Politics & Government

Mosque Hearing Pushed to October

Planning Board names Jeffrey Plaza chairman and Randy Santoro vice chairman.

The Bernards Township Planning Board on Tuesday was the first municipal board to move its meeting location to the Bernards Township Library while the Town Hall is being renovated — and also ended up selecting a new chairman at that meeting.

Although it was originally on the agenda, Board Secretary Fran Florio earlier during the day said the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge's application for a mosque in Liberty Corner now is scheduled for Oct. 8. The application has drawn crowds at hearings conducted before the board in the past year.

One of the items on Tuesday night's agenda was the swearing in of Peter Hagan as a full-fledged member of the Planning Board. Hagan was to moved up from alternate member to replace Carol Bianchi. Bianchi, who had been serving as board chairman, who cannot serve as a regular board member after she was last week appointed to the Township Committee to fill a spot created by the resignation of former Committeeman Scott Spitzer.

The board on Tuesday night appointed Jeffrey Plaza, previously the planning board's vice-chairman, as new chairman. Board member Randy Santoro was moved up to vice-chairman.

The board also went into a lengthy closed session.

All Bernards Township Committee, Planning Board and Board of Adjustment meetings will be moved to the library while renovation of the court and meeting room at the town hall is underway.

Although township officials have said they expect the project to be completed by November, Florio said she has published notices that the Planning Board meetings will be conducted in the library through December. The meeting schedule can be revised, however.


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