Planning Board — February 10, 2026

The Planning Board’s minutes of this regular meeting, approved at its May 12 meeting, are on the Township’s Documents-On-Demand portal, linked from its Agendas/Minutes page, in the Planning Board minutes folder. Board Attorney Steve Warner called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. Present were Councilwoman Columbus, Councilman Owens, Mr. Hambro, Ms. Cook, Mr. Verbeke, Mr. McCartney and Mr. Russoniello, with Township Engineer Douglas Ball, Board Planner Kendra Lelie and Mr. Warner. Chairman Chabrak and Mr. McLoughlin were absent. With the Chairman absent, the Board unanimously chose Mr. Hambro as Chairman Pro Tem (motion of Ms. Cook, seconded by Councilman Owens). No members of the public were present.

Master Plan consistency review of the affordable-housing ordinances

Mr. Warner said that development-regulation and zoning ordinances, after introduction by the governing body, are referred to the Planning Board for Master Plan consistency review under section 26A of the Municipal Land Use Law; once the Board finds an ordinance not inconsistent with the Master Plan, it goes back to the governing body for second reading, public hearing and adoption. The Township Committee had introduced the three ordinances on February 9, 2026.

Ms. Lelie said the ordinances implement the Fourth Round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan the Board adopted on June 24, 2025, which was submitted to the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program. She said there was one objector and no developer rejected the plan; that Fair Share Housing made a “soft objection,” not to anything of substance, but wanted an agreement that the Township would obtain a consent order from the judge approving the plan, along with monitoring and compliance with the Fair Housing Act; and that the Housing Element does not need to change and can now be implemented. On each ordinance she said:

• Ordinance 2026-1507 (AH-8 — Route 22 Affordable Housing 8 zone). The area between North Branch Walk and Summit Green is the Vollers property. The front piece will remain Vollers property; the rear piece, where Premier is the developer, will connect to both Summit Green and North Branch Walk and will be the AH-8 zone. The zone permits multifamily apartments, townhomes and one group home, with 250 proposed apartments and townhomes. A site plan must be consistent with the concept plan included in the ordinance. The Township will receive 50 credits: 46 for the multifamily homes and four for the four-bedroom supportive and special-needs home.
• Ordinance 2026-1508 (amended Evans Way Redevelopment Plan). The original redevelopment plan for KRE Stoney Brook was approved for industrial warehouse development; KRE later asked to be part of the Fourth Round plan, and “Branchburg agreed this was a better use of the property.” The amendment allows 400 units on Evans Way, 300 apartments and 100 townhouses, of which 80 are affordable (60 apartments and 20 townhouses). KRE will still need site plan approval. KRE will also extend existing affordable units at Whiton Hills for another 30 years.
• Ordinance 2026-1509 (affordable-housing and development fees). This is the administrative ordinance that anyone providing affordable housing in the Township must follow, updated to adopt the State’s newest affordable-housing regulations.

The Board then adopted a resolution on each ordinance (“to approve the ordinance,” in the minutes’ words):

• Resolution PB 2026-010 on Ordinance 2026-1507: motion of Ms. Cook, seconded by Councilman Owens.
• Resolution PB 2026-011 on Ordinance 2026-1508: motion of Councilman Owens, seconded by Ms. Cook.
• Resolution PB 2026-012 on Ordinance 2026-1509: motion of Mr. Verbeke, seconded by Mr. McCartney.

Each passed by recorded vote: 7–0 (Ayes: Mr. Hambro, Councilwoman Columbus, Councilman Owens, Ms. Cook, Mr. Verbeke, Mr. McCartney and Mr. Russoniello; absent: Chairman Chabrak and Mr. McLoughlin).

AAVLBR Property supplemental resolution

The Board adopted Supplemental Resolution No. PB 2026-009 for AAVLBR Property, LLC, Block 17, Lot 2 and Block 17.01, Lot 2, Industrial Parkway (Case No. 2021-023P, listed as “PFSP Amended”), on motion of Ms. Cook, seconded by Mr. Verbeke. Recorded vote: 4–0 (Ayes: Mr. Hambro, Ms. Cook, Mr. Verbeke and Mr. Russoniello; Councilwoman Columbus, Councilman Owens and Mr. McCartney not eligible). The minutes do not describe the resolution’s terms.

Other business

The minutes of the January 13 reorganization and regular meeting were approved, 3–0 among eligible members (Mr. Hambro, Ms. Cook and Mr. Russoniello). There were no applications. Communications were the November/December 2025 issue of The NJ Planner and PSEG general permits. Three claims totaling $724.50 were approved, recorded vote: 7–0. The Board professionals had no comment, and the Board adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

See Branchburg’s Fourth Round affordable-housing plan, Evans Way redevelopment and land-use board applications.

Records

• Minutes and agenda: Agendas/Minutes page of the Township’s website, which links its Documents-On-Demand portal (Planning Board folder)
• Meeting video on the Township’s Granicus archive