Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Franklin Township public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
41 issues with high priority
Flock/ALPR license plate cameras
Roughly a dozen residents demanded the Flock camera system be suspended, canceled, or put to a referendum, citing a ~48% hotlist hit rate, privacy concerns, and national reports of Flock data disclosures. The public safety director and mayor countered that the hit rate reflects broad hotlist settings (mostly paperwork violations), drops below 1% when filtered for serious crimes, and that Franklin owns its data. The mayor said no final decision has been made and has asked the Attorney General to require shorter retention and more frequent audits.
Sentinel Data Center air permit (NJDEP)
Sierra Club members and others urged the Council to object to NJDEP's 'minor source' classification of the data center's diesel backup generators. The public comment period runs through November 9, thanks partly to Mayor Kramer and state senators.
Asphalt cost increases slowing paving projects
Asphalt is up 36% since January (from $530 to $723 per ton), so fewer designated streets will get paved this year while the township seeks funding for the rest.
Affordable housing PILOT rates and school impacts
Ordinance 4496-26 would rewrite the township's affordable housing development fee rules to comply with the state Fair Housing Act and UHAC standards. Development fees feed the affordable housing trust fund, which helps pay for affordable homes in Franklin.
Millstone Road vacant space as place of worship
A vacant former contractor's/storage building at 60 Millstone Road will become the Light of Christ church, ending a 15-year search for a Franklin Township home by a congregation of about 70. The main sticking point was parking — only 11 on-site spaces against 31 required — solved with an agreement to use 40 spaces at the neighboring HOPES CAP building on Sundays. The board added conditions on handicap parking, striping, and notice requirements for weddings and funerals.
Traffic safety and left-turn lane on South Middlebush Road (CR 615)
A crossing guard flagged faded crosswalks and crumbling tactile pads on Franklin Boulevard; another resident asked for a traffic light at JFK and Winston Drive, rumble strips on Amwell Road, and limits on tow trucks on Arlington Avenue. A full traffic study at JFK/Winston is underway, with funding possible in 2027.
Cannabis Dispensary Near Residential Area
A resident pushed back on a new dispensary near homes, a school, and the library. Officials explained it's a legally protected pre-existing non-conforming use in an R40 zone, and the township collects 2% of gross receipts — projected at roughly $1.2 million a year.
Flock Safety ALPR cameras controversy
Residents have demanded shutdown of the township's license-plate camera system for months, citing privacy, tracking, and transparency concerns. Councilman Singh publicly backed a full public review and a new vote; other members say they're taking all feedback under consideration without rushing.
Easton Avenue traffic safety and Cedar Grove Lane signage
A board member noted three schools and three churches within half a mile make Cedar Grove Lane busy, and urged the county to consider school-zone signage and flashing lights as part of the church's site plan.
Affordable housing at 260 Davidson Avenue and 40-year PILOT
The Council adopted the PILOT ordinance converting hotel buildings into 142 affordable units with a $3.5 million trust-fund contribution. Residents raised diesel truck traffic, health, and transit concerns; officials defended the site's proximity to ShopRite, CVS, and shuttle service.
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.
Affordable housing on Main Street and Kossuth Street
Habitat for Humanity is building township-donated lots as 100% affordable homes to help Franklin meet its state-mandated obligation of 659 affordable units. Residents asked why these homes land mostly in Wards 2, 4 and 5; the township explained those wards hold most of the buildable lots with public water and sewer.
Proposed 258,150 sq. ft. warehouse at 1950 Easton Avenue
Concore Realty seeks approval for a 15,425-square-foot warehouse in the B-I zone. The hearing was carried to October 21, 2026, delaying any decision and requiring new notices to property owners.
Beekman Road traffic safety
Residents repeatedly challenged the reliance on October 2024 traffic counts, arguing post-pandemic return-to-office traffic has changed everything, and questioned left-turn safety and school-bus impacts. The engineer's five-day counts and conservative two-per-vehicle assumption did not fully calm those fears.
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.
Water Main Replacement Check Valve Impacts
Homeowners on King Road and Cedar Brook Drive say new check valves turned their plumbing into closed systems, causing water heaters to leak and forcing repairs costing hundreds to thousands of dollars. The township manager admitted notification was posted on the website instead of mailed flyers and said it's now corrected; a review including possible remediation is underway.
