Holmdel Residents Raise Concerns About Proposed Chabad Jewish Center

HOLMDEL, NJ — Holmdel residents took to the floor Tuesday night to voice their concerns about a proposed Chabad Jewish Center that would be built on Holmdel Road.

The proposed building plan consists of a 15,053-square-foot religious center alongside a 5,129-square-foot parsonage/Rabbi’s residence on 816 Holmdel Road.

The project applicant, the Chabad Jewish Center of Holmdel, is represented by attorney Jennifer Krimko, who attended Tuesday night’s meeting seeking a final major site plan approval for the project.

Though the board intended to vote on the application at Tuesday’s meeting, the application was ultimately carried to the board’s reorganization meeting in January, where a new hearing date will be determined.

Throughout the public comment portions of the meeting, Holmdel residents took to the floor to voice their concerns about crowds, tax exemption, water system maintenance and more.

The Proposed Project
In her introduction at Tuesday's meeting, Krimko said the proposed Chabad Center is an “essentially variance-free” application as well as a permitted use.

According to the project’s Environmental Impact Report, the one-story religious center, single-family Rabbi’s residence, parking stalls and driveway would occupy 2.359 acres of the site.

Open space, including stormwater management basins, steep slopes and undisturbed wetland and upland forest, would occupy the remaining 7.009 acres.

Andrew Comi, the project engineer, said the religious center will be setback 224 ft. from the paved edge of Holmdel Road, and host 117 paved parking spots as well as 36 extra (non-paved) parking spots for vehicle overflow.

Downward-facing LED fixtures are proposed to light the center’s driveway and parking spots, though Comi said the lights will be on timers and no light spillage is expected to impact surrounding areas.

“What we’re proposing here is exactly what the governing body – when they drafted the ordinance – contemplated for this site and this location,” Krimko said.

Rabbi Shmaya Galperin, who leads the Chabad Jewish Center of Holmdel, said the center currently serves 255 families, 150 of which live in Holmdel. Though the center counts 255 members, Galperin said not every member attends all Chabad events.

“Some of our Hebrew School families may not show up to any of the holiday services, but we count them as a member,” Galperin said. “Sometimes it’s a donor that contributes but doesn’t come to any of the programs.”

By opening the proposed center, Galperin said Chabad will be able to consolidate its programs (which are currently offered across venues such as Bell Works and the Holmdel Senior Center) and bring them all to one location.

A multipurpose room, youth lounge, Sunday Hebrew school, synagogue, library and learning center are some features of the proposed center, Galperin said. Chabad also plans to offer community outreach programs, including an annual toy drive and Thanksgiving dinner.

“This synagogue will project a sense of permanence and stability that reflects our long-term commitment to the Holmdel community,” Galperin said.

Board & Resident Concerns
Throughout Tuesday’s meeting, planning board members and residents alike voiced their concerns about the proposed project.

Wes Fagan, a member of the planning board, questioned how often people are expected to be at the religious center throughout the week.

According to Galperin, the center offers Hebrew School once a week on Sundays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Outside of religious services and education, a teen group meets once per month at the center, which Galperin said may increase to twice per month at most.

Holidays, weddings, as well as bar and bat mitzvahs may also draw crowds, though Galperin said their largest event (Yom Kippur) tends to draw around 250 people at most.

If the center were to be built today, Galperin said it would only be at 30-40% capacity.

Ann Wright, who lives near the proposed center, questioned how the building is classified as a house of worship when parts of the center are dedicated to classroom space.

“This is called a house of worship, yet I see two-thirds of the 5,000 square feet as things other than worship,” Wright said. “And I know you worship in the classroom, but I see classroom and event space taking up two-thirds of this space."

According to Krimko, the educational learning and event space are permitted accessory uses that any house of worship (such as a church or mosque), could include. Its classification as a house of worship was a legal determination made by township professionals, Krimko said.

Patrick Trischitta, another resident who attended Tuesday’s meeting, questioned if the site would be tax-exempt “for eternity.”

According to Krimko, the current property is tax-exempt as farmland. If the center were to be approved and granted tax exemption, Krimko said that exemption wouldn’t last forever and the land would revert back like any other development should the center no longer exist.

Due to its status as a parsonage, Krimko added that the rabbi’s house would be included in that tax exemption status.

Resident James Sheherlis, who owns property across from the proposed center, expressed his concerns about land erosion due to water basins that run toward Holmdel Road.

“It [water] goes under the street, in a pipe, and then comes out to a creek that runs down the entire length of my property — all 550 feet of it,” Sheherlis said. “So that’s land erosion from the water coming from that.”

According to Comi, the water would flow into infiltration basins and discharge at a slower and lesser rate than it does today.

Robert Yuro, the planning board’s engineer, said the board is requesting extra information on the drainage system to see where the water will go beyond the inlets on Holmdel Road.

Groups throughout Holmdel have also drawn attention to plans for the center.

The Citizens For Informed Land Use (CILU), which aims to protect Holmdel’s open space, sent an email to members before Tuesday’s meeting asking them to attend and learn about plans for the center.

Flyers also circulated around town asking residents to “attend in person and make your voice heard before it’s too late.”

To see application documents for the proposed Chabad Center, you can click here.

To watch a recording of Tuesday’s meeting, you can view Part 1 and Part 2.

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• Chabad Jewish Center Set For Holmdel Planning Board Meeting