Planning Board
PLANNING BOARD INFORMATION
The Planning Board is created pursuant to the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D. It is a volunteer board comprised of nine (9) regular members and two (2) alternate members, all appointed by the Township Council or Mayor.
The powers of the Planning Board include the following:
- Adopt a Master Plan
- Hear applications and make decisions on Subdivisions, Site Plans and Conditional Uses
- Adopt the Official Map
- Prepare a Capital Improvement Program
- Advise Township Council on changes to Land Use Ordinance.
In most cases a proposal for land use begins with an application which is filed in the Planning Dept. Applications conforming to Township zoning are considered by the Planning Board. Non-conforming land use proposals are considered by the Board of Adjustment. Pursuant to the Municipal Land Use Law, the Township imposes an applicant fees and costs to recover expenses incurred in processing applications. Depending on the schedule of the Planning Board and complexity of the application, the period to complete the process is between three (3) and nine (9) months. Assistance in the application process is available in the Planning Dept.
Meeting Schedule
Board Members
Name | Position | Date Expires |
John Ciccarelli, Mayor | 01 (Class I) | 12/31/2025 |
Robert Wagner, Jr. | 02 (Class II) | 12/31/2025 |
Shawn Lipani, Committeeman | 03 (Class III) | 12/31/2025 |
Robert Peason, Vice Chairman | 04 (Class IV) | 12/31/2027 |
Carl Suraci, Chairman | 05 (Class IV) | 12/31/2026 |
James Flagg | 06 (Class IV) | 12/31/2026 |
Bruce Radowitz | 07 (Class IV) | 12/31/2028 |
Angelo Vitale | 08 (Class IV) | 12/31/2027 |
Patricia Smith | 09 (Class IV) | 12/31/2028 |
Raj Deb | Alt #1 | 12/31/2026 |
Jason Smith | Alt #2 | 12/31/2025 |
Board Professionals
Board Attorney
Board Engineer
Board Court Reporter
Fuerza Strategies
Township Videographer
Contact
908-369-8382
379 South Branch Road
Hillsborough, NJ 08844
Phone: 908-369-8382
Fax 908-369-9718
Planning Director
Marcella McLaughlin
Assistant Director / Zoning Official
Assistant Planner / Sustainability Program Manager
Administrative Assistant / Planning Board Clerk
Planning & Zoning Clerk
A Guide to Planning Board and Board of Adjustment Meetings
All Board meetings are run by the respective Chairman. The Board must have a majority of its members present – 4 Board of Adjustment and 5 Planning Board – in order to proceed. The Board follows parliamentary procedure (Roberts Rules of Order) to conduct meetings in an efficient and orderly manner. All meetings are conducted in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act (Chapter 231,
P.L. 1975), commonly referred to as the “Sunshine Law.” The Boards and Board Members have the obligation to follow the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL), and are compelled to act based on the findings of fact and proofs provided during the course of the public hearing. The Board of Adjustment and Planning Board function as quasi-judicial bodies, meaning they operate similar to a court of law. All discussions, presentations of evidence, questions and comments regarding a pending application must be conducted before the public except for certain matters related to litigation.
For information about a specific meeting or application please feel free to contact the Planning & Zoning Department at 908-369-4313.