Planning Board approves Burnet Street subdivision

One neglected property is now two approved building lots. The Livingston Township Planning Board unanimously approved 56 Burnet Street LLC’s application to demolish an abandoned single-family home at 56 Burnet Street and divide the parcel into two lots. The application needed C(2) bulk variance relief because of how lot area is measured within 125 feet of the right-of-way in the R4 zone. The applicant’s counsel said Essex County Planning Board approval had already been issued on June 10, 2026.

The applicant’s managing member told the board the house had been abandoned for more than seven years, was filled with debris, and would require asbestos remediation. The applicant said the goal is to replace it with two homes that meet R4 bulk standards. Expert witness Charles Baldanza testified that the lot is unusually deep and that many nearby lots are already nonconforming under the same area calculation. He said the proposed homes would comply with setback, height, and floor-area rules, and that drainage would be handled through underground leader drains and grading reviewed by township professionals.

Public comment was brief. A neighboring property owner asked about tree preservation and buffering along the rear property line. The applicant said mature perimeter trees would be kept where possible, with dead or unhealthy trees removed if needed, and said additional plantings could be considered. The board closed the record and approved the subdivision and variance relief, with the homes to move through the building department so long as they remain conforming.

A school fence amendment came back with more detail. The Planning Board approved Spectrum 360 LLC’s request to replace previously approved lower fencing with a 6-foot decorative perimeter fence and to add or modify gates at 630 West Mount Pleasant Avenue.

The revised application answered questions the board raised in June about landscaping and visibility. Landscape architect Brian Conway presented updated plans dated July 8, 2026, showing new planting along West Mount Pleasant Avenue and Oakner Parkway, including cherry trees, junipers, boxwoods, and other low plantings. The applicant said some earlier tree choices had to change because of utility pole relocation tied to the Canterly Place project and Route 10 intersection work.

The board also heard testimony that the added height and gate changes were meant to slow students who might leave the site and to give staff more time to respond. Spectrum 360’s executive director, Kenia Berger, said a 4-foot fence would not do enough for student safety near Route 10 traffic. The board approved the amendment and the C(2) variance with conditions from a July 14, 2026 memo, plus one more: any landscaping that dies within the first year must be replaced.