OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Franklin Township Planning Board Meeting - September 17, 2025

Planning Board — Wednesday, September 17, 2025
BodyFranklin Township, New Jersey
SessionPlanning Board
DateWednesday, September 17, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 23:57

Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

Let's get started.

0:12

This is the regular meeting of the Planning Board of the Township of Franklin in September 17, 2025.

0:19

In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, PL 1975, Chapter 231, adequate notice of this regular meeting of the Planning Board of the Township of Franklin has been provided.

0:28

If everyone could please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:33

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:38

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:51

Okay.

0:52

Thank you for your patience.

0:54

Councilman Embarrasson, Jennifer Rango, Mahir Rafik, and I believe Mark Dancy.

1:00

I saw uh email come in.

1:02

I believe they've asked to be excused this evening.

1:05

Theodore Chase.

1:07

Here.

1:07

Robert LaCourt.

1:09

Here.

1:09

Shaw Keller.

1:10

Here.

1:11

Charles Brown.

1:11

Here.

1:12

Robert Thomas.

1:13

Here.

1:14

Oh, that's right.

1:15

And Chairman Orsini.

1:16

Here.

1:18

Before we get too far into the agenda, let me tell you what won't be heard tonight is Onyx 789 LLC.

1:26

We do not have a new date for that, and they will have to notify in any um in any event.

1:32

So TBD.

1:35

So we have no minutes.

1:37

We have a resolution.

1:38

So the Catalint Pharma Minor Sub Uh LLC.

1:44

I'll make a motion to approve that.

1:46

Second.

1:48

Mr.

1:48

LeCourt, you can.

1:49

It's just Robert Thomas and Mike.

1:52

Okay.

1:52

Oh, yeah, that's because it was a minor sub.

1:54

Sorry about that.

1:55

Second.

1:56

Okay, Robert Thomas.

1:58

Yes.

1:59

Chairman Raciner.

2:00

Yes.

2:02

No discussion items.

2:04

So I'll make a motion to open to the public for any general planning comments.

2:08

If you're here for Temple Bethel, I will open the meeting again during that hearing for any specific comments on that.

2:15

Second.

2:17

All in favor?

2:19

Any general planning comments not related to Temple Bethel.

2:24

Seeing no takers, move to close.

2:26

Second.

2:27

All in favor?

2:28

Okay.

2:29

Temple Bethel of Somerset PLN 25004.

2:34

Just a couple of prelude words before I turn it over to Peter.

2:37

It's a minor sub.

2:38

It's fully compliant.

2:40

So normally we'd be heard by the minor subdivision committee and we would give a report and then uh we would handle it the way we just handled Catalan.

2:47

Um the difference tonight is um it is a house of worship which is a conditional use of the zone.

2:52

And there's also a um uh a buffering that's needed uh because of the subdivision uh being proposed and and and the there's an easement which requires means no buffering uh in the easement, and so we're going to uh we decided to bring it before the full board.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Religious Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████76%
Procedural██████████████24%
Summary of Proceedings

Franklin Township Planning Board Regular Meeting – September 17, 2025

The Planning Board convened on September 17, 2025, at 12:45 PM for its regular meeting. The agenda included a consent calendar resolution, a discussion item carried to a future date, and a public hearing on a minor subdivision application for Temple Beth El of Somerset. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call, and a statement of compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes: None available for approval.
  • Catalent Pharma Solutions LLC (PLN-25-00003): A minor subdivision resolution was approved unanimously with a motion by Robert Thomas and second by the Chairman.

Discussion Items

  • Onyx 789, LLC (PLN-22-00017): The matter was carried to a date to be determined; no new hearing date was set.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • General Public Comments: No comments were offered during the general public comment period.
  • Temple Beth El Hearing: Robert Baltrubb (15 Heather Drive) asked whether the proposed new lot would be used for a single-family residence. The applicant confirmed that the lot would be sold to a builder for a single-family home. His wife, Diane, had no further questions.

Hearing: Temple Beth El of Somerset (PLN-25-00004)

Applicant Representation: Peter Lamford (attorney) and F. Mitchell Ardman (licensed professional engineer and planner, Reynolds Group) presented the application. The proposed minor subdivision would create a new fully compliant lot in the R-20 zone by combining portions of two existing lots (1489 Hamilton Street and 18 Heather Drive). The temple building and rabbi’s residence remain unchanged.

Issue: Because the temple is a conditional use (house of worship), a buffer was required along the new property line. A water and sanitary sewer easement prevented a full double staggered row of evergreens and a six-foot fence. The applicant mitigated this by preserving existing mature trees, adding additional evergreen rows, a solid fence, and shade trees in gaps. Mark (staff) recommended conditions including bonding the buffer before subdivision, a two-year maintenance bond, and adherence to the Technical Review Committee (TRC) report dated August 22, 2025.

Environmental Commission Recommendations: The EC suggested solar panels and EV charging stations. The applicant requested a waiver, citing no changes to the temple building and the temple’s economic hardship (declining population). The board agreed not to require those measures.

Additional Condition: Chairman Orsini proposed that any preserved trees that die within the two-year maintenance period be replaced. The temple representative (Rabbi, present in the room) agreed. The board accepted this condition.

Board Vote: The motion to approve with conditions (TRC report, staff conditions, plus the Chairman’s tree replacement condition) passed unanimously: Theodore Chase (yes), Robert LaCourt (yes), Shaw Keller (yes), Charles Brown (yes), Robert Thomas (yes), Chairman Orsini (yes).

Key Outcomes

  • Catalent Pharma Solutions: Minor subdivision resolution approved.
  • Temple Beth El: Minor subdivision approved with conditions: (1) buffer and fence installed or bonded prior to subdivision; (2) two-year maintenance bond for plantings; (3) replacement of any preserved trees that die within two years; (4) compliance with all TRC technical comments.
  • Onyx 789: Continued to a future date to be determined.
  • Next Meeting: Scheduled for October 8, 2025, with two matters on the agenda.
  • Adjournment: Motion carried unanimously.

Meeting Transcript

Let's get started. This is the regular meeting of the Planning Board of the Township of Franklin in September 17, 2025. In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, PL 1975, Chapter 231, adequate notice of this regular meeting of the Planning Board of the Township of Franklin 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. Okay. Thank you for your patience. Councilman Embarrasson, Jennifer Rango, Mahir Rafik, and I believe Mark Dancy. I saw uh email come in. I believe they've asked to be excused this evening. Theodore Chase. Here. Robert LaCourt. Here. Shaw Keller. Here. Charles Brown. Here. Robert Thomas. Here. Oh, that's right. And Chairman Orsini. Here. Before we get too far into the agenda, let me tell you what won't be heard tonight is Onyx 789 LLC. We do not have a new date for that, and they will have to notify in any um in any event. So TBD. So we have no minutes. We have a resolution. So the Catalint Pharma Minor Sub Uh LLC. I'll make a motion to approve that. Second. Mr. LeCourt, you can. It's just Robert Thomas and Mike. Okay. Oh, yeah, that's because it was a minor sub. Sorry about that. Second. Okay, Robert Thomas. Yes. Chairman Raciner. Yes. No discussion items. So I'll make a motion to open to the public for any general planning comments. If you're here for Temple Bethel, I will open the meeting again during that hearing for any specific comments on that. Second. All in favor? Any general planning comments not related to Temple Bethel. Seeing no takers, move to close.

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