Neighbors not in favor of Mt. Avenue plans- NJ.com

BERKELEY HEIGHTS -- On a warm, humid day, a lone bicyclist garbed in shorts, a golf shirt and a safety helmet was clearly feeling the affects of a long climb on a steeply graded driveway. However, in no sense of the word is the driveway "ordinary." It's almost 1,400 feet in length and 10 feet wide, bordered by mature oak, fir and maple trees. It also provides access to several homes with Mountain Avenue addresses that do not face the street. The bike rider was Doug Menkes, one of several residents concerned about the negative impact a proposed development could have on the environment, soil erosion and water drainage in a secluded neighborhood between Sherbrook Drive and Kent Street. The driveway Mr. Menkes had just traveled is the focus of a hotly-debated application before the Planning Board brought by Prestige Mountain Homes to subdivide a two-acre lot to build three homes. "Their idea of the master plan (the township's guiding planning principles) is to decimate this area by building 'McMansions,'" Mr. Menkes said. However, the developer faces a looming problem. The proposed homes are "landlocked," and the only access is the existing driveway. During the initial Planning Board meeting held on Aug. 20, the applicant said he would widen the driveway to 20 feet based on a recommendation from a fire official concerned about adequate access of emergency equipment. That proposal drew sharp criticism from Mr. Menkes and Mountain Avenue resident Richard Fairstein.