JACKSON – The governing body recently voted to table an ordinance that would limit the number of residential housing units that can be built at Adventure Crossing on Monmouth Road.
The council introduced Ordinance 33-24 last month. It would impact any highway commercial mixed-use zone. Its purpose was stated by officials as closing a loophole in the ordinance governing the Adventure Crossing project that allows high-density residential development on the 300-acre site.
Council President Jennifer Kuhn explained the ordinance would serve as an adjustment within the township land use code “focusing on residential density standards” and would “revise the number of dwelling units to four units per useable acre as opposed to four units per gross acreage which would triple the allowable units.”
“This adjustment will better align to our residential density standards with the needs of our community while promoting smart growth in the area,” the council president said.
Three years ago, 450 units were approved as part of the second phase of the project. According to a June article in Real Estate New Jersey, Adventure Crossing owner Vito Cardinale indicated that zoning permitted 1,200 housing units.
Cardinale spoke during the ordinance’s introduction saying, “not once did anyone have the respect and decency to just ask a question. Did anyone believe all the rumors that Adventure was closing down? That we were not going to do an MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Center?”
“Not only are we going to do an MS Center but we are building a school. We bought more property on the other side of Six Flags (Great Adventure) so we can put more commercial on our project. If I have to put a sign up, I have to have a permit. If you want to put a sign up for a political event you put it on my lawn,” Cardinale said.
He accused the governing body of wanting to change the township’s zoning for political reasons. “I’m building a project to help people all over the world. Tell me what we have done wrong for you to come in and change our zone on a piece of property that we own?”
“No, I am not going to build 3,000 homes. We are not dropping the commercial (projects) we got more than what we were approved for. Are you basing all this on rumors?” Cardinale asked.
Cardinale said, “it was the vision of the mayor and I many years ago to make Route 537 a beautiful corridor with a company called Six Flags Great Adventure. We are going to employ thousands of people and we’re not going to hurt anybody but you will.”
“You will destroy a ratable and hurt all those small businesses that will go out of business because they don’t have a residential component to buy. You don’t have all the facts,” he added.
Councilman Nino Borrelli spoke in support of Ordinance 33-24 stating that it “reinforces our commitment as residents’ elected representatives on this Council to stop and protect our town from overdevelopment and high-density housing that will help keep our town a suburban community.”
He added that “development in our town is a big issue and concern we continually hear about from many residents. With this ordinance, we’re taking action and getting ahead of it and preventing approximately 800 or more housing units from being built between Adventure Crossing and Great Adventure.”
Borrelli said that such construction “would detrimentally impact the traffic issues already occurring in that area of our town. With this ordinance, we’re limiting the impact to Jackson residents who live in that area and the people who frequent that area.”
Council Vice President Scott Sargent asked Kuhn if this ordinance should first be referred to the committee reviewing the township’s master plan. “Is this something normally done through the council?”
“I’m going to move forward with it through council and not wait for the master plan,” she replied.
The vote was unanimous to introduce the ordinance. However, it takes two meetings to enact an ordinance. One introduces the ordinance and the second one finalizes it.
During the latest Council meeting she explained the reason it was tabled (held off from voting) was to allow the planning board to review it for compliance with the master plan, which remains under review.
