The application involved homeowners William and Virginia Karns and Michael and Mary Francis Vicaro and was represented at the meeting by an attorney. After a detailed review of the township planner’s memo dated May 1st, the board addressed several conditions that needed to be satisfied for the apartment to be legally constituted. The board’s engineer highlighted the memo’s points, such as the requirement for adequate off-street parking, conformance to FHA minimum unit size by bedroom count, and annual certification by the applicants that the conditions for the conditional use are still being met.

The board also discussed that the apartment’s use is strictly tied to the condition that it must be occupied by family members. If the property were to change ownership, the special use would terminate, as per township ordinance. This point was particularly emphasized during the public comment section of the meeting, where residents expressed their concerns about future use of the property. The board reassured attendees that the ordinance requires the use to terminate if it no longer complies with the conditional use standards.

Additional conditions discussed included a County Planning Board review that addressed the need for a right-of-way dedication and sight distance at the driveway. The board agreed to retain jurisdiction to address any county concerns and made this a condition of the approval. Also, it was agreed that minor plan revisions would be made and digital copies of the plans would be submitted.

The board’s discussions emphasized the importance of meeting all conditions outlined by the planner and engineer to maintain the integrity of the township’s residential areas and uphold the standards set forth in the ordinances. With all conditions met and no further questions or comments from the board members, the motion to approve the conditional use application was passed unanimously.