HILLSBOROUGH: Business owner continues bid to construct home on historic property

By Gene Robbins, Contributor
Landscape business owner John Lazorchak is again seeking to develop the lot next to his business on Amwell Road. The application is scheduled to come before the Board of Adjustment on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
In 2007-08, he proposed building a small office building on the lot, which is just west of the Somerset Valley Playhouse. The application was first approved by the Board of Adjustment until officials learned that the building that already existed on the property was considered historic within the area district.
Mr. Lazorchak then sought to demolish the 220-year-old home in January 2012, but was denied by the Historic Preservation Commission, who said the building had a style and construction that was unique to the period. The site is also within the Neshanic Historic District, where many structures date back to second half of 18th century to mid 19th century and are listed on state and national registers of historic places.
While Mr. Lazorchak was appealing the decision, an early Sunday morning fire destroyed the building on March 18, 2012. It was later determined that a local 69 year-old man, Curtis Westover, had set the fire and was charged with aggravated arson. He went through the pre-trial intervention program.
Now Mr. Lazorchak wants to realign lot lines and build a 3-bedroom single-family house with two-car garage on the lot, located at 697 Amwell Road.
The minimum lot area within the zone is 2 acres. If approved, the size of the lot would be increased to 27,777 (0.63 acres) from 13,535 square feet.
Mr. Lazorchak’s business, JML Landscaping, is adjacent to the east and is outside the historic district. The site has a one-story framed office building, detached garage and stone driveway.
According to officials, the proposed project would be located within the historic area’s neighborhood shopping center district. Mr. Lazorchak needs variances to build a residence in a commercial zone, to have an undersized lot in a 2-acre zone and considerations of lot width and depth, as well as side and front yard setbacks.
He is also requesting a waiver from the required 150-feet stream corridor.
The required 150-foot stream corridor setback would bring the building restriction almost to Amwell Road, and the septic system would be located in the stream corridor, which is prohibited by ordinance. Waivers are not permitted.
Back in February, he presented his plan to the Environmental Commission, which objected due to the fact that the lot may not provide an adequate area to reduce nitrates prior to the discharge to the groundwater and protect the stream tributary to the South Branch of the Raritan River.
In March, Mr. Lazorchak’s engineers proposed an advanced nitrate removal system that “provides superior treatment of domestic strength wastewater prior to discharge to an individual subsurface sewage disposal system,” according to the application.
The historic commission said it wants any house size and height to be kept within historic district standards. The proposed asphalt shingled roof, clapboard siding of a cement-like material and solid shutters are acceptable.
A proposed front façade with layered gables on the second floor was not in keeping with the other designs within the historic district and applicant was asked to consider alternative designs. He was also asked to eliminate roof dormers.