Following extensive hearings and legal argument, the Jackson Township Zoning Board determined earlier in May that the residential component proposed as part of the Adventure Crossing development exceeds the residential density permitted under the Township’s HCMU zoning regulations.

The Board concluded that the applicant’s proposed apartment development cannot rely on acreage that was previously removed from the General Development Plan (“GDP”) to calculate permitted residential density. As a result, the Board ruled that the applicant must either substantially reduce the number of proposed residential units or seek a d(5) density variance pursuant to New Jersey’s Municipal Land Use Law.

The ruling centers on the applicant’s proposal for 641 residential apartments as part of the larger mixed-use Adventure Crossing project. Board professionals and objectors argued that the proposal exceeds the ordinance limitation of four residential units per gross acre when calculated based on the tract presently before the Board and the currently operative approvals.

Based on the Board’s determination, compliance with the zoning ordinance would require the residential component to be reduced from 641 units by approximately 300 units unless variance relief is granted.

During the proceedings, the Board reviewed the project’s lengthy approval history, including prior approvals granted between 2017 and 2022, subsequent litigation, and a settlement agreement that removed multiple parcels from the original GDP. The Board found that those removed parcels cannot now be counted toward residential density calculations.

As a result of the Board’s determination, the applicant must now either revise the project to comply with the permitted residential density or formally apply for a density variance requiring enhanced statutory proofs and additional Board review.

The Adventure Crossing project has been the subject of significant public attention due to its scale and its proposed mix of commercial, recreational, hotel, and residential uses within Jackson Township.

Additional hearings are expected as the application process continues.