JACKSON — The Planning Board has granted a one-year time extension to a developer who wants to build 20 homes in Jackson. Several issues led the applicant, Rutherford Estates, to seek a delay. The board voted 8-0 on June 7 to grant a oneyear extension.
The application received preliminary approval about a year ago. The property to be developed is on Route 571 near the intersection of Route 528 in the Cassville section of Jackson.
The 23-lot plan calls for 20 residential lots in the Pinelands Village Zone, two commercial lots in the Pinelands Commercial Zone, and one lot on the eastern side of the property that is expected to be used for storm-water management.
The development property is zoned R-3, which requires homes to be built on 3-acre lots. However, a provision in the zoning permits homes to be clustered on 1-acre lots with the balance of the tract to remain as open space.
One lot, which fronts on Route 571, is expected to be dedicated to Jackson for a new Cassville firehouse.
Another lot, which is in the Pinelands Village Commercial zone, is expected to be used in the future and will require a separate site plan application.
Attorney Denis Kelly, representing the applicant, said there were several issues driving the request for an extension of time.
One issue surrounds an affordable-housing obligation that may be connected with the development. There is currently uncertainty at the state level over how a municipality’s affordable-housing obligation will be calculated in the future. Kelly said the developer will comply with the rules that are in effect at the time of development.
A second issue concerns plans that Ocean County has to improve an intersection near the development site.
“This application is close to the intersection that the county wants to widen,” Kelly said. “That [might affect] this application and adjoining properties.”
Township Councilman Ken Bressi, who sits on the Planning Board, said there is also a noise issue with regard to planes from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. He said initially the noise from the base was not even considered by the applicant.
Kelly agreed to have a noise statement in the application.
Kelly also addressed the changes in the storm-water management ordinance, as requested by the board’s planner. If the stormwater ordinance has changed, the applicant will agree to make the changes, the attorney said.
The board voted to grant the one-year time extension to Rutherford Estates.