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Record of Proceedings

Franklin Township Board of Adjustment Meeting: Tawheed Dawah Center & Kyle Porter, October 15, 2026

Zoning Board of Adjustment — Thursday, October 15, 2026
BodyFranklin Township, New Jersey
SessionZoning Board of Adjustment
DateThursday, October 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:31:08

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:00

2026, in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act PL 1975, Chapter 231, adequate notice of this regular meeting of the zoning board of the Township of Franklin has been provided.

0:13

Board members, applicants, professionals, members of the public, please speak directly in the microphones so that our recording secretary can properly process minutes.

0:23

Applicants and professionals, please fill out the sheet on the table when you have completed your testimony.

0:30

Call the role, please.

0:35

Cheryl

Speaker 2

0:36

Bafia?

Speaker 1

0:37

Here.

Unassigned speaker

0:41

Rich

Speaker 2

0:41

Burkanek here.

0:45

Here.

0:46

Alan Rich?

0:47

Here.

0:49

Gary Rosenthal?

0:50

Here.

0:52

Bob Shepard, Michael Doherty, and Kenal Lakia have asked to be excused.

0:57

Peter March.

0:59

Here.

1:00

And Chairman Thomas.

Speaker 1

1:02

Here.

1:03

We have minutes of the regular meeting, September 17th, 2026.

Speaker 3

1:11

Second.

Speaker 2

1:13

Sheryl, you can't second

Speaker 3

1:14

that.

1:15

I'm second.

Speaker 2

1:18

Okay.

1:19

Oh, I guess we should Rich Burkanic?

Speaker 3

1:23

Yes.

Speaker 2

1:24

Vasim Verdas?

Speaker 3

1:25

Yes.

Speaker 2

1:26

Alan Rich?

1:27

Yes.

1:28

Gary Rosenthal?

1:29

Yes.

1:30

Peter March?

1:31

Yes.

1:32

Chairman Thomas.

Shauna Kwamawala · Speaker 4Inferred

1:34

Yes.

Speaker 1

1:35

Moving down to the hearing section.

1:40

We're going to begin with

Unassigned speaker

1:41

the

Speaker 1

1:41

read the law center, ZVA 24 00 17.

1:47

Amended preliminary final site plan plus relief of condition in which the applicants proposing construction for 19,350 square foot place of worship at 633 South Middle Workship Road.

2:02

This presentation is going to be split tonight for the benefit of the audience.

2:09

At about 7.30, we're going to briefly adjourn this hearing and hear a another homeowners hearing because some different things.

2:29

So right now we you're

Speaker 5

2:31

on.

2:33

Thank you, Mr.

2:33

Chairman.

2:34

My name is Brian Schwartz, Schwartz Han Olson Towson representing Taweed Doha Center.

2:40

Thank you first of all, all your board members.

2:42

I know it's an inconvenience to come out this early in the evening.

2:45

You can't hear me?

2:49

Is the green light on?

2:51

Yeah.

Unassigned speaker

2:52

Okay.

Speaker 1

2:52

Is that better?

2:53

I believe I was told the in order to get better clarity and less squealing out of the mics, they had to turn the volume down slightly, so it's necessary for anyone speaking into a mic tonight to get a little bit closer even than normal.

Speaker 5

3:12

All right.

3:14

Oh, that's better.

3:14

I can I can hear you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Religious Land Use█████████████████████████████████████37%
Parking Management███████████████15%
Stormwater Management███████████11%
Traffic Safety██████6%
Miscellaneous██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Special Events Permitting█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Public Safety███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Franklin Township Board of Adjustment Meeting: Tawheed Dawah Center & Kyle Porter, October 15, 2026

The Franklin Township Zoning Board of Adjustment convened on October 15, 2026, at 6:30 PM. The primary agenda item was the continued hearing for the Tawheed Dawah Center, an application to construct a 19,350 square foot place of worship at 630 South Middlebush Road. The board also heard and approved a separate application (Kyle Porter) for a residential addition.

Consent Calendar

  • The minutes of the September 17, 2026 regular meeting were approved unanimously.

Tawheed Dawah Center (ZBA-24-00017): Amended Preliminary & Final Site Plan

The hearing focused on significant plan revisions made by the applicant since the September 24th session. The applicant's attorney, Brian Schwartz, stated the client made changes "not happily, but they have made them because they want to reach a consensus."

Applicant's Concessions & Plan Changes

  • Worship Area Reduced: The prayer hall was reduced from 7,981 to 6,864 square feet, matching the square footage of the previously approved temple on the site. This lowered the calculated occupancy from 532 to 458 based on the zoning formula.
  • Parking Land-Banking: The applicant proposed constructing 97 parking spaces and "banking" 60 spaces (total of 157). Board Attorney Mr. Hack clarified the new parking ordinance applies over the old one, as the change benefits the applicant.
  • Stormwater Upgrade: The applicant agreed to redesign the stormwater management system to comply with the 2023 DEP regulations, a voluntary upgrade.
  • Legal Rulings: Mr. Hack ruled the plan changes did not require re-noticing and confirmed the "time of application" rule does not apply when an ordinance change favors the applicant.

