Hillsborough Planning Board approves revised Dukes Parkway East site plan, grants buffer variance

The Hillsborough Township Planning Board voted unanimously to approve a revised site plan and grant a variance for Dukes Parkway East LLC / Crane Farm LLC that allows outdoor storage with a 35-foot landscaped buffer and fencing in place of the ordinance’s 60-foot requirement.

Counsel John Lanza introduced the application and the owner, Kevin Levonaitis, who described his business, S and R Pools, and said the owners met with neighbors after concerns at prior hearings. "We met with the neighbors and have resolved those issues," Levonaitis said, and the applicant revised the plan to move outdoor storage to the side of the building, relocate a trailer, and screen the area behind an 8-foot fence.

Neighbor Paul Lukowski, who lives at 30 Campbell Road immediately south of the property, told the board the revisions clarified which areas are for parking and storage and expressed support. "I just want to thank Mr. Levonaitis for reaching out ... incorporating our concerns into the new proposal," Lukowski said during public comment.

Engineer James Mantz reviewed the revised, February 2026 site plans and the board’s March 9 review letter, describing design changes that reduced the net increase in impervious surface to about 0.24 acres — kept intentionally under the 0.25-acre threshold so the project does not qualify as a "major" stormwater development. Mantz said the building’s closest point to the property line is 93.8 feet, the proposed buffer width is 35 feet, and the drainage response relies on an on‑site dry-well infiltration system and localized paving of required ADA and other stalls. "The increased impervious area was approximately 0.24 acres," Mantz testified.

Board engineering staff confirmed the reduction in impervious area and said the underground dry-well would allow the project to meet nonmajor stormwater rules once minor engineering tweaks are addressed. The board’s review letter also asked the applicant to address rear lighting and tree-preservation details; the applicant agreed to either replace rear fixtures with downward-facing, sensor or timer-controlled fixtures or to remove them if they are not needed for safety.

Landscape architect Thomas Biro described the proposed 35-foot buffer planting plan: a row of 8–10-foot arborvitae backed by staggered white spruce, fronted by hollies 6–7 feet tall, two rows of plantings supplemented by existing mature trees to maintain year-one screening. He said the plan calls for 2–3 inches of double-ground hardwood mulch, temporary fencing to protect roots during construction, and bollard-rope delineation at 10-foot centers to discourage gravel migration into the buffer.

Planner Mark Remsa told the board the application reduced the number of variances to a single buffer variance under Section 180‑869, and he characterized the relief as a property-specific (hardship-type) variance because relocating or enlarging the building is not feasible. "Given the increased buffer, the additional screening, and the conservation easement, I believe the variance can be granted," Remsa said.

Board members thanked the applicant and the neighbors for negotiating changes. The approval motion, moved from the dais and summarized by board counsel, included conditions that the applicant address the board engineer’s and planner’s outstanding comments, add tree-protection and planting specifications (including mulch depth and compaction notes), establish a conservation easement for the buffer, provide a two-year maintenance bond for vegetation, and secure any county-required easements or county sign-off on sight-distance requirements.

The board conducted a roll-call vote and recorded all present members voting yes; two members (Depp and Vitale) had been recorded as absent earlier in the meeting. The board also agreed that final lighting details and any necessary small parking-space adjustments (to address sight-distance where an 8-foot fence runs alongside a space) would be resolved with staff and reflected in the resolution.

The board clerk noted next meeting dates and administrative items before adjourning. The approval is conditional on the items the applicant agreed to address; the applicant may proceed with permit-level submissions once those conditions are incorporated into the board’s resolution and any required county easements or approvals are completed.