TOMS RIVER, NJ (update)—A deal signed between Toms River Township and the federal government under the previous administration is leading to more applications to convert and expand single-family homes into religious houses of worship.
Following a crucial land use agreement executed by former Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill, Toms River has seen a surge in applications for synagogues in private residences and smaller land parcels.
Two additional synagogue applications have recently been submitted. This increase comes after a 2021 agreement, facilitated by former Mayor Hill and his team with the Department of Justice, which reduced the minimum acreage requirement for houses of worship from 10 acres to 2 acres.
Current Mayor Dan Rodrick, then a councilman, voted against cutting the 10-acre rule for houses of worship to 2 acres.
Rodrick believed the township should have fought the Department Of Justice in court instead of immediately settling on two acres and entering the township into a permanent, legally binding agreement.
Hill’s decision not to challenge the Department of Justice has since effectively handcuffed the township to all future applications.
A synagogue that has been operating for several years out of a private home on Whitesville Road is seeking to consolidate two lots to enlarge its building and add a commercial-style parking lot.
Last year, county officials significantly changed the traffic pattern on that section of Whitesville Road, adding turning lanes, pedestrian safety devices, and signage for the existing shul. These changes came after a man walking to prayer service at the synagogue was struck by a vehicle and killed while crossing the road. Officials agree that having a parking lot at that location would reduce pedestrian traffic and vehicles parked on the road at the very busy intersection.
On Stevens Road, the application seeks to convert an existing 2,873-square-foot home into a synagogue and add a 23,400-square-foot parking lot on-site.
Mayor Dan Rodrick said the township attorney advised him that he couldn’t comment on the applications, but he did say that Toms River is legally bound by the two-acre agreement signed into law by Hill. Any attempts to violate the agreement would result in an immediate Federal injunction by the Justice Department.
This has become a hot-button issue in the Ward 2 Republican Primary race, where former Council President Kevin Geoghegan is attempting to regain a seat on the council. Geoghegan, who voted in favor of cutting the 10-acre rule, has come under fire by his Republican opponent, William Byrne, an outspoken critic of former Mayor Hill and Kevin Geoghegan.
This article has been updated to reference former Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill who enacted the agreement from position of the mayor to clarify that all township officials did not unanimously support it.