Board of Adjustment — September 22, 2026

The Board of Adjustment’s adopted minutes of this special meeting are on the Township’s Documents-On-Demand portal, linked from its Agendas/Minutes page, in the Board of Adjustment minutes folder. Chairman Andersen called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. Present were Chairman Andersen, Vice Chair Walch, Larry Fox, Vicki Cook, Michael Pappas, Richard Albanese and Sean Sullivan; Michael Cuttitta, Kenneth Iselin and Art Quade were absent. Also present were Township Engineer Doug Ball, Board Planner Kendra Lelie, Board Attorney Christopher Sobieski and Board Traffic Consultant Jay Troutman. When the Chairman opened the hearing to public questions, no members of the public had attended.

The Training Center, 3087 Route 22 East: approved

Case No. 2026-011 AUV PFSP, Block 10, Lot 7, represented by Brian Tipton, Esq. Mr. Tipton said the application seeks preliminary and final site-plan approval with design waivers and two use variances: one for a vocational training school, an educational use, in an industrial zone, and one for two principal uses in the same building. Mr. Sobieski said the notice was sufficient and timely and the Board had jurisdiction.

In the minutes’ account of the testimony:

• The business. Dan Moscatiello, one of the owners and the COO, said The Training Center is a family-owned trade school registered with the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, with accreditation pending with IACET. He said the school would use about 26,000 square feet of the building’s 42,000, with its own classrooms and labs; classes run Monday to Friday in morning, afternoon and evening sessions ending at 8 p.m.; about 25 staff, not all on site at once; and capacity of about 60 students at any one time. Its existing 9,000-square-foot facility, which will keep operating, serves about 120–150 students a year. He said the site fits the Township’s 2023 Reexamination Report’s aim of making Route 22 more educational and less industrial, and that nothing would be stored outside and no hazardous material generated.
• Questions from members. Mr. Albanese and Mr. Fox asked how the programs complement Raritan Valley Community College and the Somerset County vocational school; Mr. Moscatiello said his programs teach trade skills the college’s two-year programs do not, and that he had not looked at the county vocational school’s offerings. Mr. Pappas asked about staffing, student ages and recruitment. Mr. Ball asked about hours, generators (none needed), waste and a cafeteria (a breakroom). Chairman Andersen asked about fume extraction for welding, which Mr. Moscatiello said is on the engineer’s plans.
• Site and parking. Engineer Beth Kenderdine said the main site work is restriping the parking lot, ADA stalls at the front, and a new path and ramp to the side door that will be the school’s main entrance. She said 126 stalls are proposed, including 5 ADA stalls, where 120 are required (20 for the industrial user and 100 for the school). Lighting would be on a timer and go off at 10 p.m.; after questions from Ms. Cook, Mr. Fox and Chairman Andersen, motion-sensing and security lighting at the entrances were discussed. The applicant asked for design waivers for hairpin striping, planter islands, maximum consecutive parking spaces and a bicycle rack, proposing shade trees around the lot instead, and agreed to work with the Board Planner on plantings.
• Sewer. Ms. Kenderdine said the existing septic system is not up to code and the site will connect to the public sanitary sewer, probably with a temporary solution until connected. Mr. Ball explained the requirements for a Certificate of Occupancy before connection; the applicant accepted them as conditions.
• Traffic. The applicant agreed, as a condition, to send NJDOT a letter of no interest stating the impact on Route 22 is negligible. Mr. Troutman said he was concerned that parking may not cover peak times and about peak-hour traffic at the median opening across from the driveway, and said the numbers should go to NJDOT for review.
• Building. Architect Dan Vivanco said the building’s 12 rooftop units will be used, with a new HVAC system and ventilation for the classrooms; he said the units are not visible from the highway.
• Planning testimony. Planner Wayne Ingram said the school shares attributes of an inherently beneficial use, reuses an existing site with minimal changes, conforms to the Township’s Master Plan and has no negative impacts on the community.

Ms. Cook asked whether another tenant could be added; Mr. Moscatiello said the two existing users will be the only tenants, and Mr. Tipton said any expansion would be an expansion of a non-permitted use requiring Board approval. Ms. Lelie said any change with either user would have to be heard by the Board. The applicant said access to the school area would be controlled by locked doors and keycards. Mr. Sobieski summarized the variances, design waivers and conditions.

The application was approved on motion of Vice Chair Walch, seconded by Mr. Sullivan. Recorded vote: 7–0 (Ayes: Chairman Andersen, Vice Chair Walch, Larry Fox, Michael Pappas, Vicki Cook, Richard Albanese, Sean Sullivan; Absent: Michael Cuttitta, Kenneth Iselin, Art Quade). A Township public notice, reproduced by NoticeRegistry on October 16, states that the Board adopted Resolution BOA 2026-015 memorializing the approval, with conditions, at its October 6 meeting.

Other business

One claim of $195.00 (Savo, Schalk, Gillespie, Warner…, general) was approved on motion of Mr. Albanese, seconded by Mr. Sullivan, 7–0. There were no minutes to approve, resolutions, other business or communications. The Board adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

See land-use applications.

Records

• Minutes and agenda: Agendas/Minutes page of the Township’s website, which links its Documents-On-Demand portal (Board of Adjustment folder)
• Meeting video on the Township’s Granicus archive
• Hearing notice for case 2026-011 AUV PFSP (published September 7, 2026) and Township notice of Resolution BOA 2026-015 (October 16, 2026), both reproduced by NoticeRegistry