Franklin Township Board of Adjustment Meeting - August 6, 2026

The Franklin Township Board of Adjustment met on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 7:30 PM at 475 Demont Lane. Five voting members were present (Vasim Verdas, Gary Rosenthal, Robert Shepherd, Michael Doherty, and Chairman Thomas; Cheryl Bathia and Richard Prokanek were excused). The board approved consent items, carried over a discussion item, and heard a substantial portion of a D1 use variance application for a prayer room/house of worship, which was ultimately continued to October 1, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Regular Meeting Minutes – June 4, 2026: Approved unanimously (5-0).
• Resolution PSE&G / ZBA-26-00003: Approved 4-0 (Robert Shepherd recused).
• Resolution Art Heinrich / ZBA-26-00004: Approved 4-0 (Shepherd recused).

Discussion Items

• 64 Casa Esencia, LLC / ZBA-21-00027 – Relief of Condition: The matter was carried to September 17, 2026, with no further notification needed.

Hearing – Islamic Circle of North America / ZBA-25-00024 (Continued)

The applicant sought a D1 use variance, amended site plan approval, and a parking variance to renovate the interior of an existing commercial office building at 1320 Hamilton Street (Block 90, Lot 3, B-I zone) into a prayer room/house of worship. The existing two-story office building (approx. 9,500 sq. ft.) currently houses the Islamic Circle of North America’s headquarters, an accountant tenant, and a real estate agent tenant. The proposal would allow members of the public to join employees for daily prayers (five 15-minute prayers daily, plus a longer Friday prayer with a sermon). The applicant testified that the prayer room currently seats 42 people due to directional prayer requirements (facing the Kaaba), though the building code occupancy is 49. No exterior changes were proposed.

Witnesses presented:

• Sayed Haq (ICNA member): Described the organization’s operations and the need to open the prayer room to the local community (anticipated 10-12 additional people on normal days, up to 25 on Fridays). Under cross-examination, he acknowledged the room had been used as a prayer space for over 12 years, primarily for employees.
• Ruby Jamshad (Operations Director): Detailed day-to-day building use: five employees, a weekly hygiene pantry (15-20 recipients), monthly meetings (15-20 attendees), and two tenant offices. The prayer room is currently locked and accessible only to employees. The proposed change would unlock the room during prayer times for community members.
• Ashraf Ragab (Architect, licensed 2001): Explained the minimal renovations: converting two existing non-ADA toilets into ADA-compliant restrooms. No other interior or exterior changes.
• Ronald Sadowski (Professional Engineer, licensed 1994): Presented the site plan showing an increase from 36 to 42 parking spaces by restriping and adding a second drive aisle. Two existing ADA spaces are on the opposite side of the building from the main entrance, which the board noted may need relocation. The engineer agreed to comply with technical review committee (TRC) comments, including restriping to meet 18-foot depth standards.
• Gary Dean (Traffic Engineer, licensed 1984): Provided a parking analysis. Under one calculation (based on net office area), the zoning requirement would be 40 spaces, and 42 are proposed. Under the board planner’s calculation (using a 0.85 multiplier for office area plus 1 space per 3 seats for worship), the requirement is 47 spaces, a deficiency of 5. Mr. Dean argued that because many congregants are also employees, the strict application double-counts, and the 42 spaces are sufficient. He raised potential need for one EV charging space and ADA compliance.
• Kevin O'Brien (Planner): Began testimony on the positive and negative criteria for a D1 use variance, noting that houses of worship are inherently beneficial uses but emphasizing the need to meet the municipal land use law under the recent Monarch Construction decision. Testimony was cut short when the applicant requested a continuance.

Key Outcomes

• The board expressed concerns about inconsistent testimony regarding who would be allowed to use the prayer room (employees only vs. open to the general public) and the resulting parking demand.
• The applicant requested and was granted a continuance to October 1, 2026, at 7:30 PM at the same location, with an extension of the time for decision to October 31, 2026. The motion passed unanimously (5-0).
• The board also briefly debated a motion (introduced by Robert Shepherd) requiring all expert witnesses to provide written reports 10 days before testifying. The motion failed on a 2-2 vote (with one abstention).