Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • July 22, 2009 Glen Rock McMansion ordinance considered a success by John Koster Glen Rock Council members concluded that the oncecontroversial McMansion ordinance is a success after a year on the books. The governing body heard from Nancy Spiller, who oversees administrative aspects of planning and zoning, at last week’s special work session. Spiller said that contractors who felt they needed to exceed the standards set by the year-old ordinance had requested only two variances since the McMansion ordinance was adopted. “We had told them that the borough was going to be very strict in granting variances,” Spiller said. The first case involved a reconstruction of a house partially destroyed by fire, and the second case involved a four-foot by 10-foot addition to a house located in a mixed commercial and residential zone. Spiller said there had been no complaints from neighbors in either case. “We’ve had no objections about it,” Spiller said last week. “We’ve had no complaints about houses next door being too big.” The McMansion ordinance, drafted, introduced, debated and ultimately adopted, set limits on the amount of floor space that can be added to a reconstructed house based on lot size, and on the amount of living space that can be added above the second floor by designing a house with a flat roof and adding a whole third story that reaches, but does not exceed, the height restrictions established in the existing ordinance. Long-term residents had denounced the practice in which contractors bought and demolished smaller and older houses and built three-story homes with flat roofs, providing additional interior space, but disrupting the exterior appearance of the neighborhood and the borough. After extensive study and considerable debate, the council drafted and introduced an ordinance crafted to protect the rights of residents without interfering with the property rights of the contractors. In other news, Councilman Art Pazan praised Borough Clerk Jackie Scalia for successfully completing a course, defrayed by Bergen County rather than borough funds, in which she learned how to review and process digitized information for improved efficiency of the borough’s administrative operation. “We really want to thank Jackie for her dedication and reaching out to let the residents have the benefits of this project,” Pazan said. Activities Club’s golf group in the swing The golf group of the Activities Club in Glen Rock is nearing the midpoint of its 26-week golf season at The Meadows Golf Club in Lincoln Park. Vying for low handicap are Hal Corney, Bob Freudenrich, Ed Dunn, and John Schlomann. The group plays every Thursday starting at 7 a.m. Retired and semi-retired men interested in playing golf , participating in any of the other 20 activities, and joining the Activities Club are asked to contact Golf Chairman Hal Corney at (201) 447-4228 or Membership Chairman Rick Colton at (201) 445-0755. ���������������������������� � ���������� �������� � ������ ����� �������������������������������� ������������ ��������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������� ����� �������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������� �� ��������������������� ������������������� ��������������� ��������������������������������������������� � ������������� ��������� ��� ������������� �������������� ���������������������������������� ������������������������� �������������������������������� ������������������� �������� ����������������� ��������� ��������� ��������� � ������ ������ ����������������������������� �������������������������� �� ��� � ������������ ���������� ������������ ��������������� ������������������ ������������� � �� ����������������� ���������������� ��������������������������� ������������������ ������� ����������������������� ������������ ������� ���������������������� ������������������������� ������������������� ������������ ���������� ���� ������� ���������� ����������������� �������� ����� ������� ���������������������������� ���������������������������� ���������� ���������������� ����������������� � ���� �� ����������������� ����������������������������������� ������������������������������������� �� ����������������������������������� ��������������������� ������������� ���������������� ������������������ ����������������������� ������������