JACKSON, NJ – After Lakewood Developer Mordechai Eichorn submitted a proposal to build four private schools on Leesville Road that would bring up to 4,000 students on buses and personal vehicles, not including faculty and staff daily, one Jackson Councilman stood up and said it’s a bad idea.
Flemming suggested Eichorn sharpen his pencil and come up with a new plan that is better suited for the area, even though the application submitted by Eichorn is confirming the town’s zoning.
Now, instead of four large schools, Eichorn has taken Flemming’s advice and submitted an application to build 48 homes on the 30-acre tract of land on Leesville Road with lots in size of about one-half of an acre.
After residents voiced their concerns at several meetings since Eichorn’s school project was approved, Flemming said Eichorn’s project, under his suggestion, cuts the population density on the property down to about 90%.
Flemming said the compromise is a win-win for the township, but it still must be approved by the Jackson Township Zoning Board.
Eichorn said he would prefer the schools since they are financially more beneficial to his business, but said he’s ok with housing if the zoning board approves it, avoiding another potential lawsuit in the future for the township.
The offer by Flemming to persuade the developer to drop his plan to build four schools didn’t sit well with Jackson Township’s current Mayor Michael Reina. Reina balked at Flemming’s suggestion, attacking Flemming and accusing him of impropriety.
“I’m concerned, at this critical time in Jackson Township it is of paramount importance that the land use boards be autonomous in their deliberations and remain free of any outside influences,” Reina said of Flemming.
Reina who had earlier supported the rights of Orthodox Jewish residents to have the same access to local schools and busing as non-Orthodox residents appeared visibly upset that Flemming was trying to nix the school proposal.
Like Reina, Lakewood media was also outraged by Flemming’s suggestion to avoid building the schools. Lakewood Alerts, a blog site aligned with Jewish community leader Mordechai Burnstein claimed Flemming is supporting “Lakewood Style Development” in order to block the construction of private Orthodox Jewish schools. Reina often used the term “Lakewood Style Development” in his 2018 political campaign mailers, a term which at the time was declared antisemitic by local Jewish leaders in Ocean County.
Flemming has also faced attacks from other bloggers aligned with Reina, Lakewood developers and the Orthodox Jewish community for trying to block the construction of the schools in a sensitive area of town that already has a large traffic volume near Jackson Memorial High School and Switlik Elementary School.
Reina’s attack coincides with a political offer to get Flemming to step down from challenging Reina in November’s election. That offer like others being solicited in recent months was reportedly flatly rejected by Flemming.
At this point, Flemming has not publicly indicated that he intends to challenge Reina for the position of mayor. Reina’s response to Flemming’s compromise appears at this time to be politically motivated in an attempt to smear Flemming’s good name in the community.
Flemming is a lifelong volunteer fireman who owns and operates Countyline Hardware. Each year, he and his family run the local St. Baldrick’s Day fundraiser to raise money for children with cancer.
Reina has served as mayor of Jackson for nearly 12 years and was recently promoted at his public patronage job with the county where is paid $139,000 annually, after getting a 30% raise two weeks ago. During Reina’s tenure, commercial development in Jackson has hit a fever pitch in response to his call to build out the most developable land in town.
Reina, who had long opposed the growth of the Orthodox Jewish community, had a sudden change of heart in 2022, during the election year. In June, Reina helped to orchestrate a takeover of the Jackson Republican County Committee which saw Orthodox Jewish residents win 32 seats on the powerful board. Reina and his allied Republicans for Jackson eventually lost their bid to unseat local business owner Clara Glory and Toms River Township employee Todd Porter for seats in the local Republican Club.
As far as who the Jackson GOP will endorse for Mayor in November, GOP Committee Chairwoman Clara Glory said simply, “No decision has been made yet.”
Two weeks ago, Reina and the Republicans for Jackson supported Sheriff Michael Mastronardy for GOP County Chairman, but despite having 71-9 votes in favor of Mastronardy at the Lakewood-Jackson voting station, former GOP Chairman George Gilmore defeated Mastronardy. Reina called Gilmore hours after the loss to pledge his allegiance to Gilmore, groveling to the new chairman who he had earlier referred to as a ‘convict’ saying, “I’m a party guy, no hard feelings.”