Franklin EC flags tree-plan, stormwater and fencing issues in four recent site-plan reviews

The Franklin Township Environmental Commission reviewed four recent site‑plan applications and flagged missing tree‑removal plans, recommended green infrastructure and native planting, and recommended conditions on a proposed telecommunications fence.

Commission members and staff reviewed: a two‑lot subdivision at 179 Cedar Grove Lane; a change in use for a required open‑space parcel at The Grove at Somerset; a request by Verizon Wireless to substitute a chain‑link fence with privacy slats for an approved composite fence at 156 Cedar Grove Lane; and an after‑the‑fact variance request at 32 Annapolis Street for exceeding impervious coverage limits.

At 179 Cedar Grove Lane, staff said the existing lot would remain about 1.096 acres and the proposed new lot about 2.686 acres, accessed by a flag lot off Cedar Grove Lane, and that the applicant met setback requirements. Staff told the commission it could not find a tree‑removal and replacement plan and asked for one before final approval; the commission recommended adding a rain garden and native plant buffering near the new dwelling.

For The Grove at Somerset, staff said the 4.93‑acre site had been built under a 2019 approval that required 5,500 square feet of open space; the homeowners association asked to keep that area as passive open space rather than a community garden. Commissioners recommended native and pollinator plantings and avoiding routine mowing to allow naturalization.

Verizon Wireless asked to replace an approved 10‑foot composite fence around a telecommunications tower at 156 Cedar Grove Lane with a 10‑foot chain‑link fence and privacy slats. Commissioners noted the property backs up to township‑owned land and suggested a dark green slat and chain‑link color so the fence would be visually unobtrusive.

At 32 Annapolis Street, Michelle and Ian Fernandez sought approval after the fact for a concrete patio and steps that pushed the lot above the district’s impervious coverage limit. Staff reported the lot measures about 0.241 acres and the property now exceeds the 30% impervious limit, at roughly 35.3%. The commission recommended mitigation (rain garden, native plantings, meadow or tree plantings) and noted the applicants will appear before the zoning board for a variance.

The commission did not take formal votes on the site plans during the meeting; staff said written comments and conditions would be submitted to the planning and zoning authorities overseeing each application.

Commissioners said they would forward the tree‑plan, stormwater mitigation and vegetation recommendations to the planning board and to the applicants as part of the formal comment record.