The Brick Township Council will introduce a bond ordinance in the amount of $1,800,000 at their February 14, 2023 Council meeting. The bond ordinance will provide funds that will go towards the purchase of a 31.6 acre property that was threatened by residential development. The Township is joining the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust to purchase and preserve the property.
“We are beyond excited that we were able to work with the County and preserve this property from residential development,” said Mayor John G. Ducey. “From the moment that the development plan was announced, we worked to find a way to stop it. Purchasing the property was the only realistic option and we couldn’t have done it without the County.”
The Township of Brick and Ocean County are partnering to purchase the property for a total of $8,550,000. The Township will be responsible for $1,710,000 and the County will contribute $6,840,000. The Township has also agreed to be responsible for the maintenance of the property.
As part of the agreement, the property will be subdivided with the Township receiving an apportionment of roughly 6.33 acres – or 20% of the total property. The Township plans on building a playground and parking area on this portion. The Township has been in communication with the Trust for Public Land about the construction of the playground.
“This is an investment in the future of our community and preserving the quality of life of our residents,” said Councilwoman Lisa Crate. “We are saving one of the largest remaining pieces of land in Brick from becoming dozens of homes. We are also going to be building a playground that will be enjoyed by future generations of Brick residents.”
The Township and the County negotiated the purchase with D.R. Horton, a Texas-based home construction company who was the contracted purchaser of the property. D.R. Horton was in the process of seeking approval to construct as many as 59 single-family homes on the land.
The Council will also consider an ordinance authorizing the Township to seek Green Acres funding for the project. The Township will be applying to receive $1.2 million in funding to offset the cost of the Township’s portion of the purchase. Township officials are confident that the funding request will be approved by Green Acres.