Planning Board Approves Rutgers Preparatory School'Multipurpose Building with Conditions

The Franklin Township Planning Board on [date not specified in the transcript] approved preliminary and final amended site-plan approval, a lot merger and an impervious-coverage variance for Rutgers Preparatory School'allowing construction of a new multipurpose building on the school's Easton Avenue campus.

Peter Lamford, counsel for the applicant, and witnesses described the project as a two'story, roughly 14,520'14,529-square-foot multipurpose building attached to the existing dining commons and intended for assembly and performing-arts uses. Robert Apgar, the school's chief operating officer, said there is no plan to expand enrollment as a result of the building and that current enrollment is 702 students.

"I would respectfully request that the site plan approval be granted," Lamford told the board during the presentation. Architect Richard King described the building form and materials, saying the structure is "28 feet high to the top of the parapet wall," with brick and wood cladding and screened mechanical equipment.

The board's approval is conditional. The resolution approved by a motion from a board member and second requires that staff approve any stormwater-management revisions the Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission (DRCC) may require, that staff sign off on the final outdoor courtyard area and any changes in tree or landscaping locations, and that the developer execute any required agreements. Engineer Scott Turner told the board the design is in a second DRCC review and that the applicant will meet current infiltration and water-quality standards.

Board members cited the application's modest reduction in impervious coverage compared with a prior approval as supportive context for granting the variance; testimony showed the overall campus coverage would drop by about 1,891 square feet to approximately 27.1%, compared with a previously granted 27.7% variance.

Several technical items were addressed before and after the vote: a traffic report (Dolan & Dean, Sept. 17) evaluated the shortening of the pick-up/drop-off zone (from roughly 170 feet to about 80 feet) and found no material traffic impact; the school has been coordinating water-meter and fire-prevention work with the Office of Fire Prevention; and the environmental commission asked for additional trees and review of EV readiness (Turner said the current plan does not add parking spaces and thus does not trigger the statutory EV-parking requirement, but the school plans to consider EV charging later).

The board made clear it expects the applicant to resolve a landscaping/utility coordination issue (trees located over proposed drainage infrastructure) on resubmission.

The motion for approval passed on a roll call vote with multiple affirmative votes recorded and the site plan was approved subject to the staff conditions and required engineering revisions. The board noted it anticipates seeing additional, related applications as Rutgers pursues its larger campus master plan.

Next steps: the applicant will revise plans to resolve the landscaping/drainage conflict, finalize stormwater details in coordination with DRCC and staff, and return with any required documentation or site-plan updates for administrative sign-off before construction begins.