During a meeting Tuesday, Rush Township's Zoning Hearing Board granted variances that will allow applicant Joseph Sword, Quakake, to convert an existing residential structure at 202 Claremont Ave. (Route 309) into a branch real estate office on the first floor and a one-unit apartment on the second floor.

The property is just north of the intersection of Routes 309 and 54 on the east side of Route 309. The most recent use of the property was as a residence, with a 2,300-square-foot house on a 160-by-100-foot lot.The applicant also seeks to build a garage with six stalls on the northern boundary of the property, and the board approved that contingent upon the requirement that he first submit a land development plan.