Lakewood OK's hundreds of new homes near Toms River Toms River objects to "inadequate" development application.

LAKEWOOD - Hundreds of new homes are coming to the Route 70 area near the Toms River border.

At its final meeting of 2015 — and one of its busiest of the year — the Planning Board Tuesday approved three major projects in the southern end of town totaling more than 300 units.

Because the units can have basement apartments, more than 600 new households are possible.

Toms River sent a township planner to the meeting to take issue with one of the projects, a 74-unit subdivision at Locust Street and Route 70 proposed by developer Sam Rabinowitz.

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The site is adjacent to open space owned by Toms River. Colleen McGurk, representing Toms River, noted that the plans failed to show a 54-foot-wide easement Toms River has bordering the development site.

Other issues that made the application "inadequate," McGurk said, were the lack of detailed plans for stormwater management, recycling, trees and landscaping.

In response, Brian Flannery, the developer’s planner, said Toms River was accustomed to seeing applications in a different format. He agreed to add the easement to the site map. Ally Morris, Lakewood’s planning board administrator, said the developer has to provide the missing elements McGurk cited to the township’s engineer as a condition of the board’s approval.

Flannery said the topography on the site is such that water flows away from Toms River’s property into the development site. “And we’re happy to take it, because we’re Lakewood Strong,” he quipped.

Flannery was referring to the “Don’t Sell, Toms River Strong” signs that have sprouted in the area in response to the expansion of Lakewood’s fast-growing Orthodox Jewish community into northern Toms River.

In addition to the Locust Street subdivision, two other projects approved Tuesday are bringing Lakewood’s building boom ever closer to the Toms River border.

Somerset New Hampshire LLC is building a mixed-use development at Route 70 and New Hampshire Avenue near the Original Leisure Village adult community. The project consists of 37 duplexes, totaling 74 units with basements, a community building and 21,000 square feet of commercial space.

The other project, by Flea Market Developers LLC, will eventually displace the Route 70 Auction & Flea Market, a 36-year-old landmark, with 166 townhouses, with basements, in addition to a clubhouse and office and retail space.

A flea market's future Development plans in the works for longtime site of the Route 70 Auction & Flea Market in Lakewood. Video by Shannon Mullen.

Shannon Mullen: 732-643-4278; smullen4@gannettnj.com