Committee Addresses Latest Rumors On Proposed Lacey Municipal Complex

LACEY, NJ — A shouting match between Lacey's township officials and a local resident broke out at the latest Lacey Township Committee meeting over the proposed new municipal complex.

A public hearing was held back in November over the potential complex, which would combine town hall, the police station and an indoor recreation center all in one. At that meeting, the proposal was met with anger by the residents, who questioned the necessity of the building. Read more: Proposed New Municipal Complex Draws Ire From Lacey Residents

Concerns revolved around costs, from building, maintenance and inflation.

No further updates have been shared since then, as the Committee shared then and the latest meeting, because no formal decisions have been made.

But just because they said that doesn't mean the residents believe that - and they say they've heard rumors that say otherwise.

Kevin Flynn, a frequent meeting attendee, mentioned that he heard at a recent Rotary Club meeting that trees would be coming down soon and that construction would begin.

He asked about the cost of the project, which the Committee said they didn't have an estimate because there isn't a design yet.

"I can't reiterate enough that unless it gets voted on here, it doesn't matter," said Deputy Mayor Steven Kennis. "So I don't care what you heard at Rotary Club. I really don't."

Other rumors are floating around saying that the new complex is a "done deal" and that the Committee is working behind the public's back to make it happen.

One resident asked about this and many other questions.

"My family, we own five, six houses in Forked River," he said. "We feel we pay enough in taxes. We feel that this new municipal complex does not benefit the public."

The meeting quickly devolved into arguing and shouting from both sides, as Committee members took offense to the accusation of it already being a done deal.

Even if the new complex doesn't move forward, Mayor Tim McDonald said, there still needs to be additions to the police station and to town hall. Both have outgrown their current spaces, officials have said - which is the original reason they looked into the public private partnership to build a new complex.

The complex would be the first public private partnership after Gov. Phil Murphy signed it into law in 2018. All others have been rejected, McDonald said, but he doesn't think this one will.

Business Administrator Veronica Laureigh said that the township has met with department heads to see how big the new complex may need to be.

McDonald said that in 30-60 days, a design to renovate the current building should be ready with an estimated cost. Then they have to make a decision on whether it's worth to put the money into that or a new complex.

"We have to look at the future. We can't live in 1962," Committeewoman PeggySue Juliano said. "We have to move forward and make decisions to build for the future."