Bais Yaakov High School is seeking to expand their existing campus at 277 James Street Street in Lakewood.
This expansion is planned to be a 2-story expansion to the existing school as well as new driveway access.
This expansion project requires a NJDEP conservation restriction to be lifted.
The school purchased the 6.75 acres parcel from the Township back in 2000, for $25,400. The reason for this low sale price is because the Township imposed a deed restriction that the property is to be used "for school or educational purposes only," and that "the property shall not be put to woodlands usage and the use of the property for woodlands management purposes is prohibited."
Along with the sale, the Township Committee also granted a freebie road vacation.
The parcel is now assessed at $9,637,600.
The site is now partially developed with a school building, a pool, a parking lot, stormwater management features, and undeveloped forested areas.
The school site is adjacent to valuable freshwater wetlands. Therefore, the development of the existing school required special permitting from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
As part of this permitting process, which is known as a Transition Area Waiver Averaging Plan, DEP required the school to place a conservation restriction on a portion of the property to ensure that there is no future construction on that portion of the property.
The area of the school's now proposed expansion is located within the deed restricted conservation area.
As such, Bais Yaakov has submitted an application to the DEP for a partial release of the conservation restriction.
To offset the proposed disturbances to deed restricted areas, Bais Yaakov has proposed
alternate deed restricted compensation transition areas on their property, as well as the
preservation of an off-site land, Block 284 Lot 72 within Lakewood through deed
restriction.
NJDEP's Division of Land Resource Protection has scheduled a hearing on this request.
The hearing is to be held virtually via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at 2:00pm.
The meeting is open to the public. To access the meeting, please use the following link and look for a specific link to the hearing: https://dep.nj.gov/wlm/#news.
You can also join via phone at 856-338-
7074 Conference ID: 817 534 47#
Additionally, the public may email written comments within 15 days following the Public Hearing to Taryn Pittfield, Project Manager at Taryn.Pittfield@dep.nj.gov.
Typically, lifting of deed restrictions do require a Court-order, however NJSA 13:8B-5 does provide that a conservation restriction may be released for such consideration, if any, as the holder may determine, at a hearing to be held by the governmental body holding the restriction.
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1 comment:
I doubt that their simcha hall is permitted under their deed restriction imposed by the Township as revenue producing banquet halls do not constitute "school or educational purposes only."
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