Board grants variance for Carl Hess pergola at Jockey Hollow Road

Carl Hess told the Morris Township Board of Adjustment he seeks permission to install a white vinyl pergola measuring roughly 16 by 24 feet at his patio, and the board granted the variance after reviewing site diagrams and setback calculations.

Hess said the pergola is a freestanding, open‑air accessory intended to provide shade and complement the home’s design. Because the lot is a corner property, the pergola would encroach slightly into two required 100‑foot setbacks — reducing one setback to approximately 90.6 feet and the other to about 68.9 feet per the applicant’s site plan — and therefore requires a variance.

The board confirmed public notice was adequate and noted the applicant provided a survey with revised, more precise measurements; Mr. DeLuca recommended the resolution reflect the site‑plan numbers presented. No oppositions were raised, and the board moved and voted to approve the application. The board directed that the resolution list the final site‑plan dimensions.