Sayreville planning board denies proposed mosque at 214 Ernston Road over parking and site variances

The Sayreville Planning Board voted to deny an application for a new house of worship proposed for 214 Ernston Road after concluding the project’s requested variances and its plan for on-site parking were inadequate to prevent traffic, parking and pedestrian-safety impacts.

The applicant’s attorney, Mr. Sachs, had told the board the project had been revised since it first appeared in April 2024, including a reduction in maximum occupancy from 454 to 321 people and a smaller building footprint. “We reduced that by almost a third, down to 321 occupants,” Sachs said, and described a list of conditions the applicant offered to mitigate impacts, including splitting Friday afternoon services into two sessions, hiring police officers for traffic control, using off-site shuttle parking and conducting a traffic study within the first year of operation.

The board’s professional and legal advisors reminded members that houses of worship are treated as inherently beneficial uses under New Jersey law, meaning applicants do not need to prove the positive criteria but must show they do not create adverse consequences under the negative criteria. The borough attorney summarized that framework for the members before the vote, saying the…