Jackson planners deny 2,531-home development
Unanswered questions about density cited as reason for denial
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer
Members of the Jackson Planning Board turned thumbs down Monday on the Leigh Realty Company's plan

build Jackson Mews, a development of 2,531 homes spread over 600 acres on West Commodore Boulevard.

Board members voted 9-0 to deny the application at their Sept. 17 meeting.

"I don't think we had any choice," board Chairman Kenneth Bressi said, adding that questions about the project's net density were not answered to the panel's satisfaction.

Bressi said that when the applicant declined a request for a time extension, the board had to vote on the application without the data it had requested.

"I think the board voted wisely and in the best interests of the town, and I don't think any board in any town would vote on an application of this size without having the data they need, especially the threshold data for net density," he said.

Jackson Mews proposed the construction of 2,531 units over 15 years. The development would have been on West Commodore Boulevard, with Route 526 to the north and West Freehold Road (Route 638) to the south.

Leesville Road would have been to the west of the project and Cedar Swamp Road (Route 527) would have been to the east. West Fish Road was expected to run through the project from northwest to southeast.

The applicant had planned to construct the units in seven phases, but plans went sour when the board's planner, Alan Dittenhofer, decided they had to determine whether the applicant should have come before the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

"This is a very critical part of this application," Dittenhofer said at the board's Aug. 6 meeting. "When the application came in the title sheet indicated to see the zoning table for the net density requirement. Those net density requirements were never provided."

Dittenhofer said his review letter requested that the issue be addressed.

"The concern I have is that the environmental impact statement indicates there are 348 acres of undisturbed property within the development," Dittenhofer said on Aug 6. "According to the ordinance, the definition [of] the residential density net is the number of dwelling units which may or may not be developed per acre of land, exclusive of various uses for public access streets, easements and/or open space. I don't think that's clearly defined for each section [of the Jackson Mews plan] and we did ask for that."

The planner said his recommendation to the board was that a written density report for each section of the development be provided so it could be determined if the application did meet the net density requirements of the ordinance.

"If it doesn't, then this board may not have jurisdiction over this application," the planner said at that time.

Attorney Ray Shea, who represented the Leigh Realty Company, of Brick Township, could not be reached for comment following the meeting.