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Board approves two‑story addition for family at 55 Orchard Avenue in Metuchen
Summary
The board approved variances allowing a two‑story addition at 55 Orchard Avenue to enlarge a kitchen and add accessible space for the applicant's elderly mother; architect David Dugasz and homeowner Helena Geist described constrained lot conditions and existing nonconformities.
The Metuchen zoning board granted variances for a two‑story addition at 55 Orchard Avenue intended to enlarge the kitchen, increase bedroom space for growing children and expand a ground‑floor bedroom for the applicant's elderly mother. Applicant Helena Geist told the board she and her husband live at the property with three young children and her mother, and said the existing 1954 slab‑on‑grade home has limited storage and a narrow galley kitchen.
Architect David Dugasz described the house as 30 feet wide by 49 feet 8 inches deep and explained the design would relocate a first‑floor bedroom toward the rear and deepen the second floor to provide more closet space and a laundry. The governing constraint is an existing 5.1‑foot side setback in the R‑2 zone; the proposed two‑story work requires relief because the property cannot meet the required 8‑foot setback. "We need 8 feet and we're at 5.1," Dugasz said, noting the plan maintains the existing nonconformity while modernizing interior function.
Board members asked about HVAC unit locations, potential additional windows and whether the addition would create negative impacts; the applicant and architect said the project would not materially worsen conditions and emphasized the home's lack of a basement and the practical need for more usable space. No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.
A motion to approve the variances carried on the board's recorded vote; during the roll call, named members responded in the affirmative. Board members expressed personal support for the applicant, citing neighborhood familiarity and the project's modest scale.
