JACKSON-Jackson Valley was once a proposed 958 unit age-restricted community, but since developer Hovbilt filed for bankruptcy in 2013, it was forced to sell their Jackson holdings through an auction.
UPDATE: This ordinance was approved by vote by the township council. Ken Bressi, Scott Martin and Anne Updegrave voted in favor. Barry Calogero and Rob Nixon voted no. Mayor Mike Reina approved and memorialized the ordinance and did not execute his legal power to veto the ordinance approved by the Jackson Republicans.
In August of 2016, the new property owner “EL at Jackson, LLC” applied to the New Jersey DEP to move forward on their vision of the project, which is a non-age restricted mixed-residential and affordable housing project.
EL at Jackson LLC is associated with US Homes and the Lennar Corporation, according to a public records search.
The development, through township council action, is now zoned as a “Mixed Residential-Affordable Housing-8 Zone”.
The Route 528 housing development project being proposed by EL at Jackson, LLC is 355 acres in size. The site is bounded to the south by West Veterans Highway (CR 528) and with Perrineville Road to the north. The western boundary of the site is Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area. The development site contains the drainage area for the headwaters of the Toms River.
Tonight, the council will begin the process to amend the township code to allow for the construction of “Clubhouses/community buildings for social and recreational uses” within the new proposed development.
The Township of Jackson filed a Declaratory Judgment Complaint in 2015 seeking a declaration that the Township’s Housing Element and Fair Share Plan adequately addressed the Township’s Affordable Housing obligation.
EL @ Jackson intervened in the litigation, as a successor in title to the Hovbilt Site, which was included in the Township’s prior round as an age-restricted inclusionary development.
The Township was required by the Court to introduce an ordinance permitting EL’s property to be developed as a non-age restricted inclusionary development and EL @ Jackson filed a Motion with the Superior Court, alleging that the MF-AH-8 zone as adopted by the Township did not provide a realistic opportunity for the development of low and moderate-income housing.
Judge Troncone of the Ocean County Superior Court required the parties to mediate the terms the ordinance with the assistance of the Special Master and this ordinance represents the agreement between the Township and EL @ Jackson to modify certain provisions of the MF-AH-8 Zone in order to facilitate the development of an inclusionary development.