I was disappointed reading your May 10 article, “Bolfmar Subdivision.” The article quoted Planning Board chair Marvin Gardner as saying that “most of the residents seemed satisfied” with the testimony of the township engineer and the petitioner’s experts, as well as the outcome granting a variance allowing the Tengshe family to subdivide its property. As a neighbor of the Tengshes and resident of Bolfmar Avenue for 16 years, I can tell you that none of the Bolfmar Avenue and vicinity residents that attended the three Planning Board meetings were satisfied with the testimony or outcome. I am also disappointed that the journalist did not seek to validate Gardner’s quote by speaking with other residents of our street.
I was at all three Planning Board meetings pertaining to this variance application along with three of my Bolfmar Avenue neighbors and a few residents from surrounding streets. We testified as to our concerns at each meeting, and none of us expressed satisfaction. Even though the Tengshes tried very hard to mitigate our many concerns, we feel they fell short. Our biggest concern is that they are allowed to build a home up to 3,400 square feet on their newly subdivided 0.62-acre lot. The 3,000-square-foot home proposed by Mr. Tengshe is more than 60 percent larger than the typical home on our street. We fear it will be a neighborhood eyesore, affect the beauty of the street, and impact the values of our homes. The young trees they will plant will not replace the aesthetics of the mature trees that our designated Tree City will now allow them to cut down from their property. In addition, Gardner’s note indicating that all of the street’s residents can expand our homes to more than 3,000 square feet was an insult to all of us that live on Bolfmar Avenue.
The Planning Board should only grant a variance when the desired change will not adversely affect others or will benefit the community, not for the sole desire of the petitioner. That’s not what happened in this case. The benefit of this variance is only for the Tengshes, who will subdivide and sell part of their existing property without regard to their neighbors’ concerns or neighborhood. Shame on the Planning Board for granting this variance!
David Schuchman
Bolfmar Avenue, West Windsor
