Lacey Asks County Commissioners To Preserve Property Off Route 9

LACEY, NJ — The Lacey Township Committee has authorized an ordinance asking the Ocean County Commissioners to use the Natural Lands Trust to purchase and preserve property sought for a townhouse development.

A development with 68 townhomes on Route 9 across from the Applebee’s Grill and Bar has received preliminary approval from the Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Protection.

“We’re faced with a number of applicants who would like to develop multi-family homes. We’ve got two in the pipeline right now and they’re causing a lot of controversy in the township for a couple of reasons,” said Mark Dykoff during a committee meeting on June 10.

Dykoff cited traffic impacts and environmental concerns as the two main reasons for authorizing a petition against the project. He added that it was unlikely that Route 9 would be widened to accommodate the new development.

Residents have also asked the committee whether the township can buy the property, but Dykoff said the town could not afford the purchase.

Mayor Peter Curatolo and Committeeman Timothy McDonald supported the township's petition asking the county to purchase the property, resulting in a 3-2 committee vote.

“If there’s 68 townhomes — figure two cars per townhome, it’s an additional 136 cars. If they’re making a left to get into a place right there, that Lacey and Route 9 intersection is just — forget about it. It’s going to be ridiculous,” McDonald said.

Committeeman Steven Kennis had concerns about setting aside one of Lacey’s remaining commercial properties for preservation.

“Lacey Township is 80 square miles. We have plenty of land that’s preserved in Lacey Township,” Kennis said. “To set aside that commercial piece of property on Route 9, I just don’t agree. That’s our only ratable property left in the township and that’s the only property that will be getting developed going forward.”

If the projects receive full approval from the DOT and DEP, they will come back before the planning board to determine whether the approvals changed the project to the degree that the planning board has to issue new guidelines.

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