Franklin Township Board of Adjustment Reorganization and Regular Meeting - January 9, 2025
Franklin Township Board of Adjustment Reorganization and Regular Meeting - January 9, 2025
The Franklin Township Board of Adjustment held its annual reorganization meeting on January 9, 2025, at 475 DeMott Lane, Somerset. The board elected officers, reappointed its attorney, swore in the Director of Planning, approved minutes and resolutions, and granted a time extension for an application. One hearing was carried to a future date.
Reorganization and Appointments
- Unanimously elected Robert Thomas as Chairperson (vote: 7-0). Vice Chair Bob Shepherd was nominated and elected in absentia (7-0).
- Reappointed Eric M. Bernstein and Associates as Board Attorney (unanimous).
- Mark Healey was sworn in as Director of Planning.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of October 10, 2024, and November 7, 2024, approved.
- Resolution for 2025 Board Meeting Calendar approved with a correction (January 2026 instead of 2025).
- Resolutions approved for: Somerset Properties Realty, LP (ZBA-23-00016), Gregory Booth (ZBA-24-00013), Carl Bamboe-Parry (ZBA-24-00014), Charles DeFilippo (ZBA-24-00012), and Marvel Builders, LLC.
Discussion Items
- Sai Datta / ZBA-19-00037 – Extension of Time: Attorney Jim Stall requested a one-year extension for a religious organization's house of worship approval, citing delays due to septic design and leadership changes. The board granted the extension to the maximum allowed (through November 24, 2025) unanimously (7-0).
Hearings
- Levin Properties, L.P. / ZBA-24-00001: Application for a 4-story apartment building at 940 Easton Avenue was carried to March 20, 2025. No further notification required.
Key Outcomes
- Board officers elected for 2025: Robert Thomas (Chair), Bob Shepherd (Vice Chair).
- Board Attorney reappointed: Eric M. Bernstein and Associates.
- All resolutions and minutes approved as listed.
- Sai Datta granted a one-year time extension until November 24, 2025.
- Meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Are there any other nominations? Well, yeah, we do one at a time though. Oh, yeah, one at a time. Yeah. Okay, so seeing as there's no other nominations and it's been seconding. Welcome Bob Thomas back to the Oh I'm sorry. I'm jumping the gun, Bob. Okay. Um Cheryl Bathia? Yes. Richard Prokanick? Yes. Basim Verdas. Yes. Gary Rosenthal. Yes, with pleasure. Mike Dharty? Yes. Kunala Kier? Yes. And Chairman Thomas, you can, or Robert Thomas, you can vote for yourself to be chairman. Okay, yes. Okay. Okay, so the nomination for uh selection of a vice chair. Is there a nomination for somebody? I'll nominate Bob Shepard. I'll second. Okay. Cheryl Bethia? Yes. Richard Prokanick? Yes. Baseem Verdas. Gary Rosenthal? Yes. Michael Daugherty? Yes. Kunala Kier? Yes. And Chairman Thomas. Yes. So just so everyone is aware, uh, Bob Shepherd was not able to be here this evening, but he did communicate to me directly that if he was nominated, he would be glad to step into that position. So now we are doing the Mr. Robert Thomas Chairman. You can take over for the uh board attorney interview. Okay, and first uh I want to thank the board for your confidence. It's nice to have all the talk a little bit more. It's nice to have all the old, and I don't mean old in one sense, but existing members back again because I think it's been a good board. Uh we will move on to you wanna do the oh all right, appointment of the board attorney. We have one and that is our existing yes, all right.
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