Planning Board — February 17, 2026

Present

Chairman Vescio, Vice Chair Sikora, Michael Pappas, Bruce Bongiorno, Sonja Chartowich, James Magura, Inderpreet Banga and Niren Choudhury; Councilwoman Isla arrived after the executive session. Mayor Moench, Henry Wang and William Atkins were absent. Also present: Board Attorney Mark Peck, Board Planner Katherine Sarmad and Board Engineer William Burr. No member of the public spoke at the opening public portion.

Settlement: Somerset Corporate Center (SOM-L-0060-25)

The Board went into executive session at 7:11 p.m. on the litigation (8-0) and returned at 7:33 p.m. Mr. Peck said the Board had discussed litigation brought by Somerset Corporate Center against the Township. On a motion by Ms. Sikora, seconded by Mr. Choudhury, the Board voted 9-0 to authorize Chairman Vescio and Ms. Probst to execute a settlement agreement (ayes Sikora, Pappas, Magura, Choudhury, Chartowich, Banga, Bongiorno, Isla, Vescio; Moench, Wang and Atkins absent). The memorializing resolution was adopted on March 3. The minutes do not state the settlement’s terms. See redevelopment areas.

Wheatsworth Properties Urban Renewal, LLC (25-026-PB): first hearing

Block 406, Lot 2.01, Cornell Blvd. and US Routes 202/206: minor subdivision and preliminary and final site plan. The minutes refer to the attached court reporter’s transcript. See Cornell Boulevard housing.

• Appearances: Jason Hyndman (Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio) for the applicant; Dennis M. Galvin for the Borough of Somerville; Robert Simon (Herold Law) for Somerville resident objectors.
• The proposal, as Mr. Hyndman described it: split the lot in two; on proposed Lot 2.02, a four-unit building for heads of household who are disabled military veterans, restricted to very-low-income households; on Lot 2.03, an 11-unit building for low- and moderate-income families. Both 100 percent affordable, part of the township’s Fourth Round housing plan, and conforming to the AH-3 zone. Stormwater would go to two small bioretention basins. He described it as a variance-free application with two design waivers (landscaping and tree plantings) and a technical waiver for the shared driveway.
• Luciano Bruni, of the applicant, was the only witness (the engineer and architect were sworn but not reached). He testified that the 11-unit building has an Affordable Housing Trust Fund grant and the veterans’ building would apply to the National Housing Trust Fund; that veterans would be referred through agencies and the 11-unit building filled by lottery; that the veterans’ units are capped at 30 percent of area median income; that the company manages its buildings in-house with weekly visits and no on-site superintendent; that parking meets the state residential site standards; that the plan was built on access from Cornell Boulevard; and that construction would take 10 to 12 months for the larger building. He called the site “an acre and a half.”
• Board Planner Sarmad said very-low-income limits run from $32,220 for one person and that township ordinance requires developers to use the township’s administrative agent.
• Mr. Galvin asked why access was not taken from the Route 202/206 frontage instead of Cornell Boulevard, whether Somerville would allow a road-opening permit, and about emergency response and maintenance of Cornell Boulevard. Mr. Simon asked about the owner entity, the developer named in the housing plan, why the lot is split in two, the diner’s parking on the site, amenities and sidewalks, and whether a developer’s agreement had been signed.
• Board members asked about an elevator (none required for two stories), parking, noise, lighting, incomes, accessible parking spaces, a good-neighbor policy and bulk trash.

Public questions (six people): Steve Moss, 311 Altamont Place, Somerville (fencing, distance to the highway, accessible parking, a sound wall, the dumpster enclosure, the Cornell paving moratorium); John Manilio, 255 West Summit Street, Somerville (accessibility, the parking count, pickup times, generators, Route 202/206 access); Diana Neumaier and Hans Neumaier, 291 West Summit Street (ramp safety, noise, emergency services, green space); David Knapp of Altamont Place, Somerville (Cornell’s width, street parking, school buses, construction trucks); and Kim Wortman, 289 West Summit Street, Somerville (a sound wall, a traffic study, sidewalks, lighting, utilities, highway access).

The 10 p.m. limit ended the hearing at 9:58 p.m.; it was carried to Tuesday, March 3, at the same time and place without further notice (the transcript and the next agenda say March 3; the minutes’ summary line says “March 7, 2026”). There was no vote on the application.

Other business

• The minutes of September 30, 2025 (special) and October 7, 2025 were adopted.
• Wine Outlet Bridgewater LLC (25-012-PB), 155 Promenade Blvd., Suite A-08, bulk variances: adjourned to April 7, 2026 without further notice.

The meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m. The minutes were adopted May 19, 2026.

Records

• Minutes with hearing transcript (township document page)
• Minutes, part 1 (township document page; the same file as above)
• Minutes, part 2 (township document page; LocalWhy has not yet reviewed this file)
• Agenda (township document page)
• Video on the township’s YouTube channel (2:54:46). This page follows the Board’s minutes and the attached transcript.