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Board approves street-facing garage and limited gate/fence arrangement after safety and visibility debate
Summary
The Planning Board approved a variance allowing a second two-car garage with a street-facing door and granted a conditional fence/gate configuration—rejecting a full front-yard fence but permitting side fencing and gate pillars placed behind the established average front setback—after discussion about child safety and visibility.
The Millburn Planning Board approved an applicant’s request to construct a second two-car garage facing the street and authorized a constrained gate-and-fence configuration, after the applicant and neighbors emphasized parking needs for a growing family and board members raised visibility and neighborhood-character concerns.
Architect Thomas Beo described the garage proposal as single-story, set back slightly farther than the existing garage and buffered with new landscaping. He told the board the lot is large (applicant cited roughly 39,000 sq ft) and the change would raise impervious coverage from about 21.9% to roughly 26%. “Adding additional car garages meets elements of our master plan, which require that we have Wall Street parking in a garage,” Beo said, arguing the proposal keeps cars off the street.
The hearing also reviewed a related front-yard fence and gate request. Neighbors and the applicant said the fence is intended to improve child safety on a long driveway slope. Board members noted front-yard fences are restricted and questioned the fence’s visibility from the street and the proposed 6-foot height. After discussion, the applicant agreed to modify the request: no continuous front-yard fence, a 6-foot gated driveway feature with gate pillars positioned as drawn, and side-yard fencing set no closer than the established 82-foot average front setback on the street.
Outcome: The board moved and seconded a motion to approve the garage orientation variance and the gate/pillars and west-side fence placement as drawn on the survey, with the specific setbacks and positions discussed in the hearing. The board recorded affirmative votes; the motion carried. The board’s approval included the condition that fence placement and gate pillars follow the positions and setbacks as depicted on the admitted survey.
