01 — Site Analysis & Zoning

Status: First-pass populated 2026-05-03. Working draft for the hired attorney + architect; not a substitute for either. Owner: Cowork (draft) → real estate / construction attorney (verify) → architect (incorporate into design) Sources: Wyckoff Township Code Chapter 186 (Zoning), Schedule of Dimensional Requirements (Attachment 1, last amended 2014), §186-23P (Maximum Impervious Coverage), §186-66 (Enhanced Side Yard Setbacks). All cited at the end of this file.

1. Lot facts

Attribute	Value	Source
Address	398 Sicomac Ave, Wyckoff, NJ 07481	Recorded
Owner of record	Alan A. Mezzadri	Public property records
Lot area	32,291 sq ft (~0.74 ac)	Recorded; matches Joe's stated 32,000 sq ft
Lot width / frontage	108 ft	Recorded
Lot depth	299 ft	Recorded
Existing structure	1,500 sq ft single-family residence, built 1940	Public records
Last sale	$430,000, January 2004	Public records

2. Zoning district — RA-25 Rural Residential (high confidence)

The property is almost certainly in the RA-25 Rural Residential zone. Confidence basis:

516 Sicomac Ave is confirmed in RA-25 per Wyckoff Board of Adjustment minutes.
301 Sicomac Ave (Christian Health Care Center) is confirmed in RA-25 per Wyckoff Board minutes.
Lot size of 32,291 sq ft exceeds the RA-25 minimum of 25,000 sq ft.
The portion of Sicomac Ave between these confirmed RA-25 properties does not show as a different zone in any source.

Action item: Attorney should verify zoning district from the Wyckoff Tax Assessor or Building Department before any design work commits to RA-25 standards.

3. RA-25 bulk standards — verbatim from Schedule of Dimensional Requirements

Standard	RA-25 value	Notes
Minimum lot area	25,000 sq ft	Property at 32,291 sq ft conforms
Minimum lot width / frontage	125 ft	Property at 108 ft is non-conforming on width — see §6
Minimum lot depth	150 ft	Property at 299 ft conforms
Front yard setback (principal)	40 ft
Each side yard setback (principal)	20 ft	Increases to 25 ft if gross building area > 3,700 sq ft — see §186-66 footnote (p)
Rear yard setback (principal)	40 ft
Accessory side yard setback	15 ft
Accessory rear yard setback	20 ft
Maximum building height	2½ stories OR 35 ft	Whichever is lower
Minimum habitable floor area per dwelling unit	1,200 sq ft	Joe's 4,000 sq ft target far exceeds
Max principal building lot coverage	15%
Max accessory structure lot coverage	5%
Max combined building lot coverage	20%
Max impervious coverage (lots > 25,000 sf)	28.5% of lot area	Per §186-23P(q)

4. Buildable envelope on this lot

Side setbacks depend on whether gross building area exceeds 3,700 sq ft (it will — 4,000 sq ft target plus garage):

Calculation	Value
Lot width	108 ft
Less side setbacks (25 ft each, since GBA > 3,700)	-50 ft
Buildable width	58 ft
Lot depth	299 ft
Less front (40) + rear (40)	-80 ft
Buildable depth	219 ft

Garage-specific rule (§186-66): A garage facing the side yard must be at least 27 ft from the side yard property line. For a 3-car garage, this is binding if the garage is side-loaded — practically forces a minimum 25–27 ft setback on whichever side the garage faces.

5. Coverage math against Joe's program

Target: 4,000 sq ft living area + 3-car attached garage (~720 sq ft).

Scenario	Footprint	% of 32,291 sf lot	Cap	Verdict
2-story home + attached garage	2,000 + 720 = 2,720 sq ft	8.4%	15% principal	Comfortable margin
1-story home + attached garage	4,000 + 720 = 4,720 sq ft	14.6%	15% principal	Almost no margin; one design tweak blows the limit
2-story home, NO garage (theoretical)	2,000 sq ft	6.2%	15%	—

Reading: the program effectively forces a 2-story design. A 1-story 4,000 sq ft home with garage is technically possible but leaves no margin for porches, decks, or footprint refinement during DD. Recommend the design start from 2-story.

Impervious total at 28.5% cap: 32,291 × 28.5% = 9,203 sq ft of total impervious. After the 2-story footprint (2,720), Joe has ~6,483 sq ft for driveway, walkways, patio, pool decking. That's enough for a ~3-car driveway turnaround, walkways, modest patio; tight if a pool with surrounding hardscape is also wanted (note: pool surface itself is exempt under §186-23P, but surrounding patio/walkways count).

