Zoning board allows pool replacement at Far Hills‑area property with screening and engineering conditions

The Bernards Township Zoning Board on Oct. 8 approved a variance for Ashley and Troy Namini to replace an existing, damaged fiberglass pool with a new gunite pool at their Douglas Road property, permitting the pool to remain forward of the rear‑building line under the municipal ordinance.

The Naminis, who said they purchased the house in November 2024, told the board the existing pool was not repairable and that the proposed work will increase pool volume while slightly reducing the surrounding pool deck area (applicants reported deck coverage dropping from 8.31% to about 8.27%). They said the new layout reuses existing infrastructure (pool house and fence line) and that moving the pool farther on the lot would be impractical. "We're keeping the fence line the same," Ashley Namini said, and the couple agreed to add new screening trees along the property line where older plantings failed.

Board professionals reviewed engineering and environmental comments. The township engineer and planner asked for standard erosion‑control documentation and confirmed that the project falls below the 1,000‑square‑foot stormwater threshold; the applicant acknowledged they will submit required soil‑erosion materials and that the engineering department will perform final review. The environmental commission recommended best management practices for pool water discharge, and the applicants agreed to comply if applicable.

The board voted to grant the pool‑location deviation on C1 grounds with conditions: compliance with engineering requirements, downward‑directed exterior lighting, tree replacement/screening as proposed, and adherence to environmental best practices for pool discharge. The board attorney was directed to draft a memorializing resolution.

What happens next: the applicants must supply erosion‑control documentation and final plan files to township engineering before building‑permit approval.