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Pinelands staff flags density, sewer and PDC concerns in Jackson Township housing submissions
Summary
Commission staff told the Pinelands Commission’s PNI committee that Jackson Township’s fourth‑round housing plan and implementing ordinances propose densities and mixed‑use overlays that conflict with certified Pinelands zoning, raise the need for roughly 867 PDC rights, and require verification of sewer and water capacity; the township has requested and received an extension of the commission’s review period.
Commission staff told the Pinelands Commission’s Policy & Implementation Committee that Jackson Township’s recent master plan, housing element and implementing ordinances include proposals that conflict with the commission’s certified land‑use rules and that staff will press the township for more information before any approval.
"This is an update. There's nothing formal that the committee has to act on today," staff presenter Brad said, opening a review of the township’s submissions. He said the commission has received a master plan, a housing element, a fair‑share plan and three implementing ordinances submitted for review and that staff granted an extension of the commission’s review period while it prepares a formal analysis and meets with township representatives.
The staff presentation identified four Pinelands sites singled out by Jackson: the Pine Barrens Golf Course (477 acres, in a rural development area with a 1‑unit‑per‑9‑acres standard under current zoning), a 45‑acre village site in Cassville, a 300‑acre Graw Town site in the regional growth area, and a 71‑acre Viviano Properties parcel currently in a manufacturing zone. Under the township’s proposals these Pinelands sites would host mixed‑use, inclusionary developments at densities substantially higher than what the current CMP‑certified zoning permits.
Brad told the committee the fourth‑round submissions would result in roughly 5,390 new units proposed inside the Pinelands area of Jackson Township and that, under the township’s plan, those projects would require about 867 PDC rights to achieve the proposed intensity. He stressed the need to confirm sewer and water capacity before any zoning increases are considered.
Commission members pressed staff on technical details: whether DEP wetland rules vs. Pinelands wetland buffers drive the apparent discrepancy in allowable units (staff said buffers and environmental constraints constrain development but that the difference is not a simple mapping between DEP and commission rules), how the DCA and settlement methodology determines a municipality’s prospective obligation, and whether the commission or the township should be identifying alternative sites inside the regional growth area that could accommodate increased density.
Staff repeatedly emphasized that the commission’s role is to review submissions for CMP consistency and not to identify sites for increased development. Brad described a common constraint: projects in the RG‑2/RG‑3 regional growth area are often limited by sewer conveyance and stormwater infrastructure and by environmental constraints in riparian corridors such as the Toms River.
Committee members also noted active public concern: staff reported receiving nearly 600 written comments and social‑media posts opposing aspects of Jackson’s plan and urging strict enforcement of CMP regulations. Brad said commission staff will meet with township representatives, outline review procedures and concerns, and provide guidance on where the commission thinks density increases could be considered appropriate.
The committee did not take a formal vote on Jackson Township’s submissions at the meeting; staff recorded that the commission had granted an extension of the review period while it prepares a complete review and meets with the township.
