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Residents press council over proposed warehouse at 785 Old New Brunswick Road; officials note planning review
Summary
Residents told the Franklin Township Council they oppose a proposed warehouse at 785 Old New Brunswick Road, saying it would sit amid the busiest shopping center and be too close to a nursing home; council members said land-use and planning review remain the controlling processes.
Residents used the public comment period to criticize a proposed warehouse at 785 Old New Brunswick Road, saying a large warehouse with truck bays would be out of character for a busy shopping area and close to a nursing home and other retail businesses.
Jim Johnston and other residents described a half-constructed building that they understood initially to be a small shopping center and said the developer later sought to change the approved use to a warehouse with multiple truck bays. Speakers asked for explanation of how that change was allowed and said they would prefer retail or community amenities rather than industrial use.
Council members and the mayor said the planning board and review process determine land-use approvals and that some properties change owners and uses over time. The mayor said the former ice rink referenced by a resident had been sold in 2021 and was struggling; a council member added that the Protect Ponds property was slated to become a cannabis growing facility rather than a distribution warehouse.
Council members said public testimony on the related planning-board hearings remains open and that, as planning-board members are involved, council members cannot comment further on particular pending applications to avoid prejudicing quasi-judicial review.
