BOMBSHELL: Jackson Planning Board Member Recused After Explosive Information Revealed [BREAKING UPDATE: More Jackson Officials Exposed] | G. Sonnenfeld

A member of the Jackson Township Planning Board reportedly recused himself Monday evening from the application for the development of Jackson Trails after explosive information was provided to Township officials.

Sources tell TLS that Richard Egan, a mayor-appointed planning board member, participated in a secret meeting last week in which attendees conspired to derail the Jackson Trails development project as well as possible future projects. The Jackson Trails project aims to build approximately 450 homes, plus a synagogue and mikva on Jackson Township land.

Sources say that evidence exists that proves Mr. Egan was in attendance at the meeting, which was kept under wraps. Sources further tell TLS that other Jackson land use officials were also at the meeting, although it has not yet been revealed who they are or what positions they hold.

Sources tell TLS that Egan, who was appointed by Mayor Mike Reina in January, is a close confidant of his. With Jackson Township already embroiled in multiple lawsuits filed by Jewish organizations, it is fair to believe that evidence of Jackson officials conspiring against the Jewish community could be devastating for their legal position in court.

It is as of yet unclear whether Township officials will move to ensure that Mr. Egan will not be in a position to make decisions regarding future land use projects.

UPDATE: Sources have confirmed to TLS that the other Jackson land use officials at last week’s secret meeting were Sheldon Hofstein, the chairman of the Jackson Zoning Board, and Joe Sullivan, a member of the Jackson Zoning Board. Hofstein was on the zoning board at the time when the Oros Bais Yaakov application was denied.

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20 COMMENTS

  1. Wow. The headline is correct: This is a bombshell.
    But, really, are you shocked?
    Jackson twsp has made it abundantly clear time and again what their agenda is.
    Really sad.

  2. Mr Reina and his colors are being revealed any idea why the freeholders employee a man who talks like a friend but hires people to stop Jews and development

  3. I dont see why you call this a bombshell. Egan, as a resident of Jackson, is allowed to have personal opinions regarding development in his town. He is even allowed to have meetings to discuss these matters. If you think that the Jackson Trail project will win approval by accusing everybody of bias you are mistaken. The project needs to be presented in a way that addresses all concerns of ALL rewsidents.

  4. While they are clearly wrong and possibly illegal….after seeing what we did to Lakewood, do you blame them?!

    They can certainly avoid it with better communication, but they are acting out of fear and not thinking.

  5. Just curious, is the development open to anybody to purchase a home in? Can an atheist, Methodist, or Buddhist purchase a dwelling in Jackson Trails?

  6. To QWERTYQ,

    ANYONE can purchase in a development.

    Note, in all likelihood the price will be higher than average; but is open to anyone.

    It’s not a private club.

  7. Sure, anyone can. It’s illegal otherwise
    But many developments have their own unique characteristics or consumers. There’s nothing wrong with that.
    Listen, I wouldn’t necessarily move to Spanish Harlem, although I could

  8. Is this for a Lakewood style development? If it is please stop it, I moved to Jackson for a reason. Lakewood style developments are unhealthy for us, our wives and our children. I’m not a Lakewood hater I just think that living squashed together brings a lot of social problems and ends up hurting our yidishket too. Tznius is very important to Klal Yisroel and its not just a dress code but a lifestyle the Torah demands of us. Lets keep Jackson development free!

  9. I agree with Bob Kaufman. Hopefully lessons have been learned from what developments have done to Lakewood. It’s not only anti semites who are against developments, although their reasons are usually just anti semitic. Developements have hurt us all and destroyed a beautiful city like Lakewood. Frum people can be against developments too.

    • So we’ve got to be vocal about this issue, if we sit back and stay quiet the developers will just run us over. We must make it clear to everyone that most FRUM people are against the developments. OF COURSE WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE HALACHOS OF SHEMIRAS HALASHON AT THE SAME TIME. And avoid machlokes at all costs, because that brings more harm than anything else.

  10. To me,myself,I

    I lived in Lakewood 30 years ago. It was a crime infested dirty town. Many many neighborhoods were downright dangerous. This has changed largely because developments have pushed out the criminals. It’s sad when you say developers have ruined a beautiful city like Lakewood when in fact developers turned Lakewood into the beautiful town that it is.
    Just be Jackson strong.

  11. can you at least post the plans for this development before you come out so strongly and condemn Jackson officials for trying to stop it maybe we Jewish people in Jackson also don’t want it built

  12. To Joseph, we could have pushed out the criminals by building regular single family homes that comply with the min setback and zoning requirements we did not have to build 3 houses on one property in order to kick out the criminals from Lakewood.

  13. Common sense dictates that people who hold ‘secret meetings’ are doing it to hide their motives. In this day and age, when the label ‘anti-semitism’ can ruin somebody’s reputation, you would think that if they had nothing to hide, they would take steps to make sure it isn’t perceived as being anti-semitic. Perhaps invite a few Jews to attend…

Comments are closed.