Seminole Road area residents have retained Teaneck Attorney Jan Meyer Esq. to represent their objections to an application for a school at 10 Seminole Drive, FAA News has learned.
10 Sem LLC has submitted Application # SP-2536AA seeking Change of Use/Site Plan Exemption approval to convert a two-story dwelling at 10 Seminole Drive into a school. A Change of Use application indicates that the actual building on site is to remain with only internal construction and site work to be done.
The lot is a rectangular shaped 30,000 square foot property with frontage on the northwest side of Seminole Drive, approximately 72 feet south of West County Line Road.
According to the preliminary architectural plans, the dwelling will be used for 4 classrooms and 2 offices are proposed for the school. The school will also contain a warming kitchen with a large dining room on the first floor, and large storage areas in the basement.
The majority of the front of the tract, including an asphalt driveway, will be removed and replaced with a new parking area consisting of 8 new parking spaces including 1 ADA space. 2 of these parking spaces are stacked. An existing garage is to remain to provide an additional parking space for a total of 9 spaces.
Access to the site will be provided by 2 one-way access driveways with counterclockwise circulation from Seminole Drive.
Curb and sidewalk exist along the Seminole Drive frontage. Other than the proposed parking area, the only new improvement appears to be a handicap access ramp in the front of the building.
The application requires two variances:
1) The existing front yard setback to the covered porch is 49.70 feet. This would require a Front Yard Setback Variance as a front yard setback of 50 feet is required for schools in the R-12 Zone.
2) Existing Accessory Side Yard Setback variances must be reaffirmed for the 2 existing sheds located near the northern property line and the garage located near the southern property line. Side yard setbacks of approximately 2 feet are proposed for these improvements, whereas an accessory side yard setback of 10 feet is required.
The application also seeks a whole lot of waivers:
• General Note Indicating Method of Water & Sewer Service.
• General Note Regarding Any Grading Required.
• Circulation
• Locating of playground/activity area
• Landscape & Lighting
• Providing a bus drop off/pick up area. A
bus loading/unloading area has not been delineated. (The plans note that the ADA
aisle can be utilized as a bus loading/unloading aisle.)
Additionally, the proposed bus circulation indicates conflicts with the egress driveway curbing and proposed regulatory signage.
• Providing on-site curbing. A small portion of the proposed on-site parking area does not have any proposed curbing.
• Providing lighting.
• Proposed Grading.
• Providing shade trees and/or landscaping.
• Perimeter buffer relief is required from a residential use. A twenty foot (20’) buffer is
required from a residential use, whereas a buffer of less than twenty feet is proposed.
This is an existing condition that must be re-evaluated due to the proposed change
of use.
• Relief is required for the proposed parking which is located within the required buffer. The parking design has been revised to relocate the proposed parking spaces outside of the required buffer. However, an existing garage that is indicated to remain is located within this buffer. Therefore, relief is still required.
• No lighting information has been provided for the proposed parking area. The plans
note that minimal building mounted lighting will be provided, and the lights will not
be in use after 6pm. No other information such as quantity of lights, location, or footcandles has been provided.
• Testimony shall be provided regarding refuse storage and collection. An 8’x16’ enclosure
with has been proposed. Unless relief is granted, the enclosure shall be revised to
provide solid walls in accordance with the township ordinance.
Access to the proposed refuse enclosure shall be demonstrated. A stacked parking space is located directly in front of the enclosure. At minimum, 2 of the 8 proposed parking spaces will have to be unused in order to access the refuse enclosure.
(Essentially, between saving parking spaces for access to the trash enclosure and utilizing additional parking spaces for bus loading, there does not appear to be much room for actual parking...)
The school is represented by Attorneys Jean Cipriani and Robin La Bue Esq.
Neighbors of the school who are opposed to the Change of Use/Site Plan Exemption application have just retained Attorney Jan Meyer Esq. to represent their objections to the application.
Prior to the scheduled public hearing on the application, Mr. Meyer reached out to Ms. La Bue and received her consent to adjourn the hearing on the application until the Board's next public hearing on September 5, 2023 to give him time to properly review the application.
Mr. Meyer, a frum and famous land use attorney who also serves as chairman of the Teaneck Zoning Board has a strong record of success in Lakewood. Some of his current cases are listed below:
As previously reported here on FAA News, Mr. Meyer scored a big win at the Lakewood Planning Board on behalf of residents who are objecting to Kollel Kodshim's Site Plan application.
The Board refused to vote to approve the application, instead, unequivocally telling the Yeshiva's Administration to "go sit down with the neighbors and meditate their 3 year long objections to your application."
As previously reported here on FAA News, Mr. Meyer scored a big win on behalf of neighbors of Yeshiva Toras Chaim when Judge Ford overturned the Planning Board's approval of their dormitory expansion, and when Judge Hodgson denied the yeshiva's request to reconsider this ruling. Mr. Meyer is currently representing the neighbors in opposition to the yeshiva's appeal.
As previously reported here on FAA News, Mr. Meyer is currently representing neighbors of Sunset Road Sefardic Congregation who are opposed to their Planning Board application. After one contentious hearing, the application was withdrawn until further notice.
As previously reported here on FAA News, Mr. Meyer is representing residents who are opposed to a Zoning Board application for houses on Spruce Street.
As previously reported here on FAA News, Mr. Meyer is also representing residents who are opposed to a Planning Board application for a child care center on Spruce Street.
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