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Mayor Broderick Says Township Will Not Approve 5400 Units For Towne
Centre Application: “We’re Not Intimidated By Threats; If Necessary,
We’ll Threaten Him Right Back”
Mitch
Leigh Threatens Jackson Taxpayers With “Bankruptcy” If They Won’t Let
Him Build 5400 Unit Towne Centre Development
Developer Says If He Doesn’t Get Approval For The 5400 Towne Center
Units, He Will Build 1600 Previously Approved Single Family Units
Which, He Claims, “Will Bankrupt This Town”
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Mitch
Leigh |
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Michael
Broderick |
Jackson
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Developer
Mitch Leigh has presented his proposed Towne Centre to the residents
of Jackson for the third time, along with a threat that if he doesn’t
get approval for 5400 units, he’ll construct 1600 residential units
already approved, he says, and “bankrupt this town”.
The
gauntlet is now apparently down on the Towne Centre, because Mayor
Michael Broderick says the Democratic township committee “is not
intimidated by threats; if necessary, we’ll threaten him right back.”
Leigh
appeared at a meeting in the Jackson Memorial High School Arts Center
auditorium in person last week to appeal for support for the project.
“Approval From Jackson Residents Is Biggest Hurdle” Says Leigh And
Planning Board
The
township planning board, Leigh and his attorney, Raymond Shea, and the
project management team all said permission from Jackson residents is
their biggest hurdle, but other major considerations are also in play.
For
example, in 1992, the 960 acre site for the Towne Centre was
investigated by the state Department of Environmental Protection and
certified as a wetlands area.
Also, both
the Metedeconk and the Kirkwood aquifers run under the property.
These two
bodies of water provide drinking water for Point Pleasant Beach,
Barnegat Bay, Brick Township and Toms River.
Another
problem Leigh will face would be wetlands wildlife restrictions.
Clearing
or changing of a pristine ecosystem, removing frogs, lizards and
certain types of fish, could put Jackson residents at greater risk to
exposure to West Nile mosquitoes.
Furthermore, population has exploded in Jackson Township. An
additional 3000 to 6000 people would drastically overcrowd the town.
Projects Would “Drastically Overcrowd” Jackson
Jackson
has about 64,000 total acres of land, of which more than 30,000 are
pineland areas which are also wetlands.
Leigh and
his “dream team” say the proposed Towne Centre will aid Jackson in
stopping sprawl, with residences that would be restricted to rental
units.
These
number of units could range anywhere from 1647 to 5400 and, according
to Leigh’s estimates, “only” 10% would be Mt. Laurel housing.
The
Whole Thing Could End Up In Court
Jackson
officials are apparently prepared to vigorously oppose the higher
number. They also say that no commitment of any kind has been given to
the developer, public or private, and in view of Leigh’s apparent
threat to build 1600 already approved residential units if the 5400
unit alternative is not approved, the whole thing could end up in
court.
 Mary
Clare Riveira
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