Front Yards Local resident Clare Gallagher made an earnest request of the Mayor and Council at this week’s meeting of the Atlantic Highlands governing body, offering solutions as well. But she received no assurance from the governing body that her complaint or suggestions would get any attention once the meeting was over.
Mrs. Gallagher explained during the public portion she lives on Center Avenue “on the corner lot,” she added, saying that was important.
After purchasing a $17,000 generator because of frequent outages in the area, she was denied a permit for its installation on the side of her house, she explained. That is because borough ordinances describe any lot that faces a street is considered a front yard, and generators are not permitted in front yards.
As a result, the resident is required to seek a variance for the installation, a requirement that mandates another more than $500 in costs for permits and applications, as well as first class mail notification to all her neighbors within the ordinance stipulated area of the date when her variance application would be heard before the Planning Board.
After pleading her case, stressing she is doing it for the future and is proceeding with her own costly variance application to the planning board, the resident offered several suggestions to make it easier and more economical in the future for anyone else wanting to have a generator installed.
Simply put, Mrs. Gallagher asked that borough ordinances be amended to describe all properties as having one single front yard, regardless of whether the side or rear of the property also faces a street. She also suggested that the ordinance that prohibits buildings or structures in front yards be amended to eliminate generators from the list of structures not permitted.
While the borough cannot control how many power outages residents may experience, the governing body can control the means of making it easier and cheaper for residents who feel they need generators. She suggested that should permits be required, at least the procedures should be amended, so it will not be necessary for a resident to undertake all the paperwork and assume all the costs presently required for variances of this nature. She pointed out she has incurred costs for the installation of a generator comparable to what it would cost her seeking a permit to put an extension on her house.
While council members appeared to agree with her concerns and sympathized with her complaint, Mayor Lori Hohenleitner did not indicate to Mrs. Gallagher whether the matter would be considered or turned over to committee or professionals for further study.
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