Township of Franklin

The meeting commenced with the administration of the oath of office for two returning members, Mr. McCracken and Mr. Thomas, who were reappointed by the Township Council. Following this, the Board proceeded with the nomination and selection of the Chair, resulting in the election of B. Thomas, and subsequently elected Laura G.man as Vice Chair. The Board witnessed the oath of office for the Director of Planning, Mark Hy, and the Zoning Office Secretary. Financial matters included the approval of resolutions for Solutions Bomber ZBA and Seuss CPA, as well as the approval of Mr. Branchaw's January retainer voucher. The primary public hearing involved application ZBA-14001, a hardship variance request for an addition to a single-family dwelling at 122 Sydney Place, which was carried over from the December meeting. Testimony was heard regarding the proposed addition, which included a game room, family room, and a two-car garage on the first level, and new bedrooms/laundry on the second level, increasing the living area significantly. Discussions focused on ensuring the exterior materials match the existing duplex structure due to a Habitat for Humanity deed restriction requiring uniformity between the adjoining units, and the potential impact of the expansion on the unit's status as a low-income affordable housing credit unit.

The meeting commenced with adherence to the Open Public Meeting Act formalities and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a musical performance. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the administration of the Oath of Office for five newly sworn Council members (Theodore Chase, Roselyn Sherman, Philip Kramer, Carl Wright, and James Vasella), administered by US Senator Cory Booker, with Congressman Rush Holt also in attendance. Following the oaths, the newly seated Council members gave remarks. Councilman Theodore Chase discussed ongoing projects for the First Ward, including the replacement water line to Little Rocky Hill and the development of playing fields at Catalpa Farm, noting the need for community agreement and fiscal responsibility. He also mentioned plans for a water conservation ordinance and a stream corridor protection ordinance. Councilwoman Roselyn Sherman expressed gratitude for being re-elected and continuing her service. Councilman Phil Kramer expressed thanks to supporters and emphasized the time commitment required for public service. Councilman Carl Wright also offered thanks to his constituents.

The meeting addressed several variance requests and resolutions. Key discussions involved Resolution ZBA 14-00010 for the Malabar Catholic Church, and Resolution ZBA 14-00028. Retainers for August and September were approved. The Board reviewed and approved applications related to Food Lion of New Jersey Incorporated (ZBA 14-0003), including proposed site plan modifications and parking space additions, which was carried to a future date pending extensive applicant changes. A significant discussion focused on an application for a garage construction at 312 Samuel Boys, requiring variances for frontage and front yard setback due to the existence of a paper street. Additionally, the Board handled a hardship variance application (ZBA 14-0013) for an above-ground pool installation at 22 14th Street, addressing necessary side yard and rear yard setback variances, including placement of pool equipment. The Board also noted that the first meeting in October would be canceled, with the subsequent meeting scheduled for the second or third Thursday of October.

The meeting addressed several applications requiring variances. The first hearing concerned ZBA 190003C, requesting permission to construct front and rear additions and install an in-ground pool, which was carried to the April 17th meeting. The second hearing involved James Wilson (ZBA 190001), seeking variances to build a single-family house on a vacant lot zoned for commercial use (CB zone), with the board favoring the application of AR-10 zone standards due to the lot size and neighborhood context. The third matter dealt with Tom Grant Investments (ZBA 180017), requesting a use variance for a two-story office building in the M2 zone to accommodate non-permitted tenants, including a computer consulting company, a church, and the Guruji Eurasia Foundation, alongside a parking variance. The applicant demonstrated that proposed tenancies would operate during off-peak hours, and that sufficient parking exists for intended uses.

The meeting included procedural announcements regarding the Open Public Meetings Act and the Pledge of Allegiance. A housekeeping announcement indicated that the minor subdivision application PLN 1800002 would be carried with further notice. Discussions ensued regarding the inadequacies of a public notice for that application, specifically concerning missing variance details. The board reviewed and approved the minutes from the regular meeting of June 20th. A major topic involved reviewing facade changes for the RPM Development LLC PLN 1700009 project, which involved retaining the original site plan and unit count (151 units, 55 affordable) but updating the exterior materials, including reducing the scale of stone and using modular brick veneer. The board approved the amended site plan approval subject to the original conditions. The board also heard an application (PLN 1800004) from John Sutiya regarding a minor subdivision creating two lots, seeking variances for lot frontage and setback from a pipeline.