Tuesday, January 07, 2025
Orthodox Jewish group asking again to build synagogue in one N.J.’s wealthiest suburbs
A proposal to construct an Orthodox Jewish synagogue and daycare is again facing opposition in the latest round in a decades-long fight to build the house of worship in one of Essex County's wealthiest suburbs.
The Chai Center for Living Judaism is asking the Millburn Township Planning Board to approve construction of a two-story, 21,027-square-foot synagogue at 165 Old Short Hills Road in the township's Short Hills section.
The synagogue would seat 275 people in a building that would also include classrooms and office space, according to documents filed with the township.
Classrooms on the second floor would be used for students attending Hebrew school on Sunday mornings, and the building's basement floor would include classrooms for a 50-student daycare, according to previous planning board meeting minutes and a traffic study.
The plans also call for a playground and 95 parking spaces.
The construction was proposed by the same Orthodox Jewish group that previously proposed building a synagogue in Short Hills in several applications dating back to 2000. In 2023, the group sued Millburn after an application to build on a neighboring property was rejected. The court case is still pending.
The latest application for the 3.32-acre property on Old Short Hills Road was first submitted in August. It was discussed at several township planning board meetings, but has not been voted on by the board.
The application is scheduled to be discussed again at the planning board's meeting on Wednesday. The planning board's attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
A flyer opposing the project was posted on social media, encouraging residents to attend a previous planning board meeting in December. The synagogue project could have a "significant impact" in the neighborhood, including on traffic, security, parking and property values, according to the flyer.
"This is not a small community center, it's a campus that's being proposed on a road that's already busy, already crowded, and already under strain," one resident said during the public comment period at a December township committee meeting.
The man said he is Jewish and opposes the project for logistical reasons, not religious ones. He said he was concerned about increased congestion, noise and light pollution and an impact on nearby property values.
"What happens to that investment when a massive development is dropped in the middle of a quiet residential area? Do we shrug our shoulders and hope for the best?" he asked. "Or do we stand up and ask the hard questions?"
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