Professional Testimony & Board Discussion

  • Architect (Mr. Mystery): Detailed the floor plan changes. The reduction in the prayer hall expanded a kids' playroom and conference room. The overall building footprint remained unchanged.
  • Engineer (Mr. Ardman): Presented revised site plans (Exhibit A4) showing increased buffers (parking set back 175 ft from neighbors), reduced impervious coverage (16.68%), and the banked parking layout.
  • Zoning Officer (Mark Healy): Strongly noted that the parking requirement calculation depends on the building code occupancy load of the assembly area, a figure the architect had not yet provided. He stated the architectural team must provide this.
  • Parking & Enforcement Debate: Chairman Thomas stated the board must "trust but verify." A significant discussion occurred on the threshold for using the banked spaces. The applicant agreed in principle that a return to the board would be required if the active 97 spaces proved insufficient due to increased attendance.

Public Comment & Opposition

  • Objector Attorney (Martina Bailey): Represented neighboring Snyder Farm. Questioned the variance between the building's capacity and the applicant's stated attendance figures.
  • Resident Concerns (Multiple speakers): Residents consistently cited a lack of trust that the large facility would not eventually draw crowds exceeding the stated 50-80 average daily attendees. They expressed deep concern about traffic on the single-lane South Middlebush Road.
  • Special Events & Traffic: The applicant stated a maximum of 150 people for occasional special events like weddings, requiring a separate township permit. Residents questioned the enforcement of this limit and the cumulative traffic impact of five daily prayer services.
  • Environmental: Questions were raised about the basement depth (2,890 sq ft), septic system capacity, and drainage effects on Snyder Farm.

Planner Testimony (Ms. Tran) & Left-Turn Lane Issue

  • Ms. Tran argued the use is inherently beneficial and that the negative criteria are addressed by the concessions. She noted the township master plan prefers such uses on county roads.
  • Chairman Thomas initiated a unanimous straw poll supporting a condition requiring the applicant to "vigorously pursue" a left-turn lane on South Middlebush Road. Applicant Attorney Schwartz acknowledged the board's strong sentiment but noted he could not commit his client to the expense without further instruction.

Kyle Porter Application (ZBA-26-00019) – Residential Variance

The board briefly adjourned the main hearing to hear this application for a one-story addition at 46 Vermont Avenue. The proposal required a C variance due to an existing non-conforming front setback. The addition aligns with the main house's setback. The board approved the variance unanimously with no public opposition.

Key Outcomes

  • Kyle Porter (ZBA-26-00019): Approved. C Variance granted for a one-story addition at 46 Vermont Avenue.
  • Tawheed Dawah Center (ZBA-24-00017): Hearing carried to October 22, 2026, at 6:30 PM to continue public questioning of Planner Tran and allow for public comment.
  • Upcoming: A potential vote on the application is anticipated in the following meetings. The board expects finalized details on stormwater compliance and the left-turn lane pursuit.

Meeting Transcript

2026, in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act PL 1975, Chapter 231, adequate notice of this regular meeting of the zoning board of the Township of Franklin has been provided. Board members, applicants, professionals, members of the public, please speak directly in the microphones so that our recording secretary can properly process minutes. Applicants and professionals, please fill out the sheet on the table when you have completed your testimony. Call the role, please. Cheryl Bafia? Here. Rich Burkanek here. Here. Alan Rich? Here. Gary Rosenthal? Here. Bob Shepard, Michael Doherty, and Kenal Lakia have asked to be excused. Peter March. Here. And Chairman Thomas. Here. We have minutes of the regular meeting, September 17th, 2026. Second. Sheryl, you can't second that. I'm second. Okay. Oh, I guess we should Rich Burkanic? Yes. Vasim Verdas? Yes. Alan Rich? Yes. Gary Rosenthal? Yes. Peter March? Yes. Chairman Thomas. Yes. Moving down to the hearing section. We're going to begin with the read the law center, ZVA 24 00 17. Amended preliminary final site plan plus relief of condition in which the applicants proposing construction for 19,350 square foot place of worship at 633 South Middle Workship Road. This presentation is going to be split tonight for the benefit of the audience. At about 7.30, we're going to briefly adjourn this hearing and hear a another homeowners hearing because some different things. So right now we you're on. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Brian Schwartz, Schwartz Han Olson Towson representing Taweed Doha Center. Thank you first of all, all your board members.

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