Carteret Sikh Community Seeks Zoning Approval for Three-Story Temple on Port Reading Avenue
The Singh Sabha Sikh community, which has worshipped at 941 Port Reading Ave. on the Carteret-Woodbridge border since 2002, is seeking municipal approval to replace its existing one-story gurudwara with a substantially larger three-story house of worship. The proposal, filed with the Carteret Zoning Board of Adjustment, requires several variances because the site spans multiple zoning districts across the two municipalities. A virtual public hearing was scheduled to give community members and officials the opportunity to weigh in on the significant expansion plan.
🏢 Zoning Approval Sought for Three-Story Sikh Temple on Port Reading Avenue
Plans to build a larger, three-story Sikh temple on the Carteret and Woodbridge border are set to go before the borough Zoning Board of Adjustment. The applicant, Singh Sabha Inc., is seeking preliminary and final site plan approval along with variances to build the temple in an area where such construction is not currently permitted under local zoning rules. The proposed new structure is expected to replace an existing smaller, one-story temple already on the property. A virtual public hearing on the application was scheduled for July 16, giving area residents the opportunity to participate remotely. The project site at 941 Port Reading Ave. sits in the Port Reading Avenue 3 zone in Woodbridge and spans a residential zone in Carteret, making the zoning approvals particularly complex for the cross-border parcel. The site is bordered by Port Reading Avenue, Larch Street, Arthur Avenue and South East Grant Avenue. The detailed plans posted on the borough website call for a 4,293-square-foot ground floor that would include a Gura Ka Langer Hall alongside a lobby and a spacious 20-by-60-foot kitchen equipped with a walk-in cooler and flat-top stove. The ground floor layout also designates areas for storage, a shoe area, and restrooms, reflecting the traditional functional requirements of a Sikh house of worship. The first floor of the proposed three-story building would add additional space for the growing congregation, with the remaining stories designed to support expanding worship capacity. [3]
🪔 Gurudwara Singh Sabha Eyes Three-Story Temple at Existing Port Reading Site
A Sikh religious group is seeking to build a three-story temple on the Carteret-Woodbridge border, according to an application filed with the relevant municipal zoning authority. The temple is proposed to be built at 941 Port Reading Avenue in the Port Reading area, in the section that falls technically within Carteret borough limits. The property currently holds a parking lot, though the site is already owned by Gurudwara Singh Sabha, the Sikh religious group behind the proposal. The organization already operates a small indoor temple at that location, and the new construction would dramatically expand the congregation's worship capacity at the same address. Gurudwara Singh Sabha is seeking to replace the existing smaller facility with a full three-story house of worship designed to meet the religious and communal needs of its membership. The application was filed with the Carteret Zoning Board, which holds jurisdiction over the project given its location within the municipality. The proposed building would rise significantly higher than the current structure, requiring formal approvals for the height increase and the changes to the site footprint. Architectural renderings of the proposed three-story temple were provided by Gurudwara Singh Sabha as part of the application submission. Community members interested in following the project can track its progress through Carteret's official planning and land use channels, where the application materials and public hearing details are available for review. [4]
🤝 Singh Sabha Inc. Two-Decade Presence Anchors Push for Expanded Gurudwara
Properties along Port Reading Avenue near the Carteret-Woodbridge borough border could be redeveloped to accommodate a new, large three-story Sikh temple serving an expanding religious community. The Carteret Zoning Board of Adjustment was set to make a key decision on the proposal, submitted by Singh Sabha Inc., a Sikh religious group that requires multiple approvals and variances to proceed with construction of its new house of worship. The zoning board scheduled a virtual hearing on the matter, with participation details available through the Carteret Building, Construction and Land Use office. Singh Sabha Inc. needs both preliminary and final site plan approval along with several variances to replace its smaller, one-story temple at 941 Port Reading Ave. with the proposed three-story structure. The organization has owned the property and conducted religious services at that location since 2002, establishing more than two decades of community presence in the Port Reading Avenue neighborhood. Among the variances required are relief from building height limits and setback requirements, standard hurdles for larger religious construction projects in zones that do not specifically permit houses of worship. The rendering of the proposed building was created by architect Pankaj I. Jani, whose design envisions a substantial expansion of the current modest facility. Singh Sabha needs these approvals to serve its growing number of followers, whose increasing attendance has outpaced the capacity of the existing one-story structure. The redevelopment proposal represents a meaningful investment by the Sikh community in the Carteret Port Reading neighborhood, underscoring the area role as a home for the region South Asian diaspora. [5]
Sources: [3] Central New Jersey News · [4] Patch · [5] TAPinto