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LAFAYETTE — A medical marijuana growing and processing facility yet to be built on Route 94 has grown by approximately 30,000 square feet.

The Township Land Use Board, at its virtual meeting Thursday, unanimously approved the expansion for room to install HVAC equipment inside the building and to provide adequate space for mechanical equipment in utility rooms. The changes increase the size of the building across two stories from 381,548 square feet to 411,176 square feet.

The updated site plan from Harmony Foundation of New Jersey, which received approval from the board in November to build on the site of the former Schering-Plough Complex, also includes construction of a COGEN power production plant to provide the electricity and heating and cooling systems for the facility. The plant, approximately 22,000 square feet in size, will be located about 130 feet away from the proposed building, according to engineer Owen Dykstra, speaking on behalf of Harmony.

While the November meeting included roughly three hours of testimony and questioning from the board and public, Thursday’s meeting was a relatively brief affair due to the generally simple and straightforward additions being requested.

“These changes are relatively minor,” said Emily Weiner of the Weiner Law Group, which represents Harmony. “They do not impact the operation, they do not impact the employee count, the traffic — anything related to the functioning of the facility or the business. They are merely aesthetic and functional to house various utilities.”

The Harmony representatives noted that the increased building size would ordinarily require at least 1,103 parking spaces at the site. However, the company sought and received a variance for only 322 spaces — the same total approved in November — because the public will not be allowed in the building.

Weiner reiterated that the Route 94 facility will only be used for growing and manufacturing medical marijuana, and Harmony will not sell the product at the site.

With the latest approval received, Harmony hopes to proceed with site work “almost immediately,” Weiner said, and begin construction as soon as building permits are approved.

Kyle Morel can also be contacted on Twitter: @KMorelNJH, on Facebook: Facebook.com/KMorelNJH, or by phone: 973-383-1292.

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