The Lakewood Planning Board tonight is set to hear plans for a campus that would boast a Kollel building, a daycare center and a housing project.
According to the applicant, “The proposed development comprises 52 total dwellings and a daycare center accommodating up to 400 children. Situated off of Central Ave, the project is a venture by Kollel Cheshek Shlomo, located at 506 New Egypt Road.”
They say it will be an affordable housing development.
“In response to the soaring housing prices over the past few years, Kollel Cheshek Shlomo is committed to providing non-profit affordable housing to Yungerleit at approximately a 50% discount, charging just enough to cover the project’s mortgage cost. This initiative marks the first subsidized housing project for yungaleit in Lakewood’s history and is the first in a group of similar project’s being envisioned for Lakewood’s Yungerleit. Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Appel, Rosh Kollel Cheshek Shlomo, envisions creating an all-encompassing campus granting the Yungerleit the ability to engage in a full-days learning at an affordable price, with the added convenience of having a daycare center for their young children right in their backyard, eliminating the need for long commutes. The project represents a significant step towards addressing the housing and traffic challenges faced by the Yungerleit in Lakewood, aligning with the vision of providing accessible and affordable living spaces while fostering an environment conducive to Bnei-Torah and family life.”
The applicant also says it will help with traffic.
“Additionally, the campus model will take many cars off the road, helping the Lakewood traffic situation. The Planning Board’s approval will mark a crucial milestone in bringing this monumental housing project to fruition.”
But some neighbors aren’t happy about the project, and have retained attorney Jan Meyer to fight it (see his letter below).
20230118 Ltr to Board re SP2543
allowing the kollel to grow and take root will be a tremendous benefit to the area giving an inspiration to the local children and provide demographic stability to the neighborhood and this tremendous and worthy endeavor which is the pride of our community and the aspiration of the entire town’s residents and its merit will stand for those who reside within it’s proximity to merit a happy and comfortable long life just like the residents of other neighborhoods surrounding the more famous kollels which made Lakewood famous
I live in the area and admire what they’re trying to accomplish here. That being said, this area really cannot accommodate this new development. The area is a perilous drive already, with cars and pedestrians darting in and out, and I have said Tehillim many times while navigating that intersection. My sons go to school down Cross St., which should be a 5 minute drive but can take up to 20 on a bad day. I really think this plan will endanger the public and encroach on their learning time in order to benefit 50 families.
the families of Torah scholars are bringing an anchor of safety to the neighborhood and the fact that those fine men are spending most of their day in Torah study and Talmudic research offers a guiding beacon in today’s confused generation where too many of too much has shown to cause values to get weakened and social boundaries to become distorted so actually these 50 families are helping 100’s of families who live or drive around there in cementing the educational impressions that they are in their children’s schooling with a real example of not just talking about but also living with faith, study and modesty.
This is not accurate, the vast majority of neighbors are supportive of the application. A small group of wealthy individuals are objecting.
Only for Jewish people this do not benefit Americans and Latino Americans only Jewish people tell me if that’s not racist or not!!! I will write a letter to my governor and my legislator, because this has become ridiculous what people go through and people do not see but we’re gonna make them understand that we need housing too,not get push out of our town !!!everyone supposed to be unity !!!!
Why don’t you build something that benefits the Latino people, if you’re so concerned.
The previous generation who went through hell in europe is rolling in their graves im sure. Jews getting mad at jews building homes and a kollel because it will lower your property value. Unbelievable.
Complete insanity. I live in the neighborhood and am disgusted by what i hear. Be better
I think the idea is a very very good one in principal and hopefully the board together with input from the neighbors will be able to either pass it outright or modify it in a way that can work for everyone
Re the comment of Mr Smiley, we would welcome a similar plan proposed by other communities, be they Americans, Latin Americans etc
I do believe that in all likelihood that is how the Georgian Court Campus came about back in the day
I would advise you to meet with leaders of your community and see what kind of proposal you can come up with. It is not racist at all to try to better your community
Wishing you best of luck
I am sure all the aderi torah supporters who value torah learning support this cause as well. Torah should trump anything else and is our greatest pride. We need to help yingerlit strive.
are they going to sell the houses for top dollar like the guy who tried pulling this scam on the corner of (moderated)
Why is it that being against this development means you’re against Torah Institutions or lower income families buying houses they could afford. The issue is that we’re stuffing 50 large families into a 3 acre lot of a street that has its traffic issues already. Many of those opposing are special people that already help Yeshivos and the needy and would be delighted with neighbors that are Bnei Torah with the benefits that they bring to the community. They just don’t want traffic safety issues and building in a way that destroys the infrastructure of the neighbourhood. Why would you Paint them in a way that they’re not Machshiv Torah etc. I think we have to think twice before we attack good people.