6. Non-conforming lot width (108 ft vs. 125 ft required)

The lot was platted before the 1979 zoning ordinance, so it is a "pre-existing nonconforming lot."
New construction is generally permitted on pre-existing nonconforming lots provided the new structure meets all current bulk standards (setbacks, coverage, height).
This does not require a use variance, but the attorney should confirm Wyckoff's specific treatment — some municipalities require a "lot-width variance" or formal acknowledgment when new construction occurs on a nonconforming lot.

7. Two principal structures on one lot during build-then-demo overlap — variance risk

This is the highest-stakes zoning issue on the project.

Single-family residential zones in NJ municipalities typically permit one principal residential building per lot. Wyckoff's RA-25 regulations are no exception: the schedule and §186 treat a residential lot as supporting a single principal structure, with accessory structures (garages, sheds, pool houses) limited to 5% combined coverage.

Joe's plan is to construct the new ~2,720 sq ft footprint home behind the existing 1,500 sq ft home, occupy the new home, then demolish the existing one. That creates a temporary period (months, possibly a year) where two principal residential structures exist on one lot.

Three possible legal pathways the attorney should evaluate, in order of preference:

Construction permit + temporary occupancy condition. Some municipalities permit two-on-one during construction with a condition that demolition occur within X days of CO. Cleanest if available.
Temporary variance. Apply to the Wyckoff Zoning Board of Adjustment (Land Use Board) for a time-limited variance. Typical Wyckoff Land Use Board application cycle: 60–120 days.
Phasing the existing house demolition before new build's CO. Demolition before new build is occupiable, with family living off-site during construction. Slower; loses Alan's planned occupancy of the existing house through construction (D-04). Only used as a fallback.

Coverage math during overlap: existing 1,500 + new 2,720 = 4,220 sq ft = 13.1% of lot. That's under the 15% principal-coverage cap, so coverage is not the binding constraint — the binding constraint is the prohibition on two principal residential structures on one lot, which is structural, not numeric.

8. Demolition permit pathway (existing 1,500 sq ft house, post-CO)

Per Wyckoff Building & Zoning Department:

Stormwater management approval required before construction office reviews any demolition permit involving a 1- or 2-family residence. Submit:
- 2 copies of a grading plan from a NJ-licensed professional engineer (topography, elevations, drainage).
- Written PE certification of zero increase in stormwater runoff post-demolition.
- 2 copies of a landscape plan (existing + proposed trees, vegetation, seepage pits / dry wells).
- $500 fee for the Township Engineer review.
Demolition permit application through the Wyckoff Building Department (Form F100 + sub-code forms). 20 working-day review window or application is deemed denied.
Utilities disconnection (water, gas, electric) per utility requirements before demolition begins.
Tree-protection ordinance — Wyckoff has a Shade Tree Commission and tree-protection rules that may apply if mature trees are within the demo zone. Verify with the architect.

Building Department contact: (201) 891-7000.

9. Variance risk register

Risk	Likelihood	Mitigation
Two principal structures on one lot during overlap	High — almost certainly requires a variance, conditional permit, or sequencing change	Lead question to attorney; this is the schedule-gating item
Lot width nonconformity (108 ft vs. 125 ft)	Low — pre-existing nonconforming lots are typically allowed to build under current standards	Confirm with attorney
Side yard setback at 25 ft due to GBA > 3,700 sq ft	None — this is a binding requirement, not a variance	Architect designs to it from day one
Garage facing side yard at < 27 ft	None — binding requirement	Architect designs to it; favors front-loaded or angled garage
Impervious coverage exceeding 28.5% if pool + extensive hardscape added	Low–Medium	Track impervious budget alongside finish design
Tree removal violations	Low–Medium	Survey existing trees early; coordinate with Shade Tree Commission
Temporary utility configuration during build-with-existing-house overlap	Low	GC + utilities provider confirm during pre-construction

10. Lead questions for the attorney (priority order)

The Q-A series in 06_decisions_and_open_questions.md is updated to reflect these. The top three to lead with at attorney engagement:

Two-structure overlap pathway — conditional permit, temporary variance, or pre-build demo? This single answer drives schedule and Alan's living arrangement during the build.
Lot width nonconformity treatment — does Wyckoff require formal acknowledgment or does new construction simply proceed under current bulk standards?
Land transfer mechanics — Alan to Joe with $700K seller note in second position (per D-08).