Toms River Council Urges Municipal Action on Dune Project

All municipalities from the Manasquan to Barnegat Inlets must do their part to allow for the construction of a substantial federal dune restoration project, even if that means using eminent domain, Toms River officials said.

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dune project will only provide protection from future severe storms if it is contiguous, officials said, leading all present Toms River council members to unanimously approve a resolution Tuesday urging coastal municipalities to ensure the project can move forward.

“We want the other municipalities to feel as strongly about it as Toms River does,” said Council Vice President Maria Maruca, who represents the township’s hard-hit barrier island residents.

The recent ruling in a Harvey Cedars eminent domain case has given Toms River officials the go-ahead to move forward with eminent domain proceedings if oceanfront property owners do not grant an easement for the restoration project.

“This is the most important insurance we can provide for our community from future storms,” said Councilman Mo Hill, who noted that experts have said residents would have been spared from much of Superstorm Sandy’s devastation if the project had been in place when the storm struck.

“We’re doing our part in Toms River Township, meeting with homeowners associations, meeting with residents,” Maruca said.

Before the court’s ruling, eminent domain proceedings were too risky of an option and could have led to litigation against the township, mayor Thomas Kelaher has said.

The township will send letters to the property owners that have not yet granted an easement for the project. That letter will have a deadline to sign, which Maruca has said will be the end of July.

Township Business Administrator Paul Shives said that, since the township’s announcement it will seek condemnation proceedings, officials have received requests from easement holdouts to set up meetings.

“There have been calls,” he said.

As to whether the township can reach a resolution with those property owners before condemnation proceedings are necessary, Shives said “I’m hopeful. I’m always hopeful.”

Councilman Jeffrey Carr, who is an engineer, said that he recently met with township engineer Robert Chankalian and had “in-depth talks” about building the dunes.

“This project is moving forward,” Carr said

To ensure protection for all coastal communities, the dune project must be contiguous, said council President George Wittmann, which is why the Army Corps project is necessary.

“You can't have communities deciding on their own what they want to do with rebuilding the dune,”  he said.

“Certainly we can make this happen along the whole coast,” said Councilman John Sevastakis.

Councilman Al Manforti did not attend the meeting as he is recovering from recent surgery. He was given an excused absence by members.