Crosswalk to Johnson School Axed by County Officials for New Three Story 216 Unit Apartment Complex

Phil Stilton

JACKSON-A project proposed by Highview Homes, LLC to build 215 high density apartments on Larsen Road across the street from the Johnson and Crawford-Rodriguez Elementary schools had a minor setback after Ocean County officials denied a requested crosswalk connected the project to the school complex.

The project, approved by a Jackson Township Council ordinance last year would see seven three-story apartment buildings along the now wooded stretch of Larsen Road.

It’s not the first time Ocean County rejected a mid-block crosswalk within the township. Several years ago, requests were made to create a mid-block crosswalk between the Holbrook Little League Complex and Bartley Road Softball Complex, but the county rejected that plan on Bartley Road.

Now, the county has rejected a mid-block crosswalk that would connect the development directly to the elementary school complex.  Instead the county officials would want students in the new apartment project to walk north along Larsen Road and cross at Birch Street.  Students would then traverse Larsen Road south back towards the school.


Despite there being no agreed upon plan for school pedestrian traffic between the Jackson Board of Education, Ocean County, the Jackson Planning Board and the developer, the board approved the motion to allow the project to proceed.

“Rather than go back and forth and in my opinion, I would like to see the applicant get whatever approvals are necessary so they don’t have to come back to amend,” Councilman Ken Bressi said.  “Everything we do is guess work and the applicant needs to fight and come back and approve.”

 

 

You appear to be using an ad blocker

Shore News Network is a free website that does not use paywalls or charge for access to original, breaking news content. In order to provide this free service, we rely on advertisements. Please support our journalism by disabling your ad blocker for this website.