Piscataway planning board approves MSN Pharmaceuticals expansion, grants parking and loading variances

The Piscataway Township Planning Board on May 27 approved a site-plan expansion for MSN Pharmaceuticals at 20 Duke Road, granting bulk variances for parking and loading berths while declining to apply EV‑charging parking credits to reduce the parking requirement.

Vishnu Arpoppea, a representative of MSN Pharmaceuticals, told the board the company acquired the property in 2017 and operates a generic pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging operation there. "We are actually a generic pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging operations company," Arpoppea said, adding the facility currently staffs about 110 employees in two shifts and that the expansion would add roughly 30 employees for a projected total of about 140.

Professional testimony emphasized site operations and capacity. Robert Murray, a professional engineer with Menlo Engineering, described the existing property and proposed site changes, including additional building area, a reconfigured parking field and two added loading berths for a total of six. Murray told the board the proposed parking would be 198 spaces if the board followed Arteon’s reading that EV credits are not allowed, or 206 spaces if EV credits were accepted. He said several dimensional variances (lot frontage, drive-aisle width) are preexisting conditions.

Traffic consultant John Ray of McDonough & Ray Associates said on-site counts showed a peak of about 85 cars during a main day shift and estimated the expansion would generate approximately "an additional 8 to 10 truck trips per day," which he characterized as less than one truck movement per operating hour. "Even at that maximum number [of additional employees], 30 additional employees, we would need 115 parking spaces and we have 198," Ray said, concluding the proposed parking would meet anticipated demand.

Board consultant Ms. Dolan said she concurred with Ray and that her April 8, 2026 letter comments had been addressed. "I'm very satisfied there's more than sufficient parking and all of my other comments have been addressed," she said.

The board asked specifically about EV charging credits. Arteon’s review letter argued that credits for EV spaces cannot be taken if the parking is not strictly required by code; the applicant nonetheless proposed eight EV spaces. The board ultimately approved the application on a motion by Reverend Kenny, seconded by Mr. Adkins, specifying approval "without the credit" for EV spaces. The roll-call vote was recorded in the affirmative for Mayor Wahler, Miss Corcoran, Miss Saunders, Reverend Kenny, Mr. Adkins, Mr. Ahammed and the Chair.

Attorney Daven Persaud closed for the applicant by stressing MSN's continued presence in Piscataway and the design approach to blend the addition with the existing building. The board's approval includes the variances memorialized in the motion and follows testimony and review letters from staff and consultants. The board adjourned the meeting and confirmed the application will be reflected in the memorializing resolution and minutes.

Notes on figures: the attorney’s initial summary and the engineer’s testimony include slightly different arithmetic for total added square footage (the attorney cited cumulative figures totaling about 110,954 square feet earlier in the presentation; the engineer referenced a 55,477‑square‑foot addition in a later exhibit). The transcript does not reconcile that discrepancy; the approval and conditions recorded in the meeting focused on variances and operational commitments rather than a single reconciled square‑foot figure.