Zoning board approves expansion, two‑car garage at 112 President Road with conditions

The Township of Washington Zoning Board on April 21 approved variances allowing a two‑car, front‑loading garage, a covered front porch and a second‑floor addition at 112 President Road with conditions intended to limit impacts on neighbors and stormwater runoff. The board voted unanimously after the applicant agreed to several concessions.

Architect Joseph J. Bruno, sworn and accepted as an expert, told the board the plan converts an existing side one‑car garage to a front‑loading two‑car garage with a 22‑foot driveway, extends a covered front porch, repairs and enlarges a rear porch and adds a master suite on the second floor. Bruno presented a seven‑photo exhibit dated April 21, 2026, to show neighboring house scales and said the design ‘‘fits the neighborhood’’ and keeps the one‑story projection low in profile.

Board engineer John Yimick’s April 16, 2026 report identified additional issues: two accessory structures on the lot that appear in side‑yard locations, a combined accessory‑building area that exceeds the 80‑square‑foot allowance (the engineer estimated roughly 290 sq ft combined), and a proposed garage area that would be about 26.5% of the building area versus the 20% maximum in the code. Yimick asked the applicant to address the sheds, garage-size calculation and stormwater management.

Homeowner witness Klaus Brinukrode testified the sheds have been on the property for decades and described their uses (tool and pool accessory storage and hobby woodworking equipment). Applicant Don Calamari said she purchased the house in 1998 and that the sheds predate her ownership. The board pressed whether items could be stored in the expanded garage and whether interior partitions would affect compliance; the applicant and architect said some woodworking equipment and seasonal storage would remain better suited to a shed.

To resolve concerns, the applicant agreed to several stipulations summarized on the record and incorporated into the board’s approval: relocate the rear fence to the owner’s property line; remove the far rear frame shed (the smaller rear 8×9 shed would be removed but one larger existing shed would remain); reduce the right‑side deck to meet the 15‑foot side‑yard setback; reduce the porch/portico projection so the front‑yard setback to the porch would increase to about 42.34 feet; relocate the driveway out of the side yard and limit driveway width and curb cut to no more than 22 feet; and submit a stormwater management plan prepared by a New Jersey licensed civil engineer that captures existing and new roof area and complies with the engineer’s review.

Attorney Gary Gantonio and the board’s engineer described additional procedural requirements: the owner must obtain any required curb‑cut/street‑opening permits, comply with soil‑movement provisions if more than 10 cubic yards are moved, and seek Bergen County Soil Conservation District approval if more than 5,000 sq ft of disturbance occurs. The board also noted compliance with municipal standards for pavement removal and curb reconfiguration.

Chairman Gats asked for a motion to approve the application with the restrictions outlined by the attorney and engineer; a motion and second were offered and roll call recorded unanimous 'yes' votes from the members present (Mrs. Grimaldi, Mr. Rivera, Mrs. Osmond, Mr. Zitkco, Mr. Bellleon, Mr. Tadres and Chairman Gats). The board’s approval is conditioned on the stipulations noted above and the required municipal and agency permits.

The board closed the item after confirming the concessions and next steps for permitting and engineering review. The board directed staff and the applicant to ensure the stormwater calculations and final site plan reflect the agreed changes before any building permits are issued.