Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Franklin Township public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
11 issues in zoning with high priority
Cluster subdivision ordinance overhaul
The township is streamlining its cluster subdivision rules — the tool that lets developers build on smaller lots while preserving roughly half the land. The natural resource preservation cluster option stays, the redundant agricultural cluster option and its density bonus go away, and lot size averaging would be extended to the A Zone.
House of worship at 680 Easton Avenue
A congregation of 80 wants to turn a vacant medical office building into a church. The board's concerns about parking and overcrowding were answered with a two-service Sunday schedule, a carpool plan limiting each service to nine cars, and new evergreen buffering. Neighbors get a reoccupied building instead of a vacant lot, but the narrow Gerard Avenue and existing illegal parking remain a challenge.
Tawheed Dahwah Center place of worship, 630 South Middlebush Road
A house of worship wants to build a 19,350-square-foot facility on South Middlebush Road in Somerset. The plan needs amended site plan approval and relief of a prior condition from the Zoning Board, and the site sits in the Delaware and Raritan Canal review zone, so stormwater facilities there carry a conservation and maintenance easement. Neighbors along South Middlebush Road may want to weigh in on traffic and site design.
House of worship interior conversion at 1320 Hamilton Street
The architect's new exhibit shows 150 prayer rugs (3'x6') fitting the worship hall, but critics note the applicant earlier said 3'x3' mats, the chairman found standard rugs are smaller, and a resident argued the layout packs people in like sardines. The core unanswered question: why build a worship area 20% bigger than the prior approval for fewer attendees?
Short-Term Rental Regulation
Neighbors on Coppermine Road described weekend party rentals with DJs, buses, and parking chaos, and the property's owner apologized and promised tighter bookings. The new Chapter 315 requires primary residency, bans event venues, caps occupancy and enforces parking rules — final vote August 11.
Church subdivision and facility retention at 135 Davidson Avenue
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of U.S.A. was scheduled for hearings on splitting its Davidson Avenue parcel and keeping existing church and seminary facilities. The decisions affect the future use of this large B-I zone property.
Data Center Ban and Warehouse Ordinance
Resident Jim Johnston asked whether the warehouse could secretly become a data center after the council banned them. The board clarified any such change would require a new application — a use now prohibited in the zone — and the approval was conditioned to bar data centers and detention facilities.
2026 Master Plan reexamination ordinance updates
The Planning Board was scheduled to hold a hearing on re-examining the Master Plan for the B-I (business/industrial) Zone. Changes to this zone could affect what businesses and industrial uses are permitted on land in the district.
Warehouse regulation in the B-I zone (Ordinance 4507-26)
Franklin Township has seen more than two dozen warehouse applications since 2018, and the proposed ordinance would tighten rules on truck traffic, noise, and air-quality impacts — and kick data centers out of the B-I zone entirely. This could shape what gets built near I-287 and along Hamilton Street for years.
B-I Zone Warehouse Ordinance (Ordinance No. 4507-26)
The board was scheduled to adopt a reexamination of the Business and Industry zone master plan, based on a 2024 traffic study and steering committee work. It recommends intensity standards and restrictions for warehouses and light manufacturing, which would go to the Township Council for ordinance changes.
Master plan zoning cleanup ordinance
The board reviewed its first ordinance from the 2026 master plan reexamination — sweeping out dated or unenforceable zoning provisions, fixing a worship parking ratio that's been 3x too strict, and legalizing restaurants that have operated at Cedar Grove for decades. It comes back for a vote later.