Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • September 5, 2012 Waldwick Unwilling to give in to reported pressure from a developer, Waldwick Planning Board members last week indicated during an executive session that they will not support any changes to the approved plans for the DePippo Farm townhouse development. A resolution formalizing the decision is expected to be voted upon at the planning board’s regular meeting on Sept. 5. While board members expressed support for some aspects of the changes proposed by the contract purchaser, K. Hovnanian Homes, to complete the project, objections centered on three key factors: the second floor decks which would look down on neighboring residential properties, the exclusion of basements in all of the new Planners will not support changes to DePippo project units, and the resulting three-story buildings, which would tower over the existing units in the same complex and over the neighboring one-family homes. Hovnanian proposed to build the 31 remaining units in the Crescent Avenue development, but wanted to deviate from the previously-approved plans for the 9.7acre property. The developer maintained that the water table at the site was too high to make basements practical and had called the decks a necessity. The first phase of the development was built in 2006. The developer sought variances to build three stories instead of two and a half; to exceed the building height limit from 35 ft. to 38.5; and to encroach on the rear yard by building 10-ft. by 12-ft. decks on the second floor of all the units. He also proposed to improve drainage on the site, enhance perimeter landscaping, and increase offstreet parking from 132 to 200 cars by providing each unit with a two-car garage and a wider driveway. “There is nothing unique about the site to grant a variance, and the visual impact of the extra height will make it appear even higher. A three-story height is a marked change for the borough,” said board member George Andersen, who also worried about how to keep residents from turning the first floor storage area and even the garages into living space and the inconveniences of having the bedrooms on the third floor. Councilman Andrew Brennecke, a board member, called the expert testimony on the water table at the site “inconclusive” and “undocumented,” judging it insufficient to justify eliminating the basements and exceeding the building height. “It creates a privacy issue for the people living in the neighborhood,” he said. Board Chairman Scott Lemmon agreed. “I question the data of drainage to substantiate no basements. The neighbors have not said they have a problem with their basements or with flooding,” Lemmon said, adding that “the perception of height makes a big difference.” “It sticks in my craw that it’s their way or the highway. I just don’t like being blackmailed,” said board member Robert Ryan, referring to closing arguments on the application, when attorney Wendy Berger said that Hovnanian would walk away unless the variances were granted. “It’s not the type of corporation we welcome into our town,” he added. Member Frank Walsh agreed that he did not like the “all or nothing” attitude, but said he did not want the property to continue under construction, “just sitting there,” pointing out that some of the neighbors had expressed being in favor of the application. He said he favored the required variances, except for the decks. Hovnanian proposed to build the four remaining townhouse buildings on the 3acre westerly section of the old farm site. Three of the buildings would have contained eight units, and the fourth would have had seven units. Each unit would have about 2,150 sq. ft. of living space. The first level would have included a two-car garage with an 18 ft. by 21 ft. storage area at the rear which could be converted to a family room. The second level would have housed the living room, dining room, a half bath and kitchen with access to the deck. The master bedroom with walk-in closet and private bath, two additional bedrooms, a laundry room and another full bath would have been on the top floor. As a result of a hyphen inserted during the typesetting process, the article about Waldwick resident Mike Monti’s New York Marathon run may have led readers to an invalid website. Those who wish to support Monti’s run for the Semper Fi Fund may visit the following website:www.active.com/donate/SFF2012NYCMarathon/michaelmonti. Correction to Monti article