Planning board grants two-year extension for temporary structures at 700 Precipiny Road

The Parsippany (Troy Hills) Planning Board on Monday approved a two-year extension allowing temporary structures — an 18-foot canvas tent, office trailers, an electrical room and storage tanks — to remain at the manufacturing site at 700 Precipiny Road while permanent construction proceeds.

The change modifies a prior minor site-plan approval and extends temporary relief that the board originally granted in late 2021 and memorialized by resolution on Jan. 24, 2022. The applicant sought the extension after receiving temporary certificates of occupancy in October 2024 and saying it needs time to relocate operations and complete the previously approved building addition.

Corey Klein, attorney for the applicant, told the board the temporary structures were installed to allow the company to continue operations while interior upgrades are carried out. He said the board previously approved a related major site plan in 2017 and that the applicant is now prepared to submit building permits to begin permanent construction. “The applicant is asking the board to extend the temporary approvals by an additional 2 years in order to allow the proposed construction to be completed and temporary improvements to be dismantled and incorporated into the existing facility,” Klein said.

Michael Marinelli, a licensed civil engineer with Menlo Engineering, testified that the temporary improvements have been constructed and are ready for operation. “All of the temporary improvements have been constructed and put in place and are ready to be operational,” Marinelli said, describing the tent, chiller, electrical room and the temporary tank containment systems for groundwater monitoring.

Board members and staff asked technical questions about parking, emergency access and the status of outside approvals. Marinelli said the site currently provides 65 parking spaces where the ordinance calls for 89; 42 spaces are temporarily displaced by the structures and were expected to be restored after the permanent addition is completed. He said the facility employs 105 people, with a maximum shift of about 20 employees.

Board planner and engineer reports were discussed. The application sought waiver or relief on several items identified in the planner’s review (ARH Associates, 03/28/2025), including setbacks and drive aisle width. Marinelli and the applicant’s attorney said many of the nonconformities were pre-existing and part of the temporary, approved condition; some items (for example, a frack-tank labeling issue) did not require relief because the final plan would relocate those features.

After closing the evidentiary portion of the hearing, the board voted to approve the application as requested. The motion passed with all voting members recorded in favor.

The approval allows the temporary structures to remain for up to two additional years or until the permanent construction is complete, whichever comes sooner. Conditions discussed on the record include maintaining emergency vehicle access, signage limiting access to authorized vehicles and adherence to the previously agreed-upon secondary containment for liquid storage.

The board did not receive public opposition testimony during the hearing and received no public comments in favor.

The applicant and board professionals said work to relocate operations into the temporary facilities could take roughly two months once started; the permanent construction based on the 2017 approvals was described as likely to take “another year plus,” and the applicant requested the two-year window to provide flexibility.

The board’s action preserves existing temporary certificates of occupancy and extends the temporary site improvements under the conditions described in the ARH review and the 2017/2021 approvals.