Franklin Township Board of Adjustment Regular Meeting – June 4, 2026

The Township of Franklin Board of Adjustment held its regular meeting on June 4, 2026. The board approved the April 16, 2026 minutes and two resolutions, and then heard three applications: a D(1) use variance for an attic apartment, a D(3) conditional use variance/site plan for a house of worship, and a preliminary and final major site plan with C and D variances for a PSE&G substation upgrade. All three applications were approved.

Consent Calendar and Resolutions

• The regular meeting minutes of April 16, 2026 were approved unanimously.
• A resolution for Somerset Bible Baptist Church / ZBA-25-00001 was approved; Alan Rich, Gary Rosenthal, and Michael Darty did not vote on it.
• A resolution for Wash King Somerset OPCO, LLC / ZBA-25-00025 was approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Madeline, a member of Iglesia Christiana Refugio, said the church has had a positive effect on her life, that her whole family attends, and she urged the board to approve the application.
• A second church member said the congregation genuinely cares about people and helps the community, described the church’s music program, and encouraged approval.
• Alexis Portero, also a church member, said the church would be a positive addition and a respectful neighbor, and encouraged approval.
• No public comments were made on the PSE&G application; the board opened and closed the public comment period.

Discussion Items

Art Heinrich / ZBA-26-00004 (D(1) Use Variance)

• The application, carried from May 21, 2026, sought approval to convert the second floor of 6 Hawthorne Drive, Somerset (Block 126, Lot 194, HBD zone) from storage space to a studio apartment with a bathroom and kitchen.
• Mr. Heinrich, representing himself, said the mixed-use ordinance permits residential use for properties that do not front Hamilton Street; his property fronts Hawthorne Drive, about 50 feet from Hamilton Street. He argued the conversion would increase safety, that refusal would impose undue hardship, that there would be no appreciable increase in traffic, and that the building footprint would remain unchanged.
• The board noted the second floor had been limited to storage by a condition of a prior approval, apparently due to parking. Mr. Heinrich said the prior approval allowed seven parking spaces and the restriped lot now yields eight spaces. He said he or his family would occupy the apartment and that storage would be moved to the basement or deck.
• No public comments were offered. The board approved the application.

Iglesia Christiana Refugio, Inc. / ZBA-26-00001 (D(3) Conditional Use Variance & Site Plan)

• The application, also carried from May 21, 2026, proposed converting the existing two-story former medical office at 680 Easton Avenue, Somerset (Block 322, Lots 1-9 per the agenda; applicant’s counsel described the parcels as Lots 1 through 7 and Lot 8, eight total) in the OP zone into a house of worship. The building had been vacant for about 10 years. The proposal included interior renovations, no building addition, 23 parking spaces with two ADA spaces, and repaving/restriping of the driveway.
• The requested relief included a D(3) conditional use variance because setback and buffering conditions were not met, and a parking deficiency variance. The applicant stated 54 spaces would be required for total building occupancy, but only 22 spaces were required for the 64-person prayer hall; 23 spaces would be provided. It described this as a 31-space parking deficiency variance.
• To address board concerns from the prior hearing, the church submitted a full member list of 80 people (60 adults and 20 children), adopted a board resolution splitting Sunday worship into two services (10 a.m.–noon and 5–7 p.m.), and prepared a carpool/transportation plan. A total of 45 people were assigned to the first service and 38 to the second, with the pastor, his wife, and their daughter attending both; each service remained below the 64-person occupancy limit.
• The carpool plan identified nine vehicles per service and designated carpool leaders. With 23 available spaces, about 14 spaces would remain empty; unexpected attendees could join another carpool, use Uber or taxi, or drive if necessary.
• The church explained that children would receive child-focused religious education in the dining area during services, but those children were included in the 45 and 38 totals and there would be no separate simultaneous program.
• A revised site plan dated May 25, 2026 added 25 evergreen plantings. Planner Kevin O’Brien testified this supplemented existing mature trees and addressed the board’s occupancy, parking, and buffer concerns. Chairman Thomas reported visiting the site and finding part of the rear vegetation ineffective and the parking lot used for dumping and abandoned cars; he suggested a solid fence might be more effective. The applicant’s attorney said fencing had not been priced but was an intention, and the board left the choice between evergreen plantings or a six-foot fence to the applicant.
• After three supportive public comments, the board approved the application, subject to the operational plans, the choice of fence or evergreens, and staff report conditions.

PSE&G / ZBA-26-00003 (Preliminary & Final Major Site Plan with C & D Variances)

• Attorney Glenn Keynes represented PSE&G. He invoked the rule of necessity because all board members are PSE&G customers.
• The project would modernize the Bennett’s Lane substation at 160 South Middlebush Road/135 Dahmer Road, Somerset (Block 84.03, Lots 1, 2.02, 2.10; A and R-40 zones). Equipment dating from the late 1960s, with a 2010 upgrade, was nearing or past useful life, and the grid approached 100% capacity on hot days. The upgrade would improve reliability for about 17,500 customers, including Ruckers and St. Peter’s Hospital.
• Proposed work included replacing 13 kV switchgear, removing an old control house, adding a second 230-to-69 kV transformer, expanding the 69 kV ring bus from six to seven breakers, adding/replacing 230 kV breakers, replacing a 75.4-foot A-frame with a 76.2-foot A-frame, replacing a 154.9-foot lattice tower with a 161.4-foot monopole, installing precast isolation walls (13, 26, and 32 feet tall) and a 10-foot anti-cut/anti-climb fence, adding a bioretention basin, expanding the control house, and using Lot 2.10 temporarily for contractor parking/trailers before restoring it.
• Construction was scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2027, with an in-service date of 2029 and cleanup by mid-2030. PSE&G expected no customer outages during construction. The site is visited one to two times per week.
• The engineering witnesses testified that the project would improve stormwater runoff in compliance with NJDEP and township regulations; lighting would be mostly downlighting/shielded with motion activation, with uplighting only for emergency use; and landscaping would preserve most existing vegetation, add about 54 new trees (approximately 50 evergreen) and 135 shrubs (mostly evergreen, drought-tolerant, native), and avoid tree removals in the scenic corridor.
• Planner James Higgins testified that pre-existing nonconformities were not exacerbated, and that the new variances were for the wall side-yard setback, the front-yard setback for servicing equipment (existing 33.6 feet; proposed 38.5 feet), the A-frame height increase of 0.8 feet, and the monopole height increase of 6.5 feet. He concluded the site could accommodate the use and that the conditional use and scenic corridor requirements were satisfied.
• Board questions about capacity and noise were answered: the upgrade was significant, though no precise percentage was provided, and noise would remain below applicable standards.
• The board approved the application unanimously, subject to the testimony and staff reports.

Key Outcomes

• Art Heinrich / ZBA-26-00004 was approved.
• Iglesia Christiana Refugio, Inc. / ZBA-26-00001 was approved with conditions tied to the two-service schedule, carpool plan, buffer choice, and staff reports.
• PSE&G / ZBA-26-00003 was approved with no additional conditions beyond testimony and staff reports.
• The board adjourned after the approvals.