Township Looks To Preserve Land On Route 9 In Bayville

BERKELEY, NJ — Township officials are hoping to preserve a parcel of land on Atlantic City Boulevard in Bayville.

The Township Council asked the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Program to either purchase 276 Atlantic City Blvd. outright or to partner with the township to preserve the land at a meeting on Monday.

The land is two and a half acres adjacent to Mastapeter Memorial Home and is also owned by the Mastapeter family, Mayor Carmen Amato explained. It is undeveloped and fronts Route 9.

"He has been approached by some developers that have interest, and he would rather sell it to the town for open space," Amato said.

The family previously sold a lot off Amherst to the township for below market value, which was converted into Mastapeter Park.

Preserving the land under the Natural Lands Trust would require the land to essentially remain unchanged, with only some improvements allowed, such as developing trails and adding benches. For more information about the program, visit their website.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Mastapeter family was looking to retire soon. The family has no plans to retire soon. Patch regrets this error.