ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
Frank Vuoso,
Director of Community
Development
908-725-2300 x1962
fvuoso@somervillenj.org
Toni Wortman
Board Secretary
908-725-2300 x1964
twortman@somervillenj.org
The Zoning Board of Adjustment consists of
seven members and two alternates, pursuant to the Municipal Land Use Law.
Membership- appointment:
No member may hold any elective office or position under the Borough.
All members shall be citizens of the Borough
of Somerville.
All members shall be appointed by the
Borough Council.
Alternate members shall be designated as
"Alternate No. l" and "Alternate No. 2" by the Borough
Council at the time of appointment.
Terms of Office:
The term of regular members shall be for four years.
The term of alternate members shall be for
two years.
All terms shall run from January 1 of the
year in which the appointment is made.
Nothing contained herein shall affect the terms
of any present members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, all of whom shall
continue as members until the completion of terms for which they were
appointed.
Powers and duties of the Zoning Board of
Adjustment:
The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall follow the provisions of the Municipal
Land Use Law and accordingly shall have authority to:
1. Hear and decide appeals where it is
alleged by the appellant that there is error in any order, requirement,
decision or refusal made by the Zoning Officer based on or made in the
enforcement of the zoning regulations.
2. Hear and decide requests for
interpretation of the Zoning Map or zoning regulations or for decisions upon
other special questions upon which the Board is authorized to pass by any
zoning regulation or official map regulation, in accordance with the Municipal
Land Use Law.
3. Hear and decide requests for variances.
Notwithstanding the above, the Zoning Board of Adjustment shall not have the
power to hear and decide variances if the application also requires
subdivision, site plan or conditional use approval, unless the application
involves a "D", variance.
4. Exercise control over and review of
subdivisions, site plans and conditional uses, only when such applications
involve a "D", variance.
5. Direct the issuance of building permits
for buildings or structures in certain areas shown on an Official Map, unless
such building permits also require subdivision, site plan or conditional use
approval.
6. Direct the issuance of building permits
for buildings or structures on a lot not related to a street, unless such
building permits also require subdivision, site plan or conditional use
approval.
7. Prepare at least once a year, a report
for the Borough Council and Planning Board, based upon its review of its
decisions on applications and appeals for variances since any previous report.
The report shall be adopted by resolution of the Zoning Board of Adjustment,
and shall comment on the zoning regulations, which were the subject of variance
request, and shall make recommendations for any amendments to the zoning
regulations that the Board may deem appropriate based upon prior variance
applications.
Meetings:
The Zoning Board of Adjustment meets every third Wednesday of each month at
7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers, Police Headquarter’s
Building,
2006 Zoning Board Members
Arthur
Adair/Chairman
Ken
Utter
Dan Radziewicz
Morgan
McLachlan
Nancy
Roberts
Veronica
Guarraia
Kevin
P. Gora
Rich
O’Neill, Alt #2
Ellen
Brain, Alt #1