Middletown Planning Board Rejects Trinity Hall Application
All Girls School Says It Will Appeal
Trinity Hall, the all girls private school currently operating from Croydon Hall in the Leonardo section of Middletown Township, had its plans to develop a campus in the Chapel Hill neighborhood of the Township rejected by the Planning Board at 1am this morning, according to a report in The Asbury Park Press.
The board of trustees of Trinity Hall plans to appeal this decision, according to a press release posted on the school’s website. They are confident in the merits of their case and anticipate this decision will be reversed. The Middletown Planning Board had directed the application be submitted without variance from the ordinance and that Trinity Hall accept reasonable additional conditions or amendments, which the application did follow.
“As a Middletown resident and Trinity Hall board of trustees member I am disappointed in the decision of the Middletown Planning Board, which seems arbitrary and contrary to Township ordinance,” said Donna Winchell. “The school is committed to being a good neighbor and has given back to the community through almost 500 hours of community service in just nine months.”
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Would severely impact quality and character of a neighborhood that has long been established; simply not compatible at this point. Not to mention a “nonprofit” paying no property tax does not compare to 19 homes (which had been approved by the board) bring over $400k annually. School was rejected at Ft Monmouth for similar reasons.
If 19 homes had two (2) school age children, the cost would be about $10,000 per child per year, or about $380,000 in school district costs.
Apparently Mr. Short is against private schooling for Catholic young women.
If Mr. Short is against private schooling for Catholic girls he has alot of company- including the Diocese of Trenton, which refused to sanction this school.
And Digger should be clear…the school is in “the Catholic tradition” which means they will not gracefully offer up their defeat, but use their deep pockets to keep the litigation going as long as possible.
The reason Diocese of Trenton refuses to sanction is simply because of money the Diocese wants the vig up front the school said no …..ever try to get a annulment free or at a low cost …same principal
I hope for the sake of the planning board and the residents of Middletown that the zoning truly prohibits this type of use on the land. If not the town will lose and if there is a lawsuit so will the taxpayers when they foot the bill for the lawsuit.
NJ land use laws require apps with variances go before the Zoning Board not the planning board. This leads me to believe that this use is approved for this land in the townships master plan, adopted by ordinance.
Who ever thinks 19 homes is better than a school may not be thinking clearly. The cost to the taxpayer in dollars(school, police,services for 19 families) and the cost to the enviroment without a doubt outweight the cost of a school that will be closed on weekends and the summer, will probably have fields with an open space component etc………..
This sure seems like NIMBY plain and simple. Hope for the taxpayers sake the Planning Board members had legal grounds for denial based on NJ land use laws because that is all the court will rule on.
(I have no horse in this race do not live in Middletown , have not daughters and not catholic)