After a Hamilton Township Zoning Board hearing originally scheduled for Dec. 8, 2025, was rescheduled to Jan. 12, 2026, due to an attendee’s medical emergency, the board approved a zoning variance sought by current ownership of the Mays Landing Country Club.
The approval will allow the development of “an approximate 212 unit single-family, attached townhome residential community with a 12-hole golf course and existing club house in place of the existing 18-hole golf course,” according to the Variance Relief Application.
The owner, Frank Ruocco, plans to eliminate six of the golf course’s 18 holes to make way for a residential development, while still complying with the density limits set forth in the ordinance, as well as renovating the existing clubhouse.
The application stated that variance relief was required because the proposal includes attached townhomes, whereas the zoning ordinance permits only detached single-family homes, and because golf courses are not listed as a permitted use.
The country club was purchased by Ruocco in 2023 and has a complicated legal history. The deed restriction governing the former country club property has been revised multiple times over the years, NJ Advance Media reported.
A 2002 restriction required the land to remain in use as a golf course while nearby residential development proceeded. That provision was later amended in 2014 to apply only to holes 10 through 18, freeing roughly 50 acres — including the holes closest to Monet Drive — for potential development.
After acquiring the property, Ruocco challenged an earlier restriction dating to the 1980s that mandated the course maintain at least 12 holes. Court records cited by NJ Advance Media show Ruocco’s attorneys filed suit in Chancery Division, arguing the restriction was vague and unenforceable. A judge agreed, issuing an order that voided the remaining land-use limitations. The order was later recorded in county tax records, formally removing the restriction, Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo told NJ Advance Media in 2024.
Neighbors living off Cates Road and Volunteer Way in communities such as The Fairways — a retirement community — and Victoria Pointe say the proposal raises serious questions about environmental impacts, traffic congestion, flooding and strain on local schools and infrastructure.
Concerns gained attention after a post circulated in the “What is going on in Mays Landing?” Facebook group urging residents to get involved. The post warned that the proposed development could affect wetlands surrounding Gravely Run Creek, which runs through the country club property and is classified as protected wetlands.
“This delicate environment is protected by the state and our township has done an amazing job to protect it as well, going as far as imposing strict impermeable ground cover rules for current property owners,” the post stated. “This puts our homes at risk of flooding and water damage to home basements and foundations, along with the health risks of pooling water like mosquito borne illnesses.”
Traffic is another major concern. Residents say Cates Road, a two-lane, 25-mph roadway with limited access points, already experiences congestion and an estimated additional 500 vehicles, along with school bus routes, would exacerbate the situation.
Now Ruocco, who is also executive vice president of Ocean Casino Resort and owner of Greate Bay Country Club, must file a site plan application to be heard by the Zoning Board, according to Zoning Officer Steven Hartzell. If that passes, he’ll be able to move along with the process.
It is unknown how long it will take for Ruocco’s team to do so or when that meeting will take place.
