in one area.
Shauna, the borough professional planner and the borough's director of community development, had placed a review memorandum dated Oct. 16, 2025 (listed as exhibit A8) in the record and recommended trimming or aligning the deck to match existing setbacks so the expansion would not worsen the property's nonconforming status. The board noted a previously issued denial letter (exhibit A7, Aug. 5, 2025) and the application materials, including the deck plan and surveys, were entered as exhibits A1–A8.
Board members questioned whether the deck would diminish off-street parking. Bergen and the board discussed the paved area dimensions and testified that the proposed configuration would not eliminate the existing parking capacity; Bergen said she can typically fit two vehicles in the paved area and would maintain that space. The board also asked about a vine/hedge along the walkway; Bergen said she would trim and maintain the planting to preserve both privacy and sidewalk clearance.
As conditions of approval, the board required compliance with Bergen's commitments and Shauna's memorandum (A8), directed that necessary permits be obtained within a 24-month timeframe (with the possibility of agreed extensions), and emphasized that the deck not encroach on the paved driveway or remove required parking. Given the minor nature of the application and absence of objections, the board also authorized issuance of permits prior to formal adoption of the written resolution, provided the conditions were met.
The motion passed by roll-call vote of the members present; all voting members answered yes. The board asked that the resolution be drafted by Kevin Kennedy and confirmed that permits may issue once administrative conditions are satisfied. The meeting adjourned shortly after the vote.
