Toms River Planners Set Jewish School Variance Hearing For December

Toms River residents wishing to be heard on the variance application for the Chabad Jewish Center of Toms River will have to wait until Dec. 17.

The Township Zoning Board of Adjustment has scheduled a special meeting to hear the variance application for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17, in the auditorium at Toms River High School North.

The variance application seeks approval for the property at 2001 Church Road to be used as a school. The property currently has a private home on it, and is in an R/C-3 zone -- a Conservation Residential Zone, which does not allow schools, according to Toms River’s zoning ordinances. The variance is being sought under the ”public utilities” conditional use category.

The proposed school would use an existing residential driveway and an existing parking lot with 10 spaces, as well as utilities connections that already exist, according to the agenda.

The outcry has included at least one online petition, which had more than 1,200 comments and nearly 4,500 signatures as of Monday afternoon, and a flood of emails, letters and phone calls to the Township Council. The number was so significant town officials issued a statement through township attorney Kenneth B. Fitzsimmons saying the township council cannot take a stand on the matter.

Toms River North is at 1245 Old Freehold Road, near Bay Avenue.