Burlington Street Resident Wants "Monster" House Stopped

A Burlington Street woman blasted the Mayor and Council at Tuesday's work session, accusing the municipality of allowing a neighboring house to be built too close to her home, and in violation of housing codes.

"I am being buried alive by this monster three-story building," Maureen Nugent said Tuesday night.

The building in question is going up to the north of Nugent's property. Nugent says the new house is only 12 feet away from her property line, which she says violates a subdivision that requires it to be 15 feet away from her lot.

Because of the construction, Nugent, who is a realtor, said the value of her house has dropped from $750,000 to $400,000.

Her attorney, David Watkins, said he is preparing an injunction to stop work on the house on those grounds.

Nugent, who has lived at 543 Burlington St. for close to 35 years, didn't mince words when she confronted the council.

"It's an atrocious building," she said.

Borough Attorney Brian Giblin advised the Mayor and Council not to respond to Nugent.

The house, at 545 Burlington, sits on the west side of the street, which slopes down in that direction. The structure, as seen from the rear, juts out of a mess of upturned earth.

LoGrasso Builders, which is constructing the house for Kalpesh Shah, received a major soil moving permit from the Planning Board in October. At that meeting, neighbors first expressed their concerns about drainage on the property.

Michael Krayn, who is also a realtor, lives behind the house on Clark Road and said the runoff from the property has impacted his home. He presented pictures of the property to the Mayor and Council and asked for them to hold a meeting at the property, a request that was denied because of the threat of legal action.