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Record of Proceedings

Franklin Township Planning Board Regular Meeting - April 16, 2025

Planning Board — Wednesday, April 16, 2025
BodyFranklin Township, New Jersey
SessionPlanning Board
DateWednesday, April 16, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 47:52

Original source
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0:06

This is the um regular planning board meeting of uh April 16th uh 2025 uh for um township of Franklin in accordance with the open public meetings act uh chapter 231 um adequate notice of this regular meeting has been provided.

0:24

So if everyone could please stand for the Pledge of Leave.

0:29

I have to legislation to the flag of the United States of America for which it stands one nation under God with liberty just for okay Mike um Charles Brown and Mark Dancy asked to be excused this evening.

0:53

Uh Councilman Embarrison?

0:54

Here Theodore Chase uh Bob Lecourt here Shaw Keller Jennifer Ragnow here Mahir Rafik Robert Thomas Rebecca Hilbert here and Mike Gorsini here so just to cover the agenda we had um two hearings tonight both have been carried.

1:18

Um Dial Enterprises LLC has been carried to June 4th without further notification and there's another one, right?

1:29

NPH real estate LLC that's carried to Mayor May 21st.

1:34

Yep.

1:35

They needed to notify to take the do need to notify.

1:38

Okay.

1:39

All right.

1:40

So um Mark tells me that uh we have got about a 30-minute meeting, so if you choose to accept that challenge, um you can enjoy more of your evening.

1:49

All right, so first things uh is uh minutes from the regular meeting of February 19th, 2025.

1:56

Everybody here can vote.

1:58

I'll move to approve.

2:00

Second council and Barrison?

2:04

Yes.

2:05

Robert Le Court?

2:06

Yes.

2:07

Shaw Keller?

2:08

Yes, Jennifer Ragnow?

2:10

Yes, Mahir Rafik.

2:11

Yes, Robert Thomas, Rebecca Hilbert, yes.

2:15

And Mike um I was gonna say Mike Thomas, you hear me?

2:19

Mike Garcini.

2:20

Yes.

2:21

Oh boy.

2:22

Okay, so we have three resolutions.

2:25

Uh first is 179 Cedar Grove Lane.

2:28

Uh just Mahir, Bob Thomas, and yourself can vote on that.

2:33

Meaning me.

2:35

Yes, this was one of the subcommittee one.

2:37

Oh, oh, that's right.

2:38

It was a minor subject.

2:39

So it's just the three of you.

2:40

Okay.

2:40

Um I would move to approve.

2:43

Second.

2:44

Okay.

2:45

Mahir Rafik.

2:46

Yes.

2:47

Robert Thomas.

2:48

Yes.

2:49

And Mike Gorsini.

2:51

Yes.

2:52

Uh the second one is uh L Ion, Franklin Development Group LLC.

2:57

Uh Mahir Rafik is the only one that can't vote tonight.

3:01

Okay.

3:02

Um this is a resolution, by the way, that I we had a lot of discussion of and and uh the application needed to be expedited per court order.

3:12

Um so I really read over the um the resolution very carefully.

3:17

And I think uh Pete did a great job in terms of um putting everything in there that we had.

3:24

They have quite the quite the list to go through.

3:26

So um I move to approve second councilman in Barrison?

3:33

Yes.

3:34

Theodore uh no, he's not here.

3:36

Robert Le Court?

3:37

Yes, Shaw Keller?

3:38

Yes, Jennifer Ragnow?

3:39

Yes, Robert Thomas, yes, Rebecca Hilbert, yes, Chairman Asini.

3:45

Yes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Development█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Procedural███████████████████████████████31%
Zoning Regulations██████████████████████████26%
Environmental Protection██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Franklin Township Planning Board Regular Meeting - April 16, 2025

