Jackson Township, NJ — Not everyone is happy, but according to township officials, the people who matter during elections, the senior citizens of Westlake, are very excited.
Jackson Township Mayor Jennifer L. Kuhn and the Township Council have announced the successful resolution of what they say is a 25-year community safety concern affecting residents of both Westlake and Westlake Mews.
It was a solution to a problem that few outside of Westlake asked for, including the residents of Robbins Estates and South Boston Road.
For a quarter century, the gate located at Murfield Road and Tilford Street remained closed to public access, creating daily challenges for both communities. It was never meant to be opened, only to be used as a fire or emergency access point.
Because the gate was never open to the public and residents of Westlake Mews were required to drive through the Westlake community, passing through a security system that was not their own. This arrangement presented significant inconveniences—forcing guests to check in and register—and raised privacy concerns for Mews residents forcing them to abide by the security measures of an outside authority.
While this was not a well-liked by-product of the existing traffic pattern by Mews residents, it was less liked by residents of Westlake proper who did not want the traffic from the ‘lower income’ Mews tenants driving through their part of the private and gated community.
Now, that traffic will be diverted through residential streets where students walk to the nearby Holman Elementary School and play in the streets.
To counter opposition, millions of dollars has been spent on sidewalks, road paving, and signage, but residents in Robbins Estates and South Boston are furious over the changes and they have been voicing their concerns at recent council meetings.
Westlake residents, meanwhile, experienced increased traffic through their community, turning what should have been quiet residential streets into a major thoroughfare through their neighborhood, according to a group of community leaders who met with Mayor Kuhn for a photo-op session at the gate in November.
No members of the Westlake Mews or Robbins Estates were invited to the meeting.
“Mayor Kuhn and the Township Council took on the challenge directly, navigating the legal, logistical, and safety considerations required to resolve a problem that had gone unaddressed for decades. Working collaboratively with the township engineer, public safety officials, and community stakeholders, the Township achieved what both neighborhoods had long wanted: independent access for both Westlake and Westlake Mews,” the township said in a statement that was not released publicly.
Instead, officials touted the opening of the gate at Murfield Road and Tilford Street as a milestone that launches the full independence of the two communities — a solution rooted in fairness, safety, and common sense.
In addition to opening the gate, the project includes several roadway changes for the surrounding area. This includes the installation of new traffic signage and the conversion of South Boston Road into a one-way street to prevent its use as a cut‑through for speeding or high‑volume traffic, a move few residents on South Boston Road seem to approve of.
The decision was made, according to inside sources within the township, purely as an election-year move to win over voters in Westlake, as those residents vote more frequently than residents of Robbins Estates, according to public voting records on file with the Ocean County Clerk.
Several surrounding streets have received new sidewalks, but residents showed up at town hall to say they fear the problems the increase in traffic will have in their neighborhood, which is already being used as a pass-through.
Although the project is nearing its final stages, residents and leaders from Westlake who attended on-site meetings last month with Mayor Kuhn and township engineers expressed excitement and relief that the long‑standing issue is finally coming to an end.
After nearly three decades of appeals to previous administrations with no progress, residents shared their appreciation for a mayor and council who listened—and delivered. Former Mayor Michael Reina chose not to open the gates, despite the political pressure from Westlake’s community leaders.
“This is what responsive government looks like. When residents bring us concerns, we take them seriously. This was a problem for far too long, and I am proud that our administration and council worked together to resolve it once and for all,” Mayor Kuhn said.
“This was a very complex solution to deliver. It involved two large senior communities and residents from the surrounding neighborhood to all be on board,” said Council President Mordechai Burnstein. “Like all complex negotiations and deals, everyone involved had to give a little to get what was in the best interest of public safety, traffic safety, and quality of life concerns. It was a very long and difficult process, but we are happy with the end results.”
Michelle Campbell, a 50-year Jackson resident who has been living in Westlake for 23 year, serving on the Board of Directors thanked Mayor Kuhn, Council President Burnstein and the Jackson Township Council for their hard work.
“We have been waiting for this for 25 years. This is long overdue. We had many roadblocks in the past, but we’re all grateful that it’s finally getting done,” Campbell said. “Council President Burnstein did an excellent job bringing everyone together and inviting both communities into the process. The neighbors have been very cooperative and involved.”
“This is a wonderful advantage for the Westlake Mews community,” Campbell said. “Affordable housing is important and they should be treated well. Everyone is very happy about this around Westlake.”