JACKSON – Township officials are studying new land use rules that were required after a lawsuit accused former Township Council members of antisemitism.
Planning Board members recently adopted a master plan and affordable housing plan which is now under review by the governing body and which generated several ordinances.
Mayor Michael Reina told The Jackson Times, “Both the Master Plan and Affordable Housing plan reflect the many changes occurring here now in Jackson, the DOJ (Department of Justice) consent order has shaped it in many corridors and neighborhoods.”
“Many areas were gray – causing zoning questions, issues and unfortunately a few lawsuits. Reading what I have seen it looks solid, covers the ‘gray’ areas and hopefully tightens up regulations that can be adhered to by all and duly enforced if it warrants,” the mayor added.
The U.S. DOJ filed suit against Jackson, saying that officials discriminated against Orthodox Jewish residents through, among other things, the use of zoning and land use powers that made it harder for Orthodox Jews to practice their religion.
The 2023 settlement, which was memorialized in a consent order, required the town to adopt new policies and procedures that protect religious freedom and to repeal prior ordinances that discriminated against Orthodox Jewish residents. It also requires ongoing monitoring of Jackson’s compliance with the NJ Law Against Discrimination.
The master plan is a blueprint for growth in town. It features recommendations for a new housing plan which calls for 1,000 units on 17 different sites.
Recommendations included within the master plan generally focus on land use, transportation, utilities, housing, historic preservation, climate change vulnerability, open space and recreation areas.
Aspects of this are normally discussed and debated before the members of the governing body and usually stretches across several council meetings before ordinances responding to them are introduced.
Council President Jennifer Kuhn noted “the master plan team worked on this for 18 months” and that it included recreation improvement goals and smart development. “None of us really read it; we just got it. We have two weeks to go ahead and do our due diligence and bring up any questions we do have to our planning board.”
In reference to this, three ordinances were introduced, 2025-29, 2025-30 and 2025-31 that call for amending regulations pertaining to the “RG3-Regional Growth Zone” and land use and development regulations that would establish an inclusionary zone district providing affordable housing units to be developed. These units would be subject to certain conditions and requirements.
Kuhn added the purpose of the affordable housing plan was to provide “the development of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income housing in a suitable location.”
She said a table showing this zone would be included within the tax map of Jackson. The ordinances would also cover all affordable housing requirements concerning unit measurements, parking, signage, trash and loading.
Councilman Nino Borrelli said he received the three ordinances three days prior to the meeting. “I need time to digest and review them to visit the areas of town that will be affected in the future by this. I feel by these major ordinances we are spot zoning.”
Borrelli added, “I want to hear from residents as these are major zoning changes that could change the suburban character of Jackson and place a huge burden on our taxes, township services and infrastructure.” His remarks drew loud applause from the audience.
He voted no to all three ordinances stating, “I don’t know enough to make an informed decision. We talk about traffic in our town at almost every council meeting and how we deal with it. Why are we adding to it with these ordinances? We can barely keep up with what we currently have going on.”
The rest of the council voted in support of the ordinances which will have a public hearing at the Council’s August 26 meeting.
“I’m going to vote yes because I believe this is something we have to do or we will get into trouble,” Kuhn said.
Councilman Giuseppe Palmeri said, “affordable housing was dictated to us by the state. We have to build these over the course of the next 10 years. They overruled the municipality.”
Council Vice President Mordechai Burnstein said he had sat on the Planning Board “and the planning board had multiple hearings where residents had many opportunities to give their comments and thoughts.”
“Dr. (Michele) Campbell our planning board chairwoman and Miss (Lisa) DeMarzo really put their life and soul into these ordinances and to this master plan. The affordable housing plan was actually signed by Mayor Reina after tough negotiations with the state. He got a lower number (of required housing units) than Jackson has historically ever gotten,” Burnstein added.
Burnstein said the ordinances include stipulations and conditions “that are historic” which call for sufficient parking within the developments, a requirement for 10% of a development to be open space and a requirement mandating that every development have multiple entrances in order for emergency apparatus to get into those areas safely.
The post Affordable Housing, Zoning Changes Proposed appeared first on Jersey Shore Online.
