The development area is located outside of any environmentally sensitive land and is consistent with the intent of the Suburban Planning Area. The proposed project is also an appropriate form of development consistent with the objectives and goals of the zoning ordinance of Jackson Township. Potential planning, zoning, and demographic impacts are minimized by designing the project in full compliance with the R 1 zoning district and applicable subdivision standards. The development is limited to single family residential use and a modest number of dwelling units that can be accommodated by existing roadway, water, and sewer infrastructure without requiring off-site improvements or zoning relief.

Neighborhood compatibility is maintained through internal roadway design, appropriate lot configuration, and preservation of surrounding wooded areas where practicable, which reduces visual and functional impacts to adjacent properties. Development intensity is scaled to reflect existing land use patterns and municipal service capacity, thereby avoiding overconcentration of growth.

The addition of nine homes represents a minor incremental population increase that is not expected to measurably affect schools, emergency services, or community facilities. No displacement of existing residents or businesses will occur. The project supports orderly infill development consistent with municipal planning objectives without requiring Master Plan amendments or changes to zoning policy.

The site lies within the Outer Atlantic Coastal Plain Physiographic Province. The Outer Coastal Plain Province is characterized by broad lowlands formed on unconsolidated and semi-consolidated marine and alluvial sediments, mainly sands, silts and clays, with minor amounts of gravel. According to the GIS data layer entitled “Bedrock Geology for New Jersey” provided by the NJDEP New Jersey Geological Survey (NJGS), the site is underlain by the Cohansey Formation (refer to Figure 7: New Jersey Bedrock Geology Map). The Cohansey Formation is made up of quartz sand, medium to coarse grained.

The site is in the Kirkwood – Cohansey Bedrock Aquifer System. The Kirkwood – Cohansey is a water-table aquifer that covers nearly 3000 square miles. Ground water is stored in and transmitted through pores between sand grains and is typically well connected to surface water bodies. Some ground water leaks to deeper confined aquifers. The aquifer is highly permeable due to the dominance of well sorted, medium to coarse grained sand. Ground water in this aquifer is typically fresh, acidic, highly corrosive, and low in dissolved solids.

According to the GIS data layer entitled “Surface Geology for New Jersey”, provided by the NJDEP NJGS, the surficial geology underlying the site is composed of Weathered Coastal Plain Formations, Upper Stream Terrace Deposits and Alluvium (refer to Figure 8: NJ Surface Geology Map). Weathered coastal plain formations are composed of exposed sand and clay of Coastal Plain bedrock formations. This layer may be overlain by thin, patchy alluvium and colluvium. Quartz and ironstone pebbles left from erosion of surficial deposits may be present on the surface and in the upper several feet of the formation. Upper stream terrace deposits are made up of sand and pebble gravel, minor silt and cobble gravel; yellow, reddish yellow, yellowish brown. As much as 20 feet thick. Alluvium is made up of sand, gravel, silt, minor clay and peat; reddish brown, yellowish brown, brown, gray. As much as 20 feet thick. (NJGS 2006).