Planning Board Denies Plan for Carter Road Subdivision

An application for a minor subdivision of the property located at 58 Carter Rd. was denied Monday evening (April 2) by the Lawrence Township Planning Board.

Applicant and property owner Marianne Mele, along with her engineer, Frank Falcone of Princeton Junction Engineering, proposed a site plan allotting two acres that would accommodate a new five-bedroom house, with a 30-foot vegetation barrier.

Mele's 10-acre property currently contains one house, in which she lives. The proposal also set aside over seven acres for a conservation easement.

“We kept the environment in mind and the neighbors in mind,” said Mele. “We wanted to have the least amount of impact as possible.”

But about a half-dozen neighbors who live along Carter Road appeared before the board to ask questions about Mele’s proposal and express their concerns about the possible impacts additional housing could have on the their nearby properties.

The biggest issue raised by the neighbors was drainage, which is already a problem for many who live along Carter Road.

“Any additional amount of water is an issue,” said Paul Snook of 38-A Carter Rd. “We've had an enormous amount of rain the last two years, and we've paid the price.”

Mele countered that the drainage problems "were not caused by [her property], but by the topography of the neighborhood."

Engineer Falcone stressed that Mele would abide by any approval conditions specified by the board. Falcone suggested the construction of swales or berms to divert water to the wetland area of Mele's property and away from the neighbors’ lands.

After hearing testimony from both sides of the issue, board members passed a motion to deny the application.

Mele, visibly disappointed by the outcome, said she will now consider her options.

"I offered a very environmentally-conscious plan which would have helped my neighbors with their drainage problems," Mele said.  "My plan would have permanently conserved acres of forest and a dense buffer zone."

Her Carter Road neighbors, meanwhile, praised the board for its decision.

“We are very happy,” said Rita Koeser of 46 Carter Rd. “We had many concerns regarding drainage and the preservation of the [area's] rural character.”

In other news, the planning board Monday evening postponed until May 7 a review of Safari Energy LLC's application to install solar panels behind Mercer Mall in the 3300 block of Brunswick Pike (Route 1).

Jim Parvesse, Lawrence Township municipal engineer, said the firm is in the process of verifying safety information it needs to provide to move forward with its proposal to erect the solar panels on canopies beneath which vehicles could be parked.