The Franklin Township Planning Board met on April 16, 2025, to approve minutes and resolutions, discuss bylaw amendments and a draft B-I zone ordinance, and hear public comments. Two major site plan hearings were carried to future dates.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the February 19, 2025 regular meeting minutes (unanimous).
  • Approved resolution for 179 Cedar Grove Lane (PLN-24-00011) with votes from Mahir Rafik, Robert Thomas, and Chairman Orsini (all yes).
  • Approved resolution for EL-ION Franklin Development Group, LLC (PLN-25-00001) with all members except Mahir Rafik voting yes.
  • Approved resolution for Hamilton Street Management, LLC (PLN-24-00002) with all members except Rebecca Hilbert voting yes.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Debbie Stewart (Farrington Plaza) inquired about the completeness review process for applications. Staff explained state law requirements and the difference between certification and substantive review.
  • Jan Brandt (22 Bryant Court) criticized the proposed warehouse ordinance, citing high vacancy rates (9% and over since 2023), and urged adding a "no speculative warehouse" rule. She questioned the reduction from 500-foot to 200-foot buffer from residential zones and noted state planning commission recommendations for impact analysis, noise, and air quality.
  • Nirmal Shah (9 Congress Court) suggested limiting warehouse height (below the current 50 feet) and addressing traffic issues at problematic intersections.
  • John Snatekis (377 Davidson Avenue) expressed confusion over notification for the NPH Real Estate hearing, which had been carried; he was informed the change was posted on the website.
  • Hari Salal (26 Patriots Way) argued for holistic community planning and criticized planning law limitations, suggesting state-level changes.

Discussion Items

  • Route 27 LLC Minor Subdivision (PLN-23-00019): The Minor Subdivision Committee reported approval of the application to reconfigure property lines at the IHOP site on Route 27. No board action required.
  • Bylaw Amendment – Re-notice Requirements: Chairman Orsini proposed a rule allowing one carry-over without re-notice; subsequent carries would require re-notice unless waived by the board for good cause. The board unanimously adopted the amendment.
  • B-I Zone Draft Ordinance: Mark Healy presented revisions incorporating feedback from a prior work session, including clarified loading dock language, doubled building setbacks and buffers from residential zones, operational hour restrictions, strengthened design standards, a bicycle repair station requirement, anti-idling signs, and turning radius requirements. Ted Chase noted a typo ("draft" for "drought"). The board discussed the 500-foot separation issue; Mark explained the new one-mile radius from I-287 and the prohibition on abutting residential zones. A formal master plan hearing is set for April 29, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Hearing Carried: Dayal Enterprises, LLC (PLN-24-00008) carried to June 4, 2025 without further notification. NPH Real Estate, LLC (PLN-24-00005) carried to May 21, 2025 with newspaper notification required.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved February 19 meeting minutes and three resolutions.
  • Adopted bylaw amendment on re-notice.
  • Continued discussion on B-I zone draft ordinance; formal master plan hearing scheduled for April 29, 2025.
  • Two hearings rescheduled to future dates.

Next Meeting

  • Special meeting for master plan hearing: April 29, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Next regular meeting tentatively scheduled for May 7, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

This is the um regular planning board meeting of uh April 16th uh 2025 uh for um township of Franklin in accordance with the open public meetings act uh chapter 231 um adequate notice of this regular meeting has been provided. So if everyone could please stand for the Pledge of Leave. I have to legislation to the flag of the United States of America for which it stands one nation under God with liberty just for okay Mike um Charles Brown and Mark Dancy asked to be excused this evening. Uh Councilman Embarrison? Here Theodore Chase uh Bob Lecourt here Shaw Keller Jennifer Ragnow here Mahir Rafik Robert Thomas Rebecca Hilbert here and Mike Gorsini here so just to cover the agenda we had um two hearings tonight both have been carried. Um Dial Enterprises LLC has been carried to June 4th without further notification and there's another one, right? NPH real estate LLC that's carried to Mayor May 21st. Yep. They needed to notify to take the do need to notify. Okay. All right. So um Mark tells me that uh we have got about a 30-minute meeting, so if you choose to accept that challenge, um you can enjoy more of your evening. All right, so first things uh is uh minutes from the regular meeting of February 19th, 2025. Everybody here can vote. I'll move to approve. Second council and Barrison? Yes. Robert Le Court? Yes. Shaw Keller? Yes, Jennifer Ragnow? Yes, Mahir Rafik. Yes, Robert Thomas, Rebecca Hilbert, yes. And Mike um I was gonna say Mike Thomas, you hear me? Mike Garcini. Yes. Oh boy. Okay, so we have three resolutions. Uh first is 179 Cedar Grove Lane. Uh just Mahir, Bob Thomas, and yourself can vote on that. Meaning me. Yes, this was one of the subcommittee one. Oh, oh, that's right. It was a minor subject. So it's just the three of you. Okay. Um I would move to approve. Second. Okay. Mahir Rafik. Yes. Robert Thomas. Yes. And Mike Gorsini. Yes. Uh the second one is uh L Ion, Franklin Development Group LLC. Uh Mahir Rafik is the only one that can't vote tonight. Okay. Um this is a resolution, by the way, that I we had a lot of discussion of and and uh the application needed to be expedited per court order. Um so I really read over the um the resolution very carefully.

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