Zoning Board of Adjustment — July 28, 2026
The Board approved, 6-0 with one abstention, a D(4) floor-area variance and bulk variances for a patio at 261 Leeham Street, and adopted two resolutions. The Rockland APV battery storage hearing continued with the applicant's engineer and fire-safety consultant, who described a 200-foot distance in the emergency plan; no members of the public were sworn, and the case was adjourned to Oct. 27.
- Development
Meeting recording
Recording plays on the township archive
This meeting does not play on this page. The township's recording is complete and plays in full on the township's own channel.
What happened
What was decided
Present: Chairman John Kulak, James Weideli, Pushpavati Amin, James Franco, Andrew Fresco, Johanna Wiseman, Claudio Vescio, John Colucci, Anthony Mignella and Christine Henderson-Rose; John Gayeski was absent. Consulting engineer Jason Cline (Remington Vernick) attended with the Board’s professionals. The March 10 minutes were tabled.
Resolutions
- Sherif Shalaby (App. #24-013-ZB), 233 Shepherd Avenue, Block 374 Lot 9: adopted (ayes Kulak, Weideli, Amin, Fresco, Henderson-Rose and Wiseman; Franco abstained).
- Shyamal and Shume Roy (App. #25-015-ZB), 43 Edgewood Terrace, Block 164 Lot 4.02: adopted (ayes Kulak, Weideli, Amin, Fresco, Franco and Henderson-Rose).
Mananavkumar Shah, 261 Leeham Street
App. #25-017-ZB (continuance), Block 545 Lot 14: D4 floor-area variance. The applicant’s planner, Matt Flynn, said the need for D4 relief arose during the earlier hearing on bulk variances for the patio, and presented the proofs; no one asked him questions. Mr. Oller said the bulk variances had been granted at the prior hearing but the Board had to re-vote the whole application because that resolution was not adopted. Approved with conditions, 6-0 (ayes Kulak, Weideli, Amin, Franco, Henderson-Rose and Wiseman; Fresco abstained).
Rockland APV battery storage, 760 East Main Street
App. No. 24-029-ZB, Rockland APV Bridgewater Energy LLC, Block 338 Lot 9: preliminary and final major site plan and minor subdivision. The minutes attach the transcript, which began at 8:45 p.m.
- Engineer Craig Stires and fire-safety consultant Leonard Ganesh Deonarine testified.
- Mr. Deonarine said the NFPA 855 standard calls for 75 feet, but the applicant’s emergency plan uses 200 feet, the distance recommended for evacuating the public, and keeps firefighters back 200 feet as well unless they wear full protective gear and breathing apparatus.
- Applicant’s attorney Glenn Pantel said the attendees at a meeting Mr. Deonarine had described with fire officials included Bridgewater’s deputy fire official, the director of municipal services, the Finderne assistant fire chief and Somerville representatives. Mr. Oller said the Board would go through all the questions, memos and reports and that the meeting would have to be set up a second time.
- Land Use Administrator Nancy Probst asked that resubmitted materials be filed at least three weeks before the next hearing.
- No members of the public were sworn. Adjourned to October 27, 2026 with no further notice. The township later cancelled the October 27 meeting and moved the hearing to an October 20 special meeting.
See battery storage.
Public comment
No one spoke during the portion for items not on the agenda.
Records
- Minutes (township document page; adopted October 13, 2026, with the Rockland APV transcript attached)
- Agenda (township document page)
- Notice of decision: Shah (township notice)
- Video on the township’s YouTube channel (3:20:16). This page follows the Board’s minutes and the attached transcript.