Cape May County · Upper Township · #25-00356
Religious building, Block 600 Lot 14
Upper Township, NJ · 11,500 sq ft non-residential, institutional
About this project
A new religious building of about 11,500 sq ft is proposed on Block 600, Lot 14 in Upper Township, with a reported construction cost of about $2.06 million.
Official description: Lecture halls, Art Galleries, Churches, etc.; Churches & Other Religious; reported construction cost $2,063,000
- Plan type
- Building permit (new construction)
- Land use
- Churches & Other Religious
- Status
- Permit
Filing history
- 2025-08-04 · #25-00356 · Building permit (new construction) · 11,500 sq ft
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
A new religious building of about 11,500 square feet is proposed on Block 600, Lot 14 in Upper Township, Cape May County. County records give a reported construction cost of about $2.06 million.
Local newspaper notices describe a church project on Block 600 in the Marmora area. It involves Chapel by the Sea, an 8.5-acre site and a chapel of about 12,075 square feet. That is close to the county figure but not identical, and the lot numbers are written slightly differently. The match is likely but not confirmed.
According to that coverage, the church left its former Ocean City home and now uses another site in Marmora. An earlier version of the plan included three affordable homes. The amended plan dropped them, and the church would pay into the township's affordable housing fund instead. No opposition was reported.
What it could mean nearby
- Parking is tight: the amended plan was reported to provide 49 spaces against 50 required, so a variance was needed.
- Dropping the on-site affordable homes means no new housing there. A payment to the township housing fund replaces them.
- The reported setback variance means the building would sit far back from the road, with parking in front rather than behind.
Where it stands
Local coverage shows the zoning board approved a use variance and site plan in 2023 and an amended plan in September 2024. Later notices suggest further board action in 2026. The next steps are usually final resolutions, construction permits and then building.
- Aug 2025 Latest county planning filing for the 11,500 sq ft religious building
- Sep 5, 2024 Upper Township zoning board approved the amended site plan reducing the church size and removing the homes
- Apr 2023 Zoning board granted a use variance and site plan approval for the original, larger plan (spring 2023)
Want to weigh in? The Upper Township zoning board and planning board decide, and residents can speak at their public meetings. Hearing notices are posted in the local legal notices.
Who's behind it
Chapel by the Sea · A church congregation that relocated from Ocean City to Marmora and is the apparent applicant for the Block 600 chapel.
Around the web
- Upper Township zoning board OKs amended plan for Marmora churchOcean City Sentinel · Sep 5, 2024Describes the amended 12,075 sq ft chapel plan, the dropped affordable homes and the variances granted.
Planning terms explained
- Use variance
- Special permission to build something the zoning rules do not normally allow in that area, such as a church in this zone.
- Setback variance
- An exception to the required distance between a building and the road or property line.
- Site plan
- The detailed layout of a project showing the building, parking, access and landscaping.
- Affordable housing trust fund
- A township fund that pays for housing for lower-income households, which developers can contribute to.
Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.
Scope estimate for contractors
Estimated construction value: $4.0M
- ~57 roofing squares (assumes 2 stories)
- ~28 tons of cooling (rule of thumb 400 sq ft/ton)