During the meeting, Katz outlined his plans to renovate and expand his two-bedroom, one-bathroom home, which was purchased from the First Baptist Church and built in 1970. The proposed expansion aims to modernize the house and make it more functional for potential families. Architect Kenneth Abrams, who is licensed in New Jersey and holds degrees from Georgia Tech and Arizona State University, provided detailed testimony on the renovation plans. Abrams highlighted efforts to preserve green space by limiting the addition’s footprint and enhancing the home’s functionality with a new layout, including a second-floor laundry and additional storage space.

The board members expressed unanimous support for the application, noting the thoroughness of the presentation and the straightforward nature of the request. They acknowledged that the property, currently vacant and in need of repair, would benefit from the proposed improvements. Moreover, the board recognized that the expansion would not extend beyond the existing first-floor footprint, thereby minimizing its impact.

The board also confirmed that the homeowner and architect were willing to work with the township’s building department and engineers to ensure adherence to all applicable safety and code requirements during the renovation process. The application was also noted to have been jurisdictionally compliant with regards to notifying neighbors, who did not provide any negative feedback.