Catalpa Park Open Space Funding
A $293,500 draw from the open space trust fund would buy mowers, a tennis court windscreen at Inman Park, pickleball nets, pool benches, and a new Senior Center pavilion.
Habitat for Humanity Land Sale at 168 Churchill Avenue
The council sold the tiny 50-by-195-foot township lot at 168 Churchill Avenue to Habitat for Humanity despite a neighbor's objections about lot size, flooding, parking and traffic safety. The zoning board will decide the variance in two weeks; if denied, the land reverts to the township.
Catalpa Park Improvements
The Council awarded an $8.58 million construction contract to Vulcan Construction Group and introduced a $1.38 million Open Space Trust Fund appropriation for the park rebuild. To keep the contract within budget, they cut the bocce area with shade structures and a decorative brick column. Expect construction soon at one of Franklin's flagship parks.
Property Tax Increases
New property assessment cards were mailed with a May 1 appeal deadline. Residents were urged to apply for state property tax relief and to call the assessor with questions rather than relying on assessment card figures for income taxes.
East Millstone Water Main Connection
East Millstone's isolated water system will finally be tied into the township's main system, so a main break won't leave the whole area dry.
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?
Second 30-unit apartment building at Spangenberg Lane
Cal-Sterling Franklin wants to build a second 30-unit apartment building at Spangenberg Lane in Somerset, needing a conditional-use variance in the SCV zone. The board was scheduled to decide whether the project moves forward.
Water supply for Spangenberg Lane apartment phase
The second 30-unit building at Spangenberg Lane has been stuck because of water allocation issues between Franklin Township, New Brunswick and the NJDEP. Water for the first building is already on site, and the full permit for the second building is expected to reach DEP by year's end — which is what allowed the board to move forward now.
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.
Open Space Acquisition — 287 Cedar Grove Lane
The Council finalized a $5.46 million purchase of the long-listed Sudia property for preservation, funded by the Open Space Trust Fund — keeping the land from being developed.
Council Member Residency and Ethics Allegations
Residents asked the council to investigate whether Councilman Carl Wright still lives in the township. The deputy mayor promised answers, while two council members defended Wright, suggesting confusion with his son.
Open space preservation — Cedar Grove Lane and Collins Property acquisitions
The town is locking up two big pieces of land for preservation: the ~34-acre Cedar Grove Lane tract that could have held 25 homes, and the Collins Property on Route 27. Both are paid from the Open Space Trust Fund, so no hit to the general budget.
Warehouse diesel emissions and health review of development
A resident urged the township to put public health representatives on its zoning and planning boards, citing two dozen warehouse applications since 2018 and state warnings that diesel exhaust is a carcinogen threatening nearby neighborhoods.
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.
Future of 135 Davidson Avenue: church/school retention vs. large warehouse
A warehouse is proposed on the church/cultural center site in the B-I zone, where warehouses were removed as a permitted use in 2023 — hence the D(1) use variance. Residents raised truck traffic on Davidson Avenue and Easton Avenue during peak hours, and the objectors' counsel challenged whether the site can support a use variance given the zoning history.
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.
Canal Road open space preservation subdivision
Somerset County wants to subdivide 32.9 acres at 1452 Canal Road, buying 23.9 acres to add to its open-space inventory next to existing county land. The application was carried to May 6.
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.
PSE&G Bennetts Lane substation improvements
PSE&G is replacing 60-year-old equipment and adding a second transformer and feeder at the Bennetts Lane substation, which serves about 17,500 customers and was nearing 100% capacity on hot summer days. The upgrade should keep air conditioning and power reliable through peak demand, with construction from 2027 to 2030 and no planned outages.
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.
School Board Budget and Meeting Coordination
Residents complained school taxes rose 8% on top of last year's 10% hike, and that school board and council meetings sometimes fall on the same night. The mayor said state mandates drove the increase; Anbarasan, the liaison, pledged to attend school board meetings.
Truck traffic and failing intersections
The traffic engineer says the warehouse would add only modest peak trips, with trucks using Executive Drive and improved signal timing. Residents and objectors questioned truck-turn conflicts at Easton/Davidson and rising combined traffic from the neighboring IDI warehouse.
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.