board for Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Adequate notice of this meeting has been given in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, NJSA 104-6. On January 9th, 2025, proper notice was sent to the Courier News and the Star
Ledger filed with the clerk at the Township of Bridgewwater and posted on the bulletin board in the municipal building. Please be aware of the planning work policy for public hearings. No new applications will be heard after 9:30 p.m. and no new testimony will be taken after 10 p.m. Hearing assistance is available upon
request. Accommodations will be made for individuals with a disability pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA provided the individual with the disability provides 48 hours advanced notice to the planning department secretary before the public meeting. However, if the individual should
require special equipment or services such as a CART transcriber, 7 days advanced notice excluding weekends and holidays may be necessary. Would everyone please rise to salute the flag? [Music] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Simone, could I have a roll call, please? Sure. Chairman Vesio, here.
Mayor Mench, for the record is not here. Councilman Kersh for the record is not here. Mr. Papis here. Mr. Mcgora here. Miss Sakura here. Mr. Banga here.
Miss Chowitz here. And Mr. Chow Chowry, sorry. And for the record, Mr. Atkins is not here. Um, Mr. Mard here. Um, for the record, Mi, um, Mr. Burr is
not here and Mr. Peek is not here. Can you just I'm sorry. He told me you were coming, but I didn't. It's Katie Fina. For the record, it's K A T Y. Last name is Fina. F is in Frank. I N A. Thank you.
Welcome. And for the record, Mr. I'm sorry, Councilman Kersh just walked in. Thank you, Mr. Smoon. Looks like we have a roll call. At this time, any members of the public wishing to address the board on any matter not listed on the
agenda this evening may come forward at this time. Seeing no members of the public, we can move on. We do have a few sets of board minutes this evening. We're going to begin first with the minutes from May 20th, 2025 regular meeting. Any comments
or change to the record? Move approval. That's Mr. Papus and I'll have a second. Second. That's Mr. Kersh. Councilman Kersh, could I have a roll call, please? Mr. Papus, yes. Mr. McGora, yes.
Councilman Kersh, yes. Miss Chawitz, yes. Mr. Banganger, yes. Mr. Chowry, and Chairman Vesio, yes. Moving along, we have a set of executive meeting bins from May 20th, 2025. Everyone should have received the envelope in their packet at this time.
If there are any comments, I believe any comments, Miss Fina will executive session. If not, any changes, comments, or or uh change to the record. Move approval. That's Mr. Pompus.
Second, please. I'll second. That's Miss Chardawitz. And a roll call, please. Mr. Papus. Yes. Mr. McGor. Yes. Councilman Kersh. Yes. Miss Chartawitz.
Yes, Mr. Banga. Yes, Mr. Chowry. And Chairman Vesio. Yes. Moving along, we have one application this evening and that's for racks and restaurants. Application number 21-024-PB. And who will be representing the
applicant this evening? Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Jason Tubel, attorney for the applicant. Um, this is an application that was approved by the board in, I believe, by resolution of November of 2021. The application was pretty straightforward. It was to modernize the existing Burger
King located at the site to comply with Burger King's, you know, newer standards in terms of architecture and layout. Our client is the franchisee. They have to comply with um, Burger King's um, standards. So, two reasons why we're here. Uh, we have gone through resolution compliance with our engineer.
So all the compliance items have been uh finalized. The delay has just been twofold. One was just the typical COVID delays that occurred for all businesses. The third was this property is actually comprised or this site of three lots. Lots one, two, and and four on block
317. The leases for all three were um not in concert with one another where one was set to expire and two were long-term. The applicant worked diligently with the third one to extend it. However, um the principal of that entity passed away. They had to work
through some testimeamentary issues. Now, all three um leases will expire in 2036. So, my client has a good 10 years on its lease to invest um in the upgrades to the Burger King. So, our goal is to file for building permits
hopefully within the next month or two since we're already done with reszo compliance and hopefully start construction either by the end of next year, by the end of this year or early next year. So, we're asking for an extension to be safe through November of 2026, but we're hoping that construction
will commence um a lot sooner than that. So, that's really why we're here, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Thank you, Mr. Tel, and thank you for the review and catching us up on November of 21st, 2021. And uh at this time, any members of our board? Uh we did receive a packet. If there are any questions,
Mr. Gazelle, that'd be great. This be time to do it. Are there any changes to the 2021 plan? No, not that I actually asked the client that it would be consistent because I know that the architecture and the neighborhood impact review for for this
area was very comprehensive. Miss Doyle when she was here made us go through that. So, it would have to be in line with the um with the prior approval and like any approval, if there's any material change, we'd have to come back to the board, but I don't believe that there are any. Thank you. Yeah, no
problem. Any other questions? Just a comment that Burger King has been there a long time. I went there as a teenager and uh hasn't changed since then. So, uh good luck to you, sir. Any other questions or
comments? How about from our professionals? I just have one question. The the letter in the application had requested that requested the three one-year extensions as right right now. Um I don't know. It's usually custom customary that the
applicant would come back would request one extension for one year. Right. So, it's truly up to the board, I guess, and and the board's attorney if they think what they think is best to do. But this would be the reason we did that was because it would have expired um in 2023. So, we're retroactively as the
statute permits doing this the extension from 23 to 24 from 24 to 25 and just conservatively asking the board. Okay. So, just this is the last year you have to do. Correct. Exactly. Exactly. Thank you. And that is legally permissible as he said.
