Hillsborough Planning Board carries Homestead Road application to May 8; time-of-decision extended

The Hillsborough Township Planning Board agreed on the record April 3 to carry the application of Homestead Road LLC to Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 7 p.m., and to extend the application’s time of decision while the parties complete outstanding filings and scheduling.

The move came after the applicant’s attorney, Craig Giannetti, said the applicant and its witness were unavailable for an earlier rescheduled date and requested a new hearing date. “We were prepared to go this evening, and finish the public questioning of our traffic expert,” Giannetti said, adding that his team could not appear on certain alternative dates and asked the board for an extension of the time-of-decision rule.

The action followed discussion about missing rebuttal reports from the objectors. Giannetti told the board the objectors had not submitted required rebuttal reports that were due 10 days prior to the meeting, and argued they should be foreclosed from presenting additional testimony based on that missed deadline. The board discussed the issue on the record and the parties agreed to proceed with a continuance rather than attempting to finish the hearing that night.

Mike Pesaro, identified in the record as policy director for the Watershed Institute and listed as objector number 1, appeared at the hearing along with other objectors and local conservation interests. Board members confirmed that limited attendance by eligible board members required the matter to be carried on the record. Chair Sarajev announced the continuance: “This application will be carried until Thursday, 05/08/2025, at 7PM, or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, in this room without further notice,” and noted the time-of-decision would be carried into June to accommodate scheduling and a court remand affecting the board’s calendar.

Board counsel and parties also discussed logistics for any additional reports or witnesses. Giannetti said the applicant expected to respond to review letters in the next two weeks and asked to be copied on any materials the objectors might submit in advance of the next hearing. The board asked that any objector planning to call a witness without a prior report notify the board at least 10 days before the May hearing so the record and posting requirements could be met.

The board also acknowledged a recent court remand related to another application handled by Judge Menon, which the board said is affecting its June calendar and the availability of meeting dates. Members signaled May 8 as the targeted date and said one or more June dates (May 31 was mentioned in the record as a time-of-decision target) might be needed if scheduling required it. The record contains both a carry to May 8 and a statement that time-of-decision is being carried “till May 31,” which the board said it would clarify in meeting notices.

The hearing record also notes that the applicant’s rebuttal testimony was complete for the evening: the applicant indicated it did not expect to call additional witnesses unless site plans or stormwater plans were revised in response to review letters. The board confirmed public questioning of the applicant’s traffic expert (identified in testimony as Mr. Dean) would be completed before additional public comment and closing statements at the resumed hearing.

The board instructed staff to post any submitted materials to the township’s civic clerk site and to circulate proposed dates to the parties if a date earlier than May 8 became available. The matter was formally carried on the record; no formal roll-call vote on the continuance was recorded because the parties agreed to the continuance and not enough eligible board members were present to make or second a motion.

What happens next: the application is scheduled for May 8, 2025, at 7 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the board may hear it, with the board’s time-of-decision extended into June while it resolves calendar conflicts and awaits any additional filings the parties provide.