Manchester to Rezone Parcel Sought by Walmart

The Manchester Township Council is scheduled to introduce an ordinance Monday night that would amend its zoning rules to redefine where shopping centers are allowed, in response to an ongoing court battle over a proposal to build a Walmart Super Center in the township.

The agenda for the meeting, scheduled for a 6 p.m. start at the municipal building, includes a trio of ordinance introductions.

One will rezone a piece of property in the area of Route 571 and Route 70 for multi-family housing. A second updates the township’s zoning laws to bring them into compliance with Pinelands regulations.

The third is in response to a June ruling by the state Supreme Court in the fight by a developer to bring the Walmart Super Center to a parcel that straddles Manchester and Toms River. First proposed in 2004, the project has twice been rejected by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

According to an article on NJ.com, the most recent court rulings in the case included one that declared invalid Manchester’s approval of the project on the nearly 26 acres within its borders because, according to the court, the property was not zoned for that type of project. The developer should have gone to the local zoning board of adjustment for a variance, the court said.

Jaylin Holdings filed its initial proposal in 2004 for a retail store of 203,091 square feet, a 19,884 square-foot garden center and 1,049 parking spaces. In 2010, the plan was scaled down to 189,797 square feet of retail space, a 5,703 square-foot garden center and 833 parking spaces, according to NJ.com.

Download the court’s ruling on Manchester’s approval here.