Old Tappan planning board pushes applicant to widen road, revise 2‑lot plan for 93 Old Pan Road

The Borough of Old Tappan Planning Board on the continued hearing for an application at 93 Old Pan Road pressed the applicant to revise a proposed two‑lot subdivision, saying the board would require a wider public right‑of‑way and clearer variances before it could act.

At the Jan. 1 reorganization meeting that opened the board’s regular session, attorney Richard Abrahamson, representing the applicant, described a reworked plan that replaces an earlier three‑lot submission with two single‑family lots and a proposed road the applicant said it would dedicate to public use. “We’re prepared to dedicate the road to the public use,” Abrahamson told the board during the presentation, adding the plan includes a single bulk variance for the front lot and that the applicant was prepared to place maintenance obligations in covenants if owners keep private maintenance responsibilities.

Why it matters: Board professionals flagged technical and policy issues that could materially change the viability of a two‑lot layout. The borough planner, Edward Snikas, told the board that the application must also meet state stormwater and tree‑replacement rules tied to recent regulatory changes; Snikas reminded members that municipalities must finalize housing‑element work with the state by March 15, 2026, which will shape the town’s broader planning calendar.

Engineers and planners asked the applicant to clarify multiple design items: whether the proposed 40‑foot right‑of‑way and 28‑foot cartway comply with RSIS (the Residential Site Improvement Standards) for the chosen street type, how stormwater from a slightly larger road footprint will be handled, and whether a four‑foot property strip shown along Old Pan Road would create an unintended corner‑lot condition for an adjacent owner. The applicant’s engineer said the plan includes a bio‑retention basin sized to meet state reduction standards and that some RSIS waivers would be requested.

Board members voiced practical concerns. Several members and the board engineer said the borough historically expects a 30‑foot cartway for emergency access and expressed reluctance to accept a 40‑foot right‑of‑way; one member called a four‑foot planting strip “problematic” because it is difficult to maintain and could create new variances for the neighboring lot’s frontage. The board also questioned whether a homeowners association composed of two properties could reliably maintain a bio‑retention basin under new state reporting and upkeep requirements.

The board reached a consensus on a key design standard: members said they would require a 50‑foot right‑of‑way (and a 30‑foot cartway for emergency access), not the 40‑foot width shown on the applicant’s current drawings. The chair asked the applicant to return with revised plans, a consolidated list of waivers and variances tied to an explicit house orientation (which determines which setbacks apply), and supporting exhibits including the drainage report.

Attorney Dean Stamos, representing nearby property owners, had urged the board to require clearer variance notice and to scrutinize the proposed lot configurations; he told the board the application’s earlier submission left ambiguity about which bulk variances are actually sought. Stamos and the board’s planner also raised tree‑replacement and lighting concerns, arguing the landscape buffer proposed in a four‑foot strip would be insufficient and likely ineffective.

No final approval was taken. The board directed the applicant to revise the plan to address the board engineer and planner comments; applicant counsel acknowledged they will amend and resubmit and the hearing was continued for a future meeting. The board indicated the revised materials should include revised variance/waiver tables and the applicant’s stormwater calculations so the professionals can review them ahead of further action.