JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Ten years ago, when Mitch Leigh pushed his vision of a utopian paradise nestled in the woods of Jackson Township, he boasted about theaters, public squares, a downtown area and centers of greenery for gathering, walking, and enjoying all of what Jackson Township has to offer.
It was a development only for ‘nice’ people, including an entertainment complex, performing arts center, health club, gym, courts, rinks, restaurants and shops.
A decade later, Mitch Leigh is gone, and so is his vision. Jackson Twenty-One has done nothing but clear-cut large tracts of land for apartments, townhomes, and more unwanted warehouses. The dream of Mitch Leigh is no closer to fruition than it was when he started proposing it more than twenty years ago.
Township residents now believe they have been bait and switched. The project, which was championed by the owner of Glory’s Market, Clara Glory during a time when she maintained a strong grip on local politics has fallen through. Glory ended up selling her corner bodega to Wawa and is building a large strip mall and gas station on the corner.
The rest of the township has been left holding the check for a service that was promised but never delivered.
Now, residents are up in arms after the community that would have no impact on local schools, by catering to empty nesters and young professionals is being sold to families with multiple children which they fear will create more financial hardship for the Jackson School District and and the township.
This week, the township Planning Board rejected a request by D.R. Horton, builder of “The Club at Jackson 21” to change the plans again. The builder has been building their community against the originally approved plans, making the buildings higher and building without proper approvals.
The builder also sought to build second-story decks, which are not permitted due to the small lot sizes in the development.
Residents demanded the planning board hold the builder accountable for its actions and to comply with the original approvals.
Board President Tzvi Herman said he wants to conduct a survey and find out why the builder has changed plans without notifying the board prior. Herman suggests the builder can remedy the problem by building fewer units and creating more open space as the demographics in the community has shifted from empty nesters to young and growing families.