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Old Bridge board approves second‑floor addition to keep multigenerational family together
Summary
The Zoning Board granted a D(4) floor‑area‑ratio variance and a driveway width waiver for Jessica Kriskowski at 28 Purdue Road, conditioned on a deed notice preventing separate rental and on no cooking facilities upstairs; the vote was unanimous.
The Old Bridge Township Zoning Board of Adjustment on June 4 approved a D(4) variance allowing a partial second‑floor addition at 28 Purdue Road so a single family can add space for retired parents and maintain multigenerational household living.
Applicant Jessica Kriskowski said she is a full‑time teacher who wants to keep her son in the neighborhood and have her parents move in to help with childcare and family needs. The proposed addition is approximately 1,126 square feet atop an existing 1,441 square‑foot ranch. Architect John Brower and planner John Taikina testified the addition is open to the first floor, includes no separate exterior entrance or separate utilities, does not include a full cooking kitchen upstairs, and will remain a single‑family household rather than a separate rental unit.
Why it matters: The applicant sought an FAR variance to increase the allowed floor‑area ratio from 0.35 to 0.395 (roughly 292 square feet over). Board professionals and several members pressed the applicant on how the floor would be used and whether it could be converted to an accessory dwelling unit; the applicant and counsel agreed to conditions recorded with the county that restrict separate rental and require the applicant to return to the board if cooking facilities or a separate entrance are later proposed.
Conditions and safeguards: Counsel and planning staff recommended a deed notice tied to the board’s resolution and recorded with the county clerk that will specify the upstairs cannot be used as a separate dwelling. The board also approved a design waiver to allow the existing 17‑foot driveway to continue, finding strict compliance impractical given existing site constraints. The board incorporated a condition that any installation of cooking appliances or separate utilities would require a return to the board for D(1) review.
Board reasoning and vote: Planner John Taikina described the addition as a modest, stepped design that avoids bulk impacts, remains well under the 35‑foot height limit (proposed about 25.3 feet) and is consistent with neighborhood character. The board voted unanimously to approve the variance and the waiver, with a deed‑notice condition recorded before final signoff.
Representative quotes: Applicant Jessica Kriskowski told the board she is "a single mom who's recently divorced... so the idea would be we would all live together, everybody having their own space." Planner John Taikina emphasized that the stair is open to the floor below and there is no separate exterior access, explaining why it is not a separate dwelling.
Next steps: The applicant must record the resolution/deed notice with the county and obtain required building permits; any change in use that would constitute a second dwelling (installation of cooking facilities or separate entrance/utilities) will require returning to the board.
