JACKSON, NJ – As construction is moving forward on a massive new business park at the corner of Bennetts Mills Road and Cooksbridge Road, a project led by Reed Property Group, the same development firm tied to several controversial land deals across Jackson Township has been under fire for a $10,000 contribution to a political action committee with ties to Mayor Jennifer L. Kuhn, Moredechai Burnstein, Nino Borrelli, and Giuseppe Palmeri.
That developer, Chaim Brownstein donated to a PAC that funded the re-election campaigns of Burnstein, Borrelli, and Palmeri. Now, they are looking for a favor from the Jackson Planning Board.
Construction on one project moves forward as a second project is set to expire.
Approved in 2022, the sprawling commercial complex will anchor the northwest corner of the intersection, across from the Dollar Store, Meridian Medical Building, and the nearby strip mall. The project, located at 680 Bennetts Mills Road, was narrowly approved by the Jackson Township Planning Board in a split vote that highlighted deep divisions over ongoing large-scale development in the township.
The 75,000-square-foot structure sits on a seven-acre lot zoned for neighborhood commercial use and will house a professional staffing business. According to testimony from the applicant, the facility will operate without public customer traffic, serving instead as an internal corporate hub for employees.
The Reed Property Group, associated with Chaim Brownstein, has drawn attention for its expanding footprint in Jackson’s development scene. Brownstein, whose name appears on multiple ongoing or proposed projects across the township, is also behind a hotly debated plan along Frank Applegate Road and another pending application on Leesville Road.
Political connections raise eyebrows
Campaign finance reports from the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission show Brownstein donated $10,000 to a political action committee chaired by Jackson Council President Mordechai Burnstein. He is also alleged to have an active business relationship with Mayor Jennifer L. Kuhn, according to multiple local sources and development filings. These connections have fueled public scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest as the township reviews multiple high-profile applications, especially those being pushed by Brownstein due to his financial contributions to the mayor and three of the sitting council members.
Meanwhile, Brownstein-affiliated WB Ocean 26, LLC is seeking a one-year extension on a previously approved plan to build three private high schools at 1020 Farmingdale Road. That 7.73-acre property, within Jackson’s R5 residential zone, was approved in 2023, with plans for three separate school buildings and related site improvements. The extension request, handled by attorney Donna M. Jennings of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, will go before the Planning Board for initial testimony after the application was deemed complete on December 3, 2025.
Development boom continues in Jackson
The Planning Board’s upcoming meeting will include full board participation, including professional staff and designated officials, as Jackson continues to grapple with a surge in both residential and educational development proposals. Engineering services for the high school project are being managed by Newlines Land Consultants, a firm frequently involved in large-scale municipal applications across Ocean County.
Residents say the pace of construction and growing network of developer-political relationships have raised concerns about transparency and long-term infrastructure impacts in Jackson. Several projects tied to Brownstein or his partners are now at various stages of review or construction, underscoring the township’s rapid transformation, but the question remains, how does Brownstein’s relationship with Kuhn and Burnstein factor into the multiple projects he is involved in across Jackson Township.
