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Franklin Planning Board approves higher permit fees, raises escrow for larger projects
Summary
The Franklin Township Planning Board voted to raise several planning and zoning fees, standardize homeowner zoning permits at $50, set $100 fees for commercial and new-house reviews, and increase escrow/professional review charges for projects adding 1,000 sq ft or more of impervious surface.
The Franklin Township Planning Board voted to approve updates to application and escrow fees aimed at better covering staff and consultant review costs.
Planner Mark Dancy told the board the fee schedule had not been substantially updated in roughly 15 years and that the proposed changes “basically increase those with the intent of, you know, essentially trying to cover the township’s cost whether staff or consultant to review those things.” The board approved the changes and memorialized the action in a resolution to be sent to the township council.
The package keeps ordinary homeowner zoning‑permit fees low while standardizing them at $50 (previously $25–$30). Reviews for commercial construction or new single‑family houses will be set at $100. Mark said the proposal also increases professional review and escrow deposits for projects that trigger expanded engineering review, notably where impervious coverage increases by 1,000 square feet or more, because that typically requires stormwater design and additional staff time.
Board members said the increases were intended to align Franklin’s fees with neighboring municipalities and to avoid subsidizing developers and applicants. A member asked whether the township accepts Bitcoin for payments; staff replied that accepting cryptocurrency would be an enterprise‑wide township decision and is not handled at the department level.
The motion to adopt the fee schedule passed with recorded affirmative votes from Theodore Chase, Robert Leort, Charles Brown, Robert Thomas and Michael Orsini. The board also approved a resolution memorializing the action for council review, per the board’s usual practice.
