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Zoning board carries Islamic Circle of North America application after questions over parking and public access
Summary
The Franklin Zoning Board continued an Aug. 6 hearing on an application by the Islamic Circle of North America to convert part of 1320 Hamilton St. from office use to a prayer room; testimony focused on occupancy, a five‑space parking shortfall under one calculation, ADA restroom upgrades and whether the facility will be open to the public. The case was carried to Oct. 1, 2026.
The Franklin Township Zoning Board on Aug. 6 heard detailed testimony on an application by the Islamic Circle of North America, New Jersey Inc., to convert part of an existing two‑story office building at 1320 Hamilton Street into a prayer room and house of worship and carried the matter to Oct. 1 for additional testimony.
Attorney John De Luca, representing the applicant, told the board the organization seeks a D‑1 use variance, amended site‑plan approval and a parking variance to accommodate a prayer room that has been used by staff for years but which the applicant now wishes to open to some members of the public. "So we're seeking d 1 use variance relief, amended site plan approval, and a parking variance," De Luca said during opening testimony. Witnesses listed for the application included two organization members, an architect, an engineer, a traffic engineer and a planner.
Board members and professionals probed how many people would attend, how frequently and what controls the organization would use to avoid overcrowding. Syed Haq, a volunteer civil engineer with the organization, testified the room has been used since about 2006 and that the prayer layout physically fits about 42 people in the applicant's count, though he acknowledged that building code occupancy could be higher if measured differently. "We have counted ... maximum, you can add, adjust 42 people," Haq testified.
Traffic and zoning experts gave different takes on parking. Traffic engineer Gary Dean said an ordinance‑based calculation that separates office and assembly uses could produce different required totals, and that under one seat‑based method the aggregate requirement would be 40 spaces while the site proposes 42. Board planner testimony and the township technical review committee (TRC) report noted a higher comparison figure (47) that leads to a 5‑space shortfall depending on how the floor area and occupancy are counted. "With the proposal, they're short 5," the planner observed during the hearing.
Architect and engineer testimony described minimal interior renovations: conversion of two non‑ADA toilets to ADA‑compliant restrooms for public use plus restriping and modest circulation changes to gain six parking spaces. The site engineer agreed to comply with TRC comments including adjusting ADA striping and moving roll‑out dumpsters.
The board recessed for a short time so the applicant could tighten witness testimony. The applicant requested the continuance; the board voted to carry the application to Oct. 1, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. and granted an extension of the time for decision through Oct. 31, 2026. The continuance will allow the applicant to return with clarified evidence on who the facility will be open to, parking/ADA compliance and any plan revisions.
The hearing record for the application is now open; the board signaled it expects more specific operational testimony and technical revisions when the applicant returns.
