Franklin Township board presses applicant on parking and traffic; convenience-store proposal carried to Feb. 5

Manjit Singh and Ravinder Kaur asked the Franklin Township Zoning Board Dec. 4 to approve a preliminary and final major site plan with use and C variances to convert an existing repair garage into a convenience store at 339 Elizabeth Avenue in Somerset.

At the hearing the applicant’s team — attorney Michael Salvaggi, engineer Tyler (last name not stated), and traffic consultant Gary Dean — walked board members through revised plans that close two driveways on Cedar Avenue, consolidate access to Elizabeth Avenue, relocate the dumpster toward Elizabeth, add landscaping and reduce impervious coverage from roughly 97% to about 70.5%.

“By eliminating the access points on Cedar and concentrating circulation on Elizabeth, we provide a safer alternative,” the project engineer told the board while describing the site’s triangular constraints. Traffic consultant Gary Dean said the station is a low‑volume, neighborhood site (he reported about 20 vehicles in the morning peak hour and about 30 in the afternoon) and defended the proposed parking count: “In my experience with bay conversions, five to six parking spaces is typical; here we have eight fixed stalls plus dual‑use fueling positions,” Dean said, arguing the actual retail footprint and fueling operations reduce the level of parking demand the ordinance prescribes.

Board members repeatedly probed that conclusion. Several asked for empirical references (ITE or other parking-generation data) and comparables to justify relief from the ordinance, which the applicant said would normally require 18 stalls. “I’m not hearing real justification that you can hang your hat on,” one member said, urging more concrete evidence beyond professional opinion.

Residents voiced safety and quality‑of‑life concerns during public comment. Joe Danielson, who identified himself and presented photographs of the site, said vehicles and debris have long cluttered the frontage and questioned whether a new owner would maintain the property: “If they haven’t done it in 13 years, why would they now?” he asked. Another resident, O’Connell, said local on‑street parking on Cedar would persist if customers find it convenient to park and walk into the store.

The application team acknowledged some likely traffic growth resulting from adding a retail mart to a service station footprint but said the net community effect is an aesthetic and circulation improvement compared with the existing repair use. The applicant also confirmed deliveries using a WB‑50 vehicle can be accommodated and estimated fuel deliveries at about two to three times per week.

The board did not take a vote on the merits. The applicant asked for time to bring back the project architect and planner; the board agreed to carry the matter to Feb. 5, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at 475 DeMott Lane. The applicant provided a written extension through Feb. 28, 2026 to preserve the board’s jurisdiction.