Franklin turns down construction request

FRANKLIN—The borough planning board last week unanimously denied a request to build two new homes on a 13-acre portion of Scott Road in an environmentally sensitive area. The approval had been sought by the Ballyowen golf club, which owns the land that abuts the Hardyston border, and is part of the company's main golf course. According to Jim Kilduff, Franklin's director of planning and community development, and other borough officials, the criteria showed the Scott Road site as being unfit to support the project. "Environmentally sensitive areas are areas that are constrained by various factors that may include wetlands, steep slopes and high water tables," explained Kilduff, whose documents confirmed that all three factors are involved with the entire 13-acre site. "So virtually the entire site was constrained by environmentally sensitive areas." The plans brought forth by Ballyowen sought permission for two residential building lots, with a "remainder lot" to be reserved for the golf course, Kilduff said. "The thing that killed that was how wet the property is," said mayor Doug Kistle, who also sits on the seven-member planning board. "After you truly look at it and look at the facts about the property, I'd be a little doubtful, too. "I don't have any problems with slopes," the mayor added. "But when it comes to wetlands on steep slopes, it's another story."