The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
By Jim Johnston.
I am writing about the request of Tawheed Dawah Center, 630 South Middlebush Rd, to amend the prior site-plan approval and obtain relief from an existing condition.
My understanding is that the applicant is seeking permission for prayer gatherings five times each day, seven days a week, along with parking-related relief associated with the revised plan.
I am requesting that the Franklin Township Council and our Assemblyman, Joe Danielsen, intervene in this matter before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, similar to what you did for the Canal Walk residents a couple of years ago when you helped to plead their case to the Planning Board against the B9 warehouse.
The next Zoning Board meeting for Tawheed Dawah Center is at Municipal Complex at 475 DeMott Lane on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 at 6:30 pm (an hour earlier than usual).
In my view these planning and zoning boards represent an uneven playing field that strongly favor developers . The developers come to these meetings with deep pockets and millions of dollars to spend on lawyers, traffic experts, environmental experts, etc. and of course these “experts” deliver verdicts that support the developers who are paying their salaries. By contrast we private citizens have nowhere near the financial resources of the developers.
For example, a couple of years ago the Canal Walk residents used a “gofundme” to raise funds to pay their attorney, but even then they were hard pressed to raise enough money.
This is all the more reason we appreciate the efforts of Mayor Phil Kramer and Assemblyman Danielsen to intervene on behalf of the Canal Walk residents and other Franklin residents! Thank you both again!
And this is not an isolated case. A similar scenario is now unfolding with 630 South Middlebush Rd, where the developer, in this case a house of worship, has greater financial resources at their disposal than the private citizens, including farmers, who live on that road.
Our petition, “Help Preserve South Middlebush Scenic Corridor,” now has 4,007 signatures.
change.org/PreserveSMiddlebush
This is an environmentally sensitive area that is located in a township scenic corridor. The construction of the complex will result in the decimation of a forested ecosystem comprised of mature shade trees which house a multitude of indigenous wildlife species including endangered birds. It will have a negative environmental impact on the surrounding area due to increased stormwater runoff and ground pollutants. It also creates a safety hazard from vehicles entering and exiting the complex from fast moving, heavily travelled two lane South Middlebush Road. This plan violates the scenic corridor ordinance which was adopted by Franklin Township for this area.
South Middlebush Road is a narrow, two-lane road maintained by Somerset County. But the County has not made any improvements to the road in many years , and it seems unlikely to do so in the future. For this house of worship to have five prayer services per day, seven days per week will create very dangerous traffic conditions and slow down emergency vehicles trying to pass through the area. Even today traffic on this road is dangerous.
Plus, South Middlebush Road is in a rural agricultural area that will necessitate installing a large septic tank in the ground close to farms where crops are being grown.
We are not against houses of worship. There are many other places around Franklin where this could be built where water and sewer infrastructure is already built, and the roads can handle the additional traffic. But building it on South Middlebush Road is very ill-advised for the reasons stated above.
At the last Zoning Board meeting, the developer’s attorney spent a lot of time discussing the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) enacted by the Bill Clinton Administration back in 2000. I am familiar with this law. But is it right that this law is now being used as an excuse to violate Franklin’s Scenic Corridor Ordinance and create very dangerous traffic conditions on South Middlebush Road?
Parking and Occupancy
There is much concern about the number of parking spaces being requested. They expect 30 cars with 60 people each session, 5 times per day. On holidays they expect 100 people. Why does the applicant need to build 21,000 square feet for 60-100 people only?
The parking requirement per zoning building code will be 532 spots since there is no assigned seating. (This means that even if the Board only approves 157 spaces for now, then once construction of the building is complete, they eventually will be obligated to approve the 532 parking spaces in order to comply with zoning building code for a 21,000-square-foot building and this is exactly what the applicant wants and is planning for!)
Imagine if over 500 cars (at 2 people per car) come instead of 30 cars per session – the impact will a total disaster for South Middlebush Road and the town!
The Mosque had a website (brought down after first hearing) showing they want to build dormitories and schools at the same site. Also, the House of Worship has other locations where they rent space in buildings. If they construct a new building at 630 South Middlebush Road that they own, it could become a major tourist attraction and attract hundreds if not thousands of people to come to Franklin.
Noise and Operating conditions
What we have heard so far from the applicant is that no outdoor amplified sound will be used. We hope this remains the case.
Please clarify whether the applicant proposes any outdoor amplified sound or other outdoor activity. I ask that any approval expressly state the permitted hours and activities and carry forward clear, enforceable limits on outdoor sound and events.
Traffic Study and Review
A traffic study was done Oct 7 thru Oct 11, 2024. This was during the Jewish holiday (High Holy Week) when traffic is typically lower. In addition, a high percentage of people were still working from home. Therefore, the study underestimates the actual traffic on this road.
The Township Engineer’s review identifies a traffic impact study prepared by Dolan & Dolan and dated August 11, 2025. Please identify when the traffic counts used in that study were collected, the dates and locations counted, and whether those counts reflect current conditions. Please also identify who retained and paid the consultant, the study’s scope, and any later updates.
Also remember, the topic we need to focus on is not a one-time traffic study and over and done with. A resident has been surveying the other streets which connect to South Middlebush from Amwell, Route 27 to Cortelyous Lane and many other inside streets to South Middlebush, and each one get congested if just one car has to make right or left turn.
The point is anyone coming to the mosque is not only coming from South Middlebush Road, but will be cutting through Rt. 27 on many occasions to avoid the traffic or take the shorter route depending on where they are coming from.
The person who has done the traffic study for this project may have not considered all these facts and we should ask The Zoning Board for the detail. Under no circumstances should the mosque get relief from the previously approved plan.
Also knowing this organization they will extend to community or religious school which they have done in South Brunswick off Rt.1 and Promenade. This is the agricultural area and should not be given any permission which will damage the welfare and wellbeing of the environment, people, communities and businesses around it.
Please clarify whether the Township or County commissioned a separate independent traffic study or peer review, beyond the Township’s technical review of the applicant’s submission. If there was a peer review, please make its report and conclusions part of the record. If not, please explain whether the Board has enough current evidence to evaluate the proposed change in frequency and schedule.
Flooding
Flooding is a major problem on South Middlebush Rd. Just yesterday an alert went out that the road was closed in both directions between Bennetts Lane and Blackwell Mills roads due to flooding.
