Toms River to buy downtown, North Dover properties for $2 million
TOMS RIVER - A 7-acre parcel on Silverton Road and a downtown property could soon be part of Toms River's open space inventory after the Township Council voted Wednesday night to bond $2 million to purchase the two pieces of land.
"We are going to try to preserve as much open space as we can," Mayor Maurice B. "Mo" Hill Jr. said of the two planned purchases.
The Silverton Road site is vacant and is for sale. An ordinance adopted Wednesday by the council says the township plans to spend $1,040,000 to buy the property, which would be preserved as open space.
The downtown property is located at 27 Washington St., across from town hall. A developer has approvals to build a 5-story apartment building on the land, which is now a park. The bond ordinance sets aside almost $1 million for the Washington Street land.
It also states that the township will use eminent domain to take the property if no agreement can be reached with the developer. Hill said the township has been speaking to the developer about buying the land.
Hill has said that Toms River would maintain the land as a park if the township acquires the property.
The downtown land is owned by 27 Washington Street LLC. In August, the developer's proposal to build a six-story building, with 23 apartments and a rooftop deck, was rejected by the township Board of Adjustment. Zoning board members expressed concerns that parking for the 73-foot-high building would not be contained onsite, but instead would be provided through an agreement with the Toms River Parking Authority.
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In 2019, the zoning board approved a previous proposal for the site by 27 Washington Street. That plan included a five-story building with the same number of apartments − 23 − and 2,000-square-feet of storage and 2,000-square-feet of retail on the ground floor. It did not include a rooftop deck.
The project would include five affordable apartments to help Toms River reach its state-mandated requirement to provide housing for low- and moderate-income residents.
A 2014 fire destroyed a two-story building on the site that had housed about 15 businesses.
After the building was demolished, a small park was created on the property. The demolished building had been constructed in about 1916, township officials said at the time.
More dwelling units, with ground-floor retail, are encouraged in the township's ambitious redevelopment plan for the downtown area.
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The Planning Board last year approved the construction of two, 10-story apartment towers on Water Street, at the site of the old Red Carpet Inn. Those towers will contain 285 apartment units, a two-level riverfront boardwalk, along with a restaurant, coffee shop and a "doggie day care" in 16,000-square-feet of retail space.
The apartment towers have been welcomed by the downtown business community, but criticized by many residents as being too big, and out of character for Toms River's downtown. Downtown redevelopment seems likely to be a major issue in 2023, when the mayor's seat and three council positions will be up for grabs in November.
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 38 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 NJ to spend $2 million on land preservation