Thank you very much, Miss Sarmmed. Yes, Mr. Chowry, please. So, u to be honest with you, I'm just looking at the drawing now. U you have not you will not reduce any parking spot or anything. Uh no, whatever's on the site plan that was
approved by the board that that will not change. Okay. Yeah, it was really just an upgrade to the facade if I remember some of the signage and the interior layout. Right. You know I obviously I travel to Staple almost every week. Uh the
it may not be having anything to do with that but you know when the car comes in um actually people because people go from either that d stable direction or come out here. Uh there is a speed breaker there as you probably have seen
it but probably that uh it's not enough. Maybe we should have another speed breaker on the front or so because the people do you know come with the close to the curves from both side coming in. It's actually because of the hump there people cannot
see it actually. That's I don't know whether it is a township issue or Burger King should address it. I'm asking you Mr. Chadry is that on Find Durn Avenue what you're referencing the speed bump uh where you're requesting that a speed
bump be reviewed for. Yes, it's a county road. It it does have a problem with that. It would be a county issue at that point. Okay, no problem. As long as I know. Anybody else
opening up to any members of the public that wish to ask any questions related to this testimony? Seeing none, that'll close the public portion for this applicant. Any closing comments? Yeah, it's a law.
Okay, with that with all conditions being met, I'll take a motion for approval of the extension. I'll make the motion. That's Miss Sakoral. I'll need a second, please. I'll second. That's Miss Charteritz. I need a roll call, please.
Mr. Papis. Yes. Mr. McGor. Yes. Councilman Kersh. Yes. Miss Sakura. Yes. Miss Chartawitz, yes. Mr. Banger, yes. Mr. Chowry and Chairman Vesio, yes. Thank you very much everybody. Thank you Mr. and good luck to you. Thank you.
Take care. Thank you. Moving along. Thank you very much to Mr. Simone as you provided us a status of all the meetings uh that are in the coming in the foreseeable future. That's very helpful throughout the summer here. Uh any questions or comments or anybody knows ahead of time that they won't be
available for these meetings? What time is next week? Is it at seven? Okay. And and just to bring the board into, you know, a conversation, some conversations that have occurred on this. Um
what's our number of attendees right now? Right now we have six. So I think we were down to five. And then somebody else stepped up and said they were coming. So now we're back up to six. All right. You do mean for a quorum, correct? Yeah. Well, it's not
just for a quorum. It's, you know, this is are arguably one of the most important issues uh to face Bridgewater Township and, you know, certainly having as close to full participation from the board, both because of the value that that participation brings and because of
the um you know, the the optic. Um I I think as as as many of these seats filled on the deis uh as possible is a very very high priority. So you know if you're not around you're not around. If you know it's a gray area
and you might be around um and again I might be speaking to the um to the converter here. um you know may maybe as we discussed late last week a conversation with one or two of the others to see if there's even any
flexibility to you know fill in another seat or two. I've asked uh Mr. Kers I've asked Miss D Simone to just confirm by phone each member uh for next week. So she's uh
I've been with her help and attending to that to make sure that we have sufficient membership. Would it be inappropriate to list the names of people who will attend? Well, I plan to attend. We can take a
roll call. I didn't know there was a choice. I'll be here. Mr. Ch uh Miss Chowry. Yes. I'll be traveling. Mr. Banga. Okay. Thank you. Mr. Chartawitz. Yeah, I can't make it. Okay.
Miss Sakura, you said yes. I'll be here. Okay. I'm sure Mr. Peek or Miss Phoenix should be here. Yes. Okay. IF will be here. I'll stay off the soccer field. Councilman Kersh. Yes. Okay. Mr. McGori. Yes. Okay.
