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Franklin Township zoning board approves Somerset Bible Baptist Church variances for 8,640‑sq‑ft gym despite 23‑space shortfall
Summary
On April 2 the Franklin Township Zoning Board granted a D3 conditional‑use variance and a C variance for parking to Somerset Bible Baptist Church, allowing an 8,640‑sq‑ft gym to be built behind the existing church. Approval was conditioned on compliance with TRC comments and return for site‑plan review; the plan provides 100 parking spaces vs. 123 required.
On April 2, 2026 the Franklin Township Zoning Board voted to grant Somerset Bible Baptist Church the variances it asked for to build an 8,640‑square‑foot gym behind its building at 42 Cedar Grove Lane while requiring the applicant to return with a full site plan for engineering review.
Attorney Frank Agliardi told the board the application was bifurcated: the hearing sought only a D3 conditional‑use variance (to recognize existing nonconformities) and a C variance for off‑street parking, with the site‑plan review to follow. Pastor Brian Fischer testified the congregation averages 150–200 attendees on Sundays and that the church’s school enrolls about 75 students; he said the gym would serve only the church and school and would not be leased to outside groups. "We've never rented our buildings to anybody," Fischer said.
Traffic engineer Elizabeth Dolan reported field counts showing a Sunday peak of 76 driveway movements and a school peak of 49 movements. She said the current property holds 74 spaces; the revised plan adds 26 to bring the total to 100. "By ordinance the combined requirement is 123 spaces," Dolan said, leaving a 23‑space variance request. Dolan and the applicant said they do not anticipate simultaneous peak demand from church services, school hours and gym use.
Professional engineer and planner Anthony Gallerano described the proposed building as approximately 72 by 120 feet, roughly 30–35 feet high, and reiterated that much of the site perimeter is wooded and the building would sit well back from the property line. He said the proposed impervious coverage (26.6%) was below the 40% threshold cited in the township's conditional‑use rules and argued the religious and school uses satisfy the positive D3 criteria while the project would not produce substantial negative impacts.
Board members pressed the applicant on several technical items that the board’s Township Review Committee (TRC) had flagged for the site‑plan stage: parking geometry and turning radii in the rear lot, wetlands delineation and stormwater calculations, driveway reconfiguration from two‑way to one‑way circulation, sidewalk requirements on the Cedar Grove Lane frontage, and how buses currently parked on site would be handled. The applicant said most buses would be removed and that two bus spaces are being shown for occasional use.
The board voted to grant the two variances by roll call, conditioning approval on the testimony provided, compliance with TRC comments, and the applicant’s return for a detailed site plan that addresses the engineering, wetlands, stormwater and sidewalk items. Votes recorded in favor were Cheryl Bethia, Richard Proanic, Vasim Verdas, Robert Shepard, Kunal Lakia and Chairman Robert Thomas.
The board emphasized that the variance alone does not permit construction to proceed; the applicant must secure site‑plan approval and satisfy any county requirements for driveway modifications and school‑zone safety features before permits would issue. The applicant said it will provide revised, colorized materials and updated traffic analysis as part of that next submission.
Why it matters: The approval allows a substantial new indoor recreation facility for a longstanding church and private school but leaves unresolved neighborhood concerns tied to parking supply, site‑plan geometry and wetlands/stormwater details that will be addressed before construction can begin.
