Zoning board OKs house‑of‑worship plan at 680 Easton Ave with limits on services and parking

The Franklin Township Zoning Board approved a conditional‑use variance and site plan Thursday to allow an existing two‑story building at 680 Easton Avenue to operate as a house of worship, after the applicant submitted additional operational controls and revised landscaping.

Represented by attorney John Duca, the applicant said the property — a half‑acre site in the office‑professional zone formerly used as a medical office — will be renovated internally to create a prayer hall, baptismal area, fellowship/dining room, kitchen and offices. The applicant proposed a maximum prayer‑hall occupancy of 64.

To address board concerns raised at a May 21 hearing about parking, occupancy and buffering, the church provided a membership list and operational commitments. Church elder Cadmiel Feliz testified the congregation provided a member list of 80 people (60 adults and 20 children) and that the leadership adopted a resolution to split services: a morning service from 10:00 a.m. to noon and an evening service from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. “The plan is to split the services ... thereby splitting attendance effectively by half,” Feliz said. The church also submitted a detailed carpool and transportation plan intended to consolidate attendees into about nine vehicles per service, while providing 23 on‑site parking spaces.

Attorney Duca and planner Kevin O’Brien told the board the church also submitted a revised site plan (marked A9, revised May 25, 2026) that adds evergreen plantings as a buffer and a formal carpool/resolution exhibit (A7–A8) to show operational controls. O’Brien, the planner, testified that the additional evergreen plantings (25 on the revised plan) and the carpool/attendance commitments address the board’s prior concerns and that he believed the application met the D3 conditional‑use standard without substantial detriment to the public good.

During public comment, three congregation members spoke in favor of the proposal, describing community benefits and positive programming. Board discussion noted remaining concerns about access and the existing condition of the parking lot; the chair and the planner recommended the applicant be allowed to choose either a line of evergreen trees or a 6‑ft solid fence to achieve the required screening and to prevent trespass into the lot.

A board member moved to approve ZBA‑26‑00001 subject to the newly offered operational commitments (two services and carpool plan), the landscaping/screening improvements (or an equivalent fence), and compliance with staff reports. The motion passed on a roll call with all members voting yes.

The board’s approval is recorded as conditional on the applicant following the operational plan and on standard permit, site‑improvement and inspection requirements.