Fellowship Chapel, the site of a proposed school, at 170 Duchess Lane, Brick, N.J. (Photo: Shorebeat)
Brick Township’s zoning board of adjustment will continue to hear testimony on the case of Fellowship Chapel, a controversial application before the board that would allow the property to be used as a school, next month.
A hearing last week was canceled due to a miscommunication regarding which witnesses were due to appear, Shorebeat learned. The hearing has been rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, at Civic Plaza, 270 Chambers Bridge Road. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
The application requests permission for Fellow Chapel, a non-denominational Christian church, to lease its premises for a school use. The “school,” in this case, would be leased by Liberty School Association, a group that provides a congregate setting for home-school children to learn together. Testimony, however, has been unclear as to whether Liberty is a private school, a religious-based school, or a home-school cooperative – all of which come with varying legal definitions and requirements. Neighbors have retained attorney Edward Liston to present their objections to the application, which consist of concerns over traffic and parking, as well as the fact that the school use could eventually carry over to another property owner if the church were to be sold.
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Fellowship Chapel is completely surrounded by a residential neighborhood on Duchess Lane, heightening the long-term concerns of nearby residents. The case has been carried numerous times due to prolonged testimony, with the application now having been pending for more than a year.
