An application listed on Lakewood Township's Zoning Board agenda for tonight, July 18th, could add nearly 300 cars to Lanes Mill Road.

The application is ZB 4221, GM Lanes Mill LLC.

The proposed site is on the northbound side of Lanes Mill Road near the Lakewood / Brick Township border.

It is located in the R-20 zone which only permits Single Family Houses on 20,000 sq feet lots.

The application submitted to the Zoning Board seeks a Use Variance to permit up to 25 duplex structures (50 units plus basement apartments), and a total of 24 "three story townhouse units" in 3 townhouse units of 8 units each. Neither duplexes or townhomes are permitted in this zone, hence the need for Use Variance relief.

The application also proposes a shul.

This is a bifurcated application, which means that right now the applicant is only seeking Use Variance relief from the Board to build duplexes and townhouses in a zone which only permits single family homes. If granted this approval, the applicant would need to return to the Board at a later date with a full Site Plan which would show a specific amount of units, size of the shul, as well as open space (a playground).

As such, no architectural plans have been submitted and therefore, it is yet unknown whether or not the "3 story townhouses" will include basement apartments.

If all units do include basements, there could be 148 families, or nearly 300 cars, in this new development.

This application previously proposed 34 duplexes (68 housing units plus basements). It was revised to include a mixture of duplexes and townhouses. If all the townhomes do include basements than the revised application is more dense than the original application.

Under the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, the Zoning Board may only grant a Use Variance if the applicant provides testimony that this is "a particular case for special reasons" (hint: Because we will earn a lot of money does not meet this criteria)