Army Corps Rejects 16 Toms River Easements, Report Says

Sixteen easements signed by Toms River beach associations have been rejected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers because of language contained in so-called supplementary agreements, according to a report.

The Asbury Park Press report says the easements, needed for beach replenishment work that will include dune construction along the oceanfront, include language in a supplementary agreement that gives assurances for property owners that no bathrooms, boardwalks or other facilities will be constructed on their property when the beach replenishment project is completed, unless the owner gives written consent for such facilities.

Of particular concern is language about dune walk-over structure access and the owners’ right to perform maintenance or other work on the dunes, an Army Corps spokesman has said

Township Administrator Paul J. Shives said the Toms River had acted in good faith, working with the DEP to reassure beach association members by crafting the language in the supplementary agreements. But the Army Corps told township officials that the state Department of Environmental Protection had not cleared the side agreement’s language with them.

Shives said the Army Corps and the DEP have agreed to work together to draft new easement language that will be distributed to beach associations within the next 10 days.

The rejection of the language is just part of the ongoing saga of getting a beach replenishment project started in the area. Homeowners from Ortley Beach have been clamoring for the project, saying their homes, many of which were severely damaged or destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, remain vulnerable to future storms.

The Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association has held marches both in Trenton and in Ortley Beach to call attention to the delays and to demand assistance from the DEP and the Army Corps.

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