Check out the six-story apartment towers with stores coming to downtown Toms River

TOMS RIVER - Two six-story apartment towers, which supporters and opponents both agree will transform downtown Toms River, received the green light Wednesday night from the township's Planning Board.

"This project is key to the economic revitalization of downtown Toms River," Planning Board Chairman Ronald Heinzman said before voting "yes" on the project, which was approved by a 6-to-0 vote following a four-hour-long public hearing.

Capodagli Property Co. plans to build the two apartment buildings on land formerly occupied by the Red Carpet Motel, at Main and Water streets in the downtown. The units will contain 281 apartments and about 14,800 square feet of retail space.

Toms River has been trying to redevelop its downtown area, with only sporadic success, for more than 30 years.

The project is four stories smaller, and contains four fewer apartments than the initial Capodagli proposal, which was approved in December 2021 by the planning board. That plan, with its two 10-story towers, was panned by many downtown residents, and became an issue in the June Republican primary, with Councilman Daniel Rodrick, who opposed the towers, defeating Mayor Maurice B. "Mo" Hill Jr., who supported the plan.

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Robert C. Shea, the Toms River lawyer who represents Capodagli, said the developer had decided to reduce the size of the towers from 112 feet to 67 feet in part because of the public's response to the initial plan.

The developer will still build a small ampitheater, a "boardwalk" which will give public access to the river, and other improvements that will add up to about $5 million in public investment, he said.

The project will include 389 parking spaces, with 333 set aside for residents and the remainder for the public, according to architect Christiano Pereira. There will be 53 studio apartments, 145 one-bedrooms, 38 two-bedrooms and two three-bedrooms that are market-rate apartments, he said.

There are also 43 apartments set aside for low- and moderate-income renters. A pool and green space between the two towers has been eliminated, Pereira said.

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Former Mayor J. Mark Mutter, who is also the township historian, unsuccessfully urged the board not to vote on the proposal Wednesday, instead asking that they wait until all nine board members were present.

"The election in this town this past June was a referendum on development, re-development and overdevelopment," Mutter said. He said construction of the apartment towers "would transform the village of Toms River into the city of Toms River."

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"I ask that you decide this application tonight differently. Postpone the vote on this. Keep the public hearing open," he added. "Get the whole community involved."

Downtown resident Irene Watson said, "the people of this town are very concerned about this project," and pointed out that the township has agreed to a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) with the developer.

Under the 30-year agreement, Capodagli would pay a "service charge," instead of property taxes to the township, which would equal 7% of the gross revenue from the development.

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Joseph P. Baumann Jr., Toms River's redevelopment attorney, said the payment is estimated at just under $400,000 in the first year that the project is in operation, an amount that would rise over the life of the agreement. The township would receive 95% of that amount, while 5% would go to the county.

PILOTs are controversial, in part, because none of the money paid by developers is distributed to the school system. Instead, the large majority of funds go to municipalities.

Downtown resident Dana Tourmollan said she opposed the 10-story towers, but she praised the developer for listening to residents' concerns and modifying the project.

"I have to say that this project is way more to the liking of most of us who were here for 2½ years fighting the towers themselves. … Again, they heard us, they did hear us, they considered our concerns and our thoughts," Tourmollan said. "If this proposal does not go through, the towers have already been approved, the developer could move forward with those two towers."

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Lisa Cifaretto, president of the Toms River Artist Community, said "people are craving the change in this town."

"It’s not everybody that is hating this," said Cifaretto, whose organization recently opened a new gallery and maker space for local artists at 40 Main St. "Change is progress. This town needs it, or it’s going to fold."

Shea said the developer has six months to secure all necessary permits for the apartment project. Once ground is broken, it will take 18 to 24 months to build, he said.

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 40 years. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle,  jmikle@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River approves six-story towers with 281 apartments, stores