|
ON MONDAY, RESIDENTS TO TAKE CENTER STAGE ON PROPOSED 965-HOME PROJECT IN CASSVILLE
By Keith Hagarty
Now that testimony is complete concerning plans for the construction of 965 homes in the Cassville-section of town, residents will finally be able to voice their opinions and concerns at the township planning board's next meeting on Monday, January 22.
Plans for the development, known as Jackson Valley, call for the construction of 965 mostly age-restricted homes across 260 buildable acres in the Cassville-section of Jackson. The project would be bordered by Cassville Road (Route 571), West Veterans Highway (Route 528) and Perrineville and Prospertown roads.
The project would be divided into four sections: section one and two would all be age-restricted housing comprised of 584 units in section one and 318 units in section two, all expected to be between 2,300 to 2,500 square feet; section three would have 17 single-family homes between 2,800 to 3,500 square feet; and section four would have 46 single-family homes between 2,800 to 3,500 square feet. The units are expected to start at a selling price of approximately $328,000.
Testimony from the developer's professionals was wrapped up at the board's last meeting with the applicant's planner, Christine Cofone, discussing open space at the site. According to Cofone, the amount of open space planned for each section of the site would exceed the requirements set by the town.
Several members of the state environmental activist group known as the Pinelands Preservation Alliance have objected to the overall plans for the housing project since it was first discussed five years ago. The group is concerned that the developer has not told the whole story about the potential impact on the surrounding areas' ecosystem and have questioned many of the environmental impact studies submitted by the developer.
One of the more notable issues presented to the board has been traffic impact the proposed development would create. The series of traffic studies presented by the applicant's traffic engineer John Rae focused on the intersections surrounding the site, including: Stump Tavern Road and West Veterans Highway; Cassville and Thompson Bridge Road; Cassville and Perrineville roads; and Freehold Road and Cassville Road.
Rae proposed the construction of a connecting road between Perrineville Road and Route 571, saying the connecting road would be a necessary measure to address the traffic headaches already existing at the five-point intersection of Perrineville, Cassville, Thompson Bridge and Freehold roads.
The St. Vladimir Memorial Church on Perrineville Road is located near the intersection, and has been talking with the applicant in addressing any traffic and environmental concerns they may have.
A majority of the 965 homes proposed for Jackson Valley would be accessed from West Veterans Highway, while the connecting road would be directly accessed from the first section of the development, consisting of 584 homes along Perrineville Road.
| 