Mr. Papus. Yes, sir. Okay. And we'll check in with Mr. Wang. And uh not sure if uh Mr. Wang had emailed me just uh the other day and said he was going to be attending. Okay. So, he will be attending. Yes. And I had Mr. McGor down
for a No. And I'm sorry. So, that makes seven. I'm sorry that he will be attending. Oh, so we're at seven. Said he was coming. I had him down as a no. Okay. Sorry. I apologize. All right. So, we're at we're at seven with uh two, three, four, five, six, seven. Two
absent and two unaccounted for and uh the last email I had with Mr. Atkins, he was not able to attend. All right. So, and then and then where we're good. We're seven. Any idea if the mayor would be in
attendance? Are we sure who any idea if the mayor would be in attendance? Okay. So, now Wang will be here. Okay. That's that's a solid seven then. Okay. Okay. I don't think we need to that point any further. Thank you very much,
Councilman. Any other questions regarding next week's meeting? It's on a Wednesday night. Just uh to mark your calendars, not a Tuesday, but a Wednesday night. We assume that the two in July won't or now August 5th won't have any business.
Okay. Yep. Miss Sarma, there was talk about potentially um lending July 15th to another board. Is that something that is still necessary? Uh so the applicant's attorney was not available that night.
Okay, we do have that night open. Um, initially we had thought about doing the master plan. Um, in conversations with administration and Mr. Papis and staff, um, July is probably not the best month to roll out a master plan from attendance purposes from the board members as well as getting out members
of the public. We want feedback. We want, you know, involvement. So, um, that's probably going to be in the September meeting. We have September 16th is the only meeting because of Labor Day. Um, so we'll likely be teeing that up for September 16th. um so that we can get it out plenty of time and
that we'll have you know it'll be everyone should be around for that. Um so that's moved back a little bit but um I think it it's for a good reason. Okay. Is there a brief summary that we can
receive in advance to review for the master plan for the master for so for the housing element we have that on file. Maria will share that electronically with this group. It's a very large document, so we will not be providing print copies unless you do request it. But just know that with the
appendices, it's probably 600 pages. It's huge. Um, again, Darlene Green will be the one who's who is um the township's affordable housing planner. She will be putting on the presentation the night of the 25th um and presenting to this board the housing element for adoption. Um, Maria, I think we should
send that out as soon as possible to the board members so they have it. is on file currently as a hard copy in the in um the planning office. Um but you will all receive again the electronic copy for review well in advance of the 25th I guess tomorrow a week before. Um as far
as the master plan, we're going to have that likely out in August again electronically probably for the volume of that document and then everyone will have a chance to review that thoroughly before the September meeting. Okay. of that big packet that's coming. Is
there a suggested grouping of material that should we should focus on before the meeting? I will let you know the page numbers. I'll I'll let Maria know when she distributes it to the board. There is obviously the housing element will go through the entire history of Bridgewwater's affordable housing
compliance to probably the 80s. So there's going to be a good volume in the front end of the report, which is still important, but the focus will likely be on the fourth round and the impacts of that and any of the associated documents with that. So I will direct the board's
attention to where that happens in the report. So you can look at that specifically. Great. Doc the document is about 80 pages. Okay. And yeah, and I've read it and uh you mean the the housing element, not the appendices, just the the actual Got it. you know, so he could
go through it and it's well done. As Katherine said, there's a lot of historical information about it and Great. Very good. Very well done. I agree with that. Yes. Have any significant number of individuals or any groups contacted the planning office about showing up next week? Do we
anticipate any public engagement or of any meaningful size? Okay. No. And just so the board is aware, and you'll hear this from Darlene as well, um any interested parties that submitted a letter to be included in the housing
element, it's a requirement to that they be recognized in the housing element that whether or not they were included. So you may see developments that were or properties that were not actually included to fulfill the obligation mentioned in the plan because it is a requirement to discuss that a letter of interest was provided, what their proposal was, and
why it was or was not included in the plan. Um, so, uh, I assume, but do not know for certain if any of those property owners that were not included in the plan may, um, may attend that meeting. Um, there also is, so the board
is well aware with the deadline stipulated through the amended fair housing act. There is an objection period or a challenge period to the housing element. So, they may appear just to reserve their rights to that or to hear what the township's plan looks like. um or they may reserve their
comment to that objection period. They have a two-month objection period um from July to the end of August. So, um I I but as far as I know, we have not gotten any heads up that anyone would be attending. And this is so that was just uh
representing Rubel. Oh, Tubell, sorry. He did mention that he will be attending next week's um special meeting. Okay. Just the other point to remember is that the township is required to submit this
to the state program before the end of June. So we have one night to consider this and to act and if not then the township's not in compliance with this very critical part of this process.
Any other questions regarding next week? Any other questions regarding any of the meetings uh throughout the well no not in the summer but August or September? Okay, with that I'll take a motion to adjourn tonight's meeting. Make the motion. That's Miss Sakura. Second,
please. That's Councilman Kersh. All in favor? I I Thank you very much everyone. Don't mind that.