Because why would there be traffic if everything is on campus. They are literally taking cars off the street with this plan
Do really think for a second that a significant amount of the 400 kids will be coming from in the campus, no chance. And pushing 50 large families into 3 acres is gotta increase the traffic!
Will the wives be required to work on campus?
If are a wealthy aderi torah sponsor and so moser nefesh for torah and yingerlit that you donate 100K+ should a little more traffic for torah disturb you? Isn’t this our life? Sure it will cause traffic but its torah.
I’m not a wealthy Torah sponsor, I’m a struggling kollel wife who wants to get to where I need to go without daily close calls and near misses.
One more pointer re “safety”. As in EY with the current war we know the “safety” is more limud hatorah not less traffic.
How are they taking cars off the street when they are bringing many more families to the area and all of those wives need to drive to work. The traffic is already intolerable. If they were genuine about it they would allow for no parking on campus and insist that everyone work in the daycare and shop in the local stores.
Not to mention the extra school buses etc
An additional point to make. Aside for the fact that the wives will need to drive places, and that most of the 400 kids will not be coming from the 50 families moving on these lots. There’s an additional point to consider: there currently are no duplexes in the area. Once this project gets approved there’s no way every other seller won’t try to stuff in many duplexes in single family lots. Once the dam bursts there’s no stopping it.
Finally it’s really unfair and disgusting to characterize this as pro torah vs anti torah. There are plenty of places further out to build such a campus, it is not the neighbors responsibility to provide every rosh kollel with their dream project that destroys the neighborhood. It’s not like there’s no kollelim or shuls in the area or that they’re making them stop learning. They’re just saying they don’t need to give up their entire neighborhood for a campus which may or may not reduce prices for yungeleit. You can be pro torah and pro kollel and still say it doesn’t have to destroy your neighborhood.
To all those who say otherwise: go give up your neighborhood for this project
There isn’t as many places to go build developments any more. That’s becoming extinct.
Re destroying the neighborhood, if you truly believe in the essence of Aderi Torah then it isn’t just about partying at Wells Fargo it’s about yes making your life inconvenient
is this another gimmick to get property tax free housing for owner of project to rent out and leave the rest of of to foot the bill?
Can I apply for housing in this new development can my child attend the daycare
You’re asking the real questions. But no, you can’t. It’s for kollel students only.
Is it traffic safety issues or just plain traffic and not as nice of a look? I don’t think its a “safety” concern. Its a convenient concern. That’s why i say if you really care about torah, yeah you give up conveniences. Its a kovod and shtultz to sit at a box during the aderi torah event even if it cost money. And kal hakovod rightfully so. But if you care about torah and yingerlit, give up from your own conveniences.
if this was a smoked meat board store, a tesla charging lot, or a late night eatery, do you think there would be such a resistance? no! why not? because that is for OUR benefit!
so, here is the point, Torah study is for OUR benefit! if it goes to another neighborhood they get the zechus!
don’t think you are the first, many communities in Europe restricted yeshivas access to communal resources because baalabatim had “legitimate concerns” and today all we have left from those communities are the yeshivas who carry the namesake. if those baalabatim had known the truth they would have begged the yeshivas to come and bring in more…!!!
be smart, support this kollel, it is your future!
The real problem is that the neighbors are very well connected and Rich, and likes lots of alcohol in the parties to raise money For BMG , but חס וחלילה.. to see these type of guys close to them… No no , they like only clean shaved, color chart nice cars… And yeah meet winter vacation in Miami or Dominicans…
It’s really clear.. in the history every time when someone is doing something good it always going to be someone to do something bad
Very well said. Its fun and the “in” thing to support Torah sit in a box sweet at Wells Fargo and preach how much the yingerlit are moser nefesh for torah and thats our netzhias. But when you have to walk the walk and be moser nefesh yourself by sitting through more traffic and a less nicer neighborhood or less your “type” of crowd thats where the turth comes out. is torah really important to you or is it just the “in” thing?
Oh sure. I live in westgate and don’t have any extra money or I’d happily move out of the area. Why can’t these people live in westgate as well. Because it doesn’t pas for them.
This doesn’t make any sense. I need to drive through White Street and the current traffic congestion there is terrible. During rush-hour, there’s absolute gridlock. There have been several accidents and at times even emergency vehicles are not able to get through. How is it possible to add so many families to that small street and a DAYCARE CENTER??? I have seen drop off and pick up time at their current daycare center. It is a traffic, nightmare, dangerous for parents pulling out of the parking lot and to people driving on New Egypt Road. I can only imagine the danger it would cause to a small street like White Street!! This article is very misleading and disturbing as are many of the comments. I am genuinely concerned for the safety of anyone who lives in the area or for people like me who need to drive through.
This sounds like a beautiful idea but why not do it in Jackson Especially if the kollel and daycare is anyways on campus?