Jackson, NJ – Local residents stood and cheered Wednesday night after the Jackson Township Zoning Board unanimously rejected a proposed all-girls Orthodox Jewish high school.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Asbury Park Press (http://on.app.com/SVEL2y) reports that the vote by the board, the fifth on the matter, essentially closes the door on a lengthy effort by Lakewood’s Oros Bais Yaakov school to receive a variance to build the Cross St. school along the border of Jackson and Lakewood.
Reasons given by board members for rejecting the school ranged from septic and traffic issues to the proximity of the school to residential single-family homes in the area.
One board member, Carl Book Jr., said, “This is a monstrosity of a building that would be placed in their backyards. It does not belong there.”
Oros Bais Yaakov’s attorney Raymond Shea said the vote was driven more by an anti-Orthodox Jewish bias than by anything included in the school’s proposal.
“The township is not anti-Semitic…but there were anti-Semites who testified here,” Shea told the board.
time to remember it’s galus….
Even if Scott Walker visits BMG!
Last week the tzubur in Lakewood was encouraged by a ‘leader’ of the kehilla to mess up traffic to and from school to teach the Lakewood school board a lesson about discontinuing a free service which is not mandated by any law.
I can’t imagine why Jackson Township doesn’t want a huge new school building for the Lakewood community.
GOOD! That building did NOT belong in Jackson. This has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with urban sprawl and overdevelopment. There would be no benefit to the residents of Jackson to have a school there and would tax the roads and infrastructure beyond what was intended for the area.
Come to Texas where there are no zoning laws. We have millions of acres available for Lakewood to expand. Just not in my backyard.
Why go to Jackson where you’re not wanted?
It may very well be that there are valid reasons not to build the school at the proposed location; however, if you read the comments on APP.com, most of them are very derogatory and anti-semitic.
They don’t want to have another Ramapo.
It seems that anyone who opposes a large shul or yeshiva gets labeled as anti semitic or anti torah while at the same time the leaders of these institutions do not seem to care about the negative effects their facilities have on their neighbors or their neighbors property value. In Brooklyn there were frum neighbors opposed to the Cheder School / Chynka Catering hall who were maligned for not embracing the increased traffic and lower quality of life caused by their expansion. Similarly a monstrosity of a shul building now being built on avenue N in memory of Rav Pam Zatzal was opposed by the neighbors and the leaders not only did not care but told them to move. Rav Pam who was an Ohev Es Habriyos and Ohev Shalom must be turning over in his grave. It is not difficult to imagine why Moshiach does not come in this atmosphere of disregard for our fellow man.
They don’t want another Lawrence.
The average gentile living in that area has no great love for Jews.
Maimonides is planning to build a new seven story medical center on 9th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets. In an effort to solicit support for a favorable recommendation from the community board, Dominick Stanzione, Executive V.P. at Maimonides will be giving a “special presentation” to the members of Community Board. I look forward to meeting the community next week and interacting with local businesses for our mutual benefit,” said Dominick Stanzione,
Statements have been quoted in the media that “ A project like this involves a lot of opportunities for individuals, companies and suppliers who have skills, services, goods and expertise to offer”
“Nonsense”, said a member of the Community Board. “In my opinion, these promises have not, and will not, materialize”. Similar empty promises have been made repeatedly over the years..
Moreover, The primarily responsibility of the Community Board, is to be the voice of the patients from throughout the community who are brought to the hospital. If the hospital wants community support, it must reduce the high patient/nurse ratio to acceptable levels, in line with reputable hospitals.
im all for building new schools but as mentioned above i cant blame jackson for not bending over backwards to grant a variance their is no room for a school in a residential neighborhood it doesnt belong their theirs plenty of space in lkwd industrial park why impose/force yourself on a neighboring town and ask them for favors to grant you a variance and bend the rules for you they are 100% correct in denying it .
Im frum live in lkwd on the block of a school and can fully understand and sympathize
with the neighbors of the proposed school NIMBY. diffrence is i moved in after the school knowing their was a school their and its not at all pleasant
this isnt an anti semetisim issue , after lkwd turned into a mini ny city i really cant blame the surrounding communities for not wanting the spread and overspill of lkwd into their towns. one thing to build according to lot size and code you cant be denied but to build a mega building and ask for all sorts of variances why what for why should they grant it theyd be crazy to have their town looking like lkwd
If there was any question if there was overt anti-semitism involved, any such doubts have been removed by the posters here.
Kol hakovod to the members of the zoning board for rejecting another effort to ignore the values and preferences of the community and drop down a huge monstrosity of a building in what is essentially a quiet neighborhood of middle class single family homes. This is not the place for this building. The Beis Yaakov askanim should be ashamed of themselves and were rightfully rebuked.