Toms River Dune Project Update
As Ortley Beach homeowners gear up to rally Saturday against the stalled beach replenishment project, there's encouraging news from Toms River officials.
Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher said officials were updated at Tuesday's Council meeting that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the state Attorney General's Office have started filing lawsuits against the Homeowner Associations of oceanfront property owners who have refused to sign easements. He pointed out Toms River has obtained all but about four easements. Legal efforts in Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head to prevent dunes from going up in those towns have stalled the overall project.
"They started the other day and they're going to be continuing a parade of eminent domain suits," said Kelahar. He explained part of the delay was due to state officials thinking they would be able to operate under the post Sandy Emergency Declaration, which would have allowed property to be seized first.
Court decisions over eminent domain resulted in the state having to following the New Jersey Statute, requiring appraisals and meetings with property owners.
"In the meantime, we have heard from the Army Corps of Engineers. They had taken the position they were going to do nothing until they had every easement from the Manasquan Inlet to the Barnegat Inlet. They have now said that they could segregate it, at least as we understand it, by starting at the south end and heading north, and when they get to Bay Head and Point Pleasant Beach they could stop the job and do that as an extra," Kelaher said.
Kelaher said while it's a victory in part, he is disappointed an exact start date still hasn't been determined, especially heading into a third hurricane season this fall.
Kelaher said the Township has been told bidding would begin by the end of the year with a goal of awarding contracts by the beginning of 2016.
"That's what they say, but they've told us a lot of other things, so I guess the right answer is seeing is believing," he said.
Kelaher said some Toms River officials plan to support Ortley residents by attending Saturday's march and rally.
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