Bnos Devora has just secured a mortgage commitment for the expansion of their child care center, FAA News has learned.
In June 2021, Bnos Devora purchased the 0.48 acres wooded and vacant site opposite the existing school site across Vermont Avenue from the Township for $175,500.
In March 2022, Bnos Devora presented plans to the Lakewood Planning Board for construction of a three-story building at this site.
The new building is to expand the school's child care center for the teachers. The architectural plans depict 21 rooms.
Attorney Adam Pfeffer Esq. told the Board that with approximately 12 kids per room, the expansion will provide the opportunity to give childcare for their entire teacher base.
No further extension of Vermont Avenue is proposed with this application as the new child care center would be along the already improved portion of Vermont Avenue. Lambert Avenue to the left of the existing school building will be improved.
Site improvements for the proposed project include paved parking lots with access driveways/aisles, curb, sidewalk, drainage, utilities, lighting, and landscaping. There are approximately 98 existing parking spaces. With this expansion there will be a total of 170 parking spaces across several parking areas.
At the recommendation of the Board Engineer, the existing driveway on-site will be changed to one-way only movement.
Board Member Yair Stern asked about the renting of the facility in the summer for camps. Mr. Pfeffer agreed that the building will not be used at all during the summer and it will never be rented out.
Mr. Flannery also agreed to provide a striped crosswalk across Vermont Avenue.
Bnos Devora has just secured a mortgage commitment from Fulton Bank for the child care center expansion.
Bnos Devora also has plans to construct a wedding hall and high school building, however, for the time being the County wants to see a traffic impact analysis before they approve this additional expansion.
Back in July 2021, Bnos Devora received Site Plan approval from Lakewood Township's Planning Board for construction of a new two-story, 232,903 sq feet, wedding hall and girls high school building, adjacent to their existing elementary school building.
The plans include a parking lot with 366 spaces. The parking lot will have numerous driveways.
Curb already exists along Oak Street. Sidewalk does not yet exist but is proposed with this application.
The project includes numerous site improvements including utilities, storm water management facilities, site lighting, street lighting, and comprehensive landscaping.
Prior to voting to approve the application, the Board received - and ignored - a number comments from members of the public that the Township's ordinances do not permit banquet halls in schools.
Site clearing for the project first began in July 2022.
However, actual construction has been held off by Ocean County officials who have taken meaningful steps aiming to ensure that the traffic impact of banquet halls is properly considered.
The Ocean County Planning Board granted an initial approval to the project, but with contingencies to address traffic impact of the banquet hall.
Specifically, the County conditioned their approval on the applicant "analyzing the Oak Street and New Hampshire Avenue intersection to determine impacts to County facilities during peak hours and also during off-peak multi-function hall events, as this is one of many halls in the area creating traffic peak outside typical peak hours... Construction shall not commence until all conditions have been met."
Construction has not yet commenced as Bnos Devora has not yet submitted this traffic impact analysis.
As previously reported here on FAA News, following a lawsuit filed against Beis Reuven Kaminetz for failing to advertise in their legal notice to the neighbors that they were planning to include a banquet hall in their school building - despite Township officials turning a blind eye to the issue - Ocean County officials have learned of the issue, and are now keeping a more watchful eye on applications for schools in Lakewood.
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