Edison Township Zoning Board of Adjustment Special Meeting – October 20, 2026

The Edison Township Zoning Board of Adjustment held a special meeting on October 20, 2026, in Council Chambers. The board approved routine minutes and resolutions, voted unanimously to deny a remanded billboard application, adjourned a water-tank variance to November 10, 2026, heard an amended house-of-worship application without reaching a vote, and carried a new house-of-worship application to December 15, 2026.

Consent Calendar / Routine Approvals

• Approved the October 13, 2026 meeting minutes by roll call: Chabra, Cerrito, Schneider, O'Gorman, and Chairman Cumba all voted yes.
• Approved Resolution Z8-2025 (Sacred Foundation denial) unanimously.
• Approved Resolution Z24-2026 (J. Badiani approval) unanimously.
• Announcements: Z12-2026 (Samrat Mandal, 4 Burlington Court) was carried to November 10, 2026, 7 p.m., with no further notice. Z24-2022 (Old Post Realty, 604-610 Old Post Road) was carried to a later date and requires re-notice.

Case Z15-2022: American Outdoor Advertising Remand

• The board attorney explained that on August 17, 2026, the New Jersey Appellate Division reversed the trial court's affirmance of the board's denial and remanded the case for a new vote on the existing record, with required findings of fact and conclusions of law.
• The hearing was not reopened; there was no new testimony, evidence, or public comment. The attorney instructed members to disregard former Chair Rosemary Federic's 2022 comments about flip time, and all members certified they either attended all four hearings or reviewed missed sessions.
• Vice Chair O'Gorman moved to deny; Mr. Schneider seconded. Members cited the applicant's lighting expert's failure to analyze the adjoining property, the proposed 672-square-foot two-sided LED sign versus the 250-square-foot one-sided sign normally allowed, discrepancies in height (100 feet in testimony/notice, 84 feet in the NJDOT permit, 95 feet in the engineer's profile), and the applicant's rejection of proposed conditions such as lower height, static sign face, single face, and nighttime shutoff.
• Roll call: Chabra, Cerrito, Schneider, O'Gorman, and Chairman Cumba all voted yes to deny; the application was denied unanimously.

Case Z16-2026: Middlesex Water

• The applicant asked to adjourn its water-tank variance application, noting it needed five votes and only five members were present, and there were engineering issues to resolve.
• The board carried Z16-2026 to November 10, 2026, 7 p.m., without further notice.

Amended Z21-2024: Dada Bhagwan Vignan Institute (52 Vineyard Road)

• The applicant sought to amend a previously approved site plan for a spiritual center/house of worship at the former Richie's bar site. The amendment would change the approved plan from repurposing the existing structure to demolishing it and constructing a new building after the existing structure was found structurally unsound.
• The applicant apologized for a contractor's encroachment on the neighboring Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association property and offered to pay for a replacement fence. It proposed options including keeping the same footprint, squaring the building, or shifting it up to three feet off the side lot line; a two-foot shift would create a front-yard variance of 23 feet where 25 feet is required.
• Board members questioned the lack of a structural engineer's report, foundation design, and construction access. Board professional Mr. Carly suggested a half-foot shift to achieve a one-foot side-yard setback without a front-yard variance. Board member Mr. Ayot, drawing on masonry experience, said six inches or two feet were unworkable and that at least three feet was needed to build and maintain the wall.
• Public comment: Greg Burkhart of 17 Johnstone Street opposed the project over traffic and emergency access; a resident of 16 Johnstone Street raised aesthetics and parking; Alvin Toy of Dharma Drum said the demolition and encroachment violated the prior resolution and asked for enforcement or revocation; Neil Buccino and Susie Yang asked the board to protect Dharma Drum's property rights while welcoming the neighboring spiritual community; Jing Hong and Tom Chu raised traffic, safety, drainage, and setback concerns.
• After public comment, the applicant requested a brief recess to confer with its client. The transcript records no motion or vote on this amended application before the board moved to the next case.

Case E20-2026: 779 New Durham Road House of Worship

• The applicant, 779 New Durham Edison LLC, proposed an 11,236-square-foot, one-story, 24-foot-tall house of worship for the Ismaili community in the LI zone. The plan included 154 parking spaces (88 required), five ADA spaces, and three EV spaces. Relief sought included a D1 use variance, lot-depth and lot-width variances (241.79 feet vs. 275 feet; 139.99 feet vs. 150 feet), a parking setback of 10 feet vs. 15 feet, and a landscape-buffer waiver of 5 feet vs. 20 feet.
• Applicant witnesses testified about operations: Friday-Sunday morning prayers 3:30-6 a.m.; evening services 6-9 p.m. daily; Saturday religious education 2-9 p.m.; roughly 20 volunteers; weekday attendance 55-85, Friday evenings 150-200, weekends 125-150; three high holidays (Feb. 12, Mar. 21, Oct. 12) with 375-400 attendees. There would be no kitchen, no outdoor PA system, and no on-site living quarters.
• Traffic engineer Jay Troutman testified the exit driveway would be right-turn-only per Middlesex County expectations and that operations would be acceptable even in a worst-case weekday 5-6 p.m. overlap. Planner Christine Cafone testified houses of worship are inherently beneficial, meeting the Sica balancing test and the enhanced fourth prong under the Monarch decision.
• Board professionals noted the need for Middlesex County coordination, snow-storage planning, lighting details, NJDEP 2023 stormwater standards, and a fire chief letter requiring an additional hydrant and fire truck turning-radius compliance.
• Public comment: Amy Ryan of 10 Bass Court presented photos of recent crashes, including a June 2026 car entering a backyard, and cited flooding, lighting, noise, and traffic hazards; she urged denial. Joanne Mangles of 10 Bass Court, president of the Edison AARP (159 members), raised flooding and sound-abatement concerns. Randall Saldana of 778 New Durham Road cited crash history, cumulative traffic with the proposed gas station/convenience store at 764 New Durham Road, and the 3:30 a.m. service start; he asked the board to deny. Venu Gopal Madhav of 780 New Durham Road agreed and asked for denial.
• The board requested additional testimony on Middlesex County review, an occupancy calculation covering the classrooms, social hall, and lobby, and possible additional buffers to reduce light spillage. The case was carried to December 15, 2026, 7 p.m., without further notice.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous denial of Z15-2022 (American Outdoor Advertising) on remand.
• Unanimous approval of minutes, Z8-2025, and Z24-2026.
• Z12-2026 and Z16-2026 carried to November 10, 2026; Z24-2022 carried to a later date with re-notice.
• Amended Z21-2024 received no recorded vote and was not announced as carried.
• E20-2026 carried to December 15, 2026 for additional testimony and conditions.