By LINDA MOSS
moss@montclairlocal.news
With several caveats, the Township Planning Board Monday night granted the owner of a four-family dwelling on the corner of Midland Avenue and Walnut approval to build a three-car garage.
Following a hearing the board approved the site plan and granted three variance to Charles Swanson for his property at 90 Midland Ave. There are seven cars that park at the site, and Swanson’s attorney, Alan Trembulak, said that his client wanted to have three of the vehicles able to park out of view in the garage and eliminate some front-yard parking being done by tenants now.
Trembulak sought variances for the garage to be 15 feet high rather than the 10 feet required by the township, a six-foot setback instead of the required 10 feet, and permission to maintain the existing gravel driveway at the property. The site plan includes the removal of one of two sheds on the property and the relocation of the other.
Swanson testified that he has owned the multifamily house since 1981 but for several years prior, starting in 1975, he was a tenant there.
An architect retained by Swanson, Thomas Bish of Metuchen, went over the site plan for the Midland Avenue property and the new garage, as well.
But Board Chair John Wynn and Board Engineer Thomas Watkinson raised concerns about whether the changes, adding an impermeable surface to the property, will cause flooding on the site or adjoining houses. So as a condition of the approval, Watkinson will be to the property with the architect to be assured about how level the property is and to consider the soil’s permeability.
Wynn also told Swanson to choose a contractor who can grade the gravel to reflect its current condition in terms of being level.
And at the request of board member Steve Rooney, Swanson will lower the walls of the garage, not its overall height, to increase the pitch of its roof.