Zoning board hears heated debate over 195 Bridge Avenue variance; applicant to return with revised parking and garage plans

The Red Bank Zoning Board of Adjustment on May 21 heard testimony and robust debate on an application to convert 195 Bridge Avenue from a single-family home into a two-family dwelling. The applicant, owner Robin Renault, testified she bought the property in November 2025 and described plans to preserve the existing building footprint, create a first-floor one-bedroom rental, and live in a two-bedroom unit on the second floor with a habitable attic bedroom.

Architect Joseph Donado testified that the first-floor rental unit would be about 807 square feet of livable space, the second floor would also be 807 square feet, and the attic would add roughly 265 square feet (below the one-third floor-area threshold so the structure remains a two-and-a-half-story building). Donado said the project proposes to rebuild a two-car garage (about 484 square feet) within the rear lot and to provide additional gravel driveway spots, for a total of roughly four to five on-site parking spaces; the applicant and architect said the site can be revised to improve maneuverability and add stalls if needed.

Planner Kristen Shepard testified in support of the requested D1 use variance, saying the proposal advances master-plan goals for reinvestment in aging housing stock and that the house’s scale and lot size make it suitable for a modest additional unit if off-street parking and the single-family scale are preserved. Shepard acknowledged the need to meet Medici omission analysis and argued that the proposal would not substantially detract from the public good if the board conditions off-street parking and scale.

Board member Paul Kagno opposed approving the variance at the meeting, characterizing such a decision as "spot zoning" that would erode the single-family character the 2023 master plan sought to preserve. Other members voiced competing views emphasizing adaptive reuse, existing mixed densities nearby, and the need for housing.

Because the board requested clearer site drawings, a garage elevation/rendering, and vehicle turning templates showing maneuverability and specific stall dimensions, the applicant’s counsel asked for time to revise the plans. The board carried the matter to June 4, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., without the need for further public notice; the applicant consented to extend the statutory time frame for board action.

No final board decision on the use variance was taken on May 21. The board directed the applicant to submit revised plans addressing parking layout, turning radii, garage details and outstanding review comments prior to the continued hearing.