The New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in the controversial Jackson Township land swap case, marking a significant development in the long-running legal battle over the Bellevue Estates development.

The case centers on a land exchange deal that has drawn scrutiny and legal challenges from various parties. The Supreme Court’s decision to take up the matter indicates the significance of the legal issues at stake and suggests the case could have broader implications for municipal land use decisions across New Jersey.

The state’s top court only takes up about 10% of cases filed for appeal.

As part of the land swap agreement, the township traded 46 acres of land on the border with Lakewood, for a 35-acre plot of land on Leesville Road.

The land swap arrangement has been a source of ongoing controversy in Jackson Township, with questions raised about the process and terms of the exchange.

Earlier this year, an Appellate Court ruled the swap could not take place, because technically there is no public purpose for the site.

In 2003, a separate lawsuit, which accused the township of discriminating against its Jewish residents by forcing their schools to be in specific neighborhoods, was dismissed with prejudice.

A timeline for oral arguments has not yet been announced.