Toms River religious school proposal goes to Zoning Board Thursday

Proposed conversion of a Toms River home into a place of worship, religious school and outreach center undergoes review during a special meeting of township Zoning Board of Adjustment Thursday night at Toms River High School North.

The venue was relocated from the Municipal Building in late October, in anticipation of a large turnout.

Chabad Jewish Center of Toms River seeks to determine whether a use variance is needed for the tract fronting Church Road owned by Rabbi Moshe Gourarie, in a wooded, single-family residential zone. If so, a variance and minor site plan approval would be pursued.

Details from the Zoning Board's agenda indicate that the conversion would require no site improvements and would function within current parking access, including 10 off-street spaces accessed by a residential driveway, and utilities.

The plan sharply raised many fears in the neighborhood, particularly about the prospect of increased traffic density along the two-lane street. A petition opposing it reportedly garnered more than 4,000 signatures.

The scheduled start time is 7:30 PM.