Franklin Township Planning Board Regular Meeting - July 10, 2024
Franklin Township Planning Board Regular Meeting – July 10, 2024
The Franklin Township Planning Board convened on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at 7:30 PM. The meeting included approval of minutes, a resolution for a minor subdivision, a discussion on relief of conditions, and hearings on two site plan applications. The board carried one hearing to September and another to October after extensive discussion on parking and variances.
Consent Calendar
- Regular Minutes – June 5, 2024: Approved unanimously (Councilman Morrison and Theodore Chase recused from voting on minutes). Corrections were made per Ted's comments.
- Resolution – Ankur Gupta (PLN-23-00023): Approved by Chairman Arsini and Robert Thomas (the only voting members of the minor subdivision committee). The resolution was based on the minor subdivision committee's recommendation, with conditions requiring full compliance with the TRC report and adherence to tree protection and disturbance limits.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the meeting.
Discussion Items
- Relief of Conditions – 2G Birch Glen, LLC (f/k/a Sycamore Developers) (PLN-17-00008): The applicant requested approval to allow three of 32 homes to temporarily use individual wells due to a water capacity permit limitation. Peter Lamford (applicant’s attorney) and Vince Dominiak (applicant’s representative) explained that a master water permit restricts immediate hookups for all units. Township council recently passed an ordinance requiring connection to public water within one year of the master permit being issued. The board approved the relief of conditions unanimously, allowing the three wells until public water becomes available.
Hearing: ONYX 789, LLC (PLN-22-00017)
- Proposal: Preliminary & Final Major Site Plan with variances to demolish an existing building and construct a 102,733 sq ft warehouse at 785 Old New Brunswick Road, Somerset. The hearing was carried to September 4, 2024, with no further notification required. Chairman Arsini stated the board will not hear the application until the applicant demonstrates access through Old New Brunswick Road. Board member Mark Dancy raised an issue about a potential agreement with Bakari Pipeline concerning dirt needed for the site, which the chairman noted should be addressed when the application returns.
Hearing: Macedonia Church of God in Christ International (PLN-21-00022)
- Proposal: Preliminary & Final Site Plan with variances to construct a 2-story, 4,800 sq ft church at 30 Booker Street, Somerset. The application was originally filed in 2017 and had a prior hearing in October 2022.
- Applicant's Testimony: Attorney Peter Lamford and trustee Severina Edwards described current attendance (average 40–60 on Sundays) and the need for a larger facility to accommodate growth. The church currently has 10 on-site parking spaces. The new plan provides 38 on-site spaces, plus contractual access to 25 spaces at the adjacent RPM development and a license agreement for 70 spaces at a PNC Bank lot (terminable on 30 days by either party). Traffic engineer Jay Troutman testified that with these off-site spaces and on-street parking, the site could meet the 101-space requirement for full occupancy (303 seats). He noted that on-street parking on Booker Street between Fuller and Somerset was empty on Sundays, providing an additional 30 spaces.
- Board Concerns: Chairman Arsini and members expressed doubts about the projected growth (attendance of 42 average vs. 303 seats) and the reliability of the PNC agreement, which can be terminated without cause. Attorney Mark Clarkin noted that the ordinance allows the board discretion to count off-site parking, and the PNC agreement's 30-day termination clause raised enforcement issues. Board members also questioned the number of variances required (setbacks, impervious coverage). Robert Thomas suggested reducing the fixed seating to 200 to lower parking demand and allow a future expansion if needed.
- Outcome: The applicant agreed to consider reducing the building size and seating capacity and to improve buffering. The hearing was carried to October 16, 2024, with no further notice. Applicant must submit revised plans by September 16, 2024, for board review. An extension of time through October 31 was granted.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes of June 5, 2024 approved.
- Resolution for Ankur Gupta approved with conditions.
- Relief of Conditions for 2G Birch Glen approved unanimously.
- ONYX 789 hearing carried to September 4, 2024.
- Macedonia Church hearing carried to October 16, 2024; applicant to provide revised plans by September 16.
- Adjournment: Motion carried unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
PL 1975 Chapter 231, adequate notice of this regular meeting of the planning board of the township has been provided. If everyone could please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay, so before we get started, um Robert LeCourt, Sammy Shabon, Jennifer Ragnow, Charles Brown, and Rebecca Hilbert all asked to be excused this evening. Councilman and Barson here. Here. Here. Robert Thomas. Mark Dancy? Here. Chairman Arsini. Here. Um we have one resolution tonight that was the subject of a minor subdivision committee meeting. Um Cor Gupta, PLN 230023. Um I will let uh Mark summarize the findings of the minor subcommittee. Yes, so as the chairman said, this was for a minor subdivision um on Gerard uh Avenue. It's an R 15 zone. Both lots were in excess of the minimum lot size, um, both exceeded the minimum lot width, and there weren't any variances requested. So it was under the jurisdiction of the minor subdivision committee, which met uh in between um the last meeting and this meeting. Uh the minor subdivision committee approved it. Uh and we have a resolution for the minor subdivision committee's uh uh consideration tonight. Basically, there were two conditions, one being full compliance with the TRC report, and the other being that the plan submitted shall be consistent with that reflected on the subdivision in terms of uh compliance with chapter two twenty-two trees, uh the limit of uh disturbance on each lot and the planting of street trees. They basically made a commitment to disturb only a certain amount of uh of the site on their plants, and the committee wants them to stick to that. That's the resolution that's before the minor subdivision committee for their consideration. And the only two people who can vote is yourself and Mr. Thomas. Okay, so I will make a motion to approve. I'll second Bob Thomas and Chairman Arsini. Yes. So we're gonna go back and look at the minutes from 65. Only Councilman and Barson cannot vote on those. And do we have any comments or corrections on those minutes? Ted already gave them to us, so we corrected on that. Okay. So um I'll make a motion to approve June fifth. Second Pedro Chase? Yes. Yes. Robert Thomas? Yes. Mark Dancy? Yes. And Chairman Arsini. Yes. We have one discussion item relief of conditions for Birch Glen LLC, um, formerly known as Sycamore Developers. This is the 32 rot subdivision off of uh Cedar Grove behind Restus Gas Station. Um similar to the one you heard for Sterling Point. Um there's a thematic uh consistency here, which is uh the water permit and the need to put three houses on wells.
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