Sub-Dividing Lakefront Property Raises Concerns

A number of residents are speaking out against an application for a man to sub-divide their lakefront property in the Pines Lakes section of town.

Frederick and Barbara Habeeb want to sub-divide their 30,300 square-foot property at 152 Pines Lake Drive East into two lots: one measuring about 15,800 square feet, the other about 14,500 square feet.

Residents are concerned that having two smaller lots so close to the lake sets a bad precedent despite the fact that most the properties on the street are approximately the same size.

The Pines Lake community is a private neighborhood of a few hundreds homes located around Pines Lake, a man-made lake approximately 1.5 miles long and half a mile wide.

The lots are technically already two properties. The previous owners illegally filed a deed with Passaic County creating a second lot out of part of the property. When the Habeebs purchased the property, the lots were filed under the same deed.

The Habeebs live in a house on part of the property while an adjacent portion of the property remains vacant. They want to construct a new home on the property.

A few dozen of the Habeeb’s neighbors attended the meeting. Some expressed their displeasure with the application.

“If the current owner can’t maintain the current property, they shouldn’t have bought it in the first place,” Maurice Michaels said.

Residents were concerned that the value of their properties will drop if the Board approves the application.

"You'd be setting a precedent," said Donald Baun. "Essentially you'd be asking me to transfer money from my home to his home."

Others said they are trying to protect the asethics of the neighborhood and the view of the lake. 

"It's going to set a precedent if it happens there," said Rex Mitake. "We're fighting for the lake. We don't want the community to change what Pines Lake is."

Barbara Habeed said that she was “ashamed” that her neighbors would speak out against the application.

Not everyone who spoke was against the application, however.

Lee Richardson said that the couple "is certainly within their rights" to subdivide the property. 

The application was carried to the Board's Sept. 24 meeting.

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.