Lacey Residents Speak Out Against Overdevelopment

LACEY, NJ — Residents of Lacey recently spoke out against potential overdevelopment in town, voicing concerns that new multi-family dwellings will ruin the town.

The reason for concern is the proposed "Lofts at Lacey" project, a 270-unit condominium development including a clubhouse, leasing area, pool, pool cabana, maintenance building and playground for young children. On the same application is also a convenience store/gas station and retail store development. The project's hearing at the Lacey Planning Board has been pushed back several times, but is up at the Aug. 8 meeting. Read More: 'Lofts At Lacey' Hearing Pushed Back Again

At the July 14 Lacey Committee meeting, a public hearing was held on an adjustment to correct a typo that created a misunderstanding between zoning laws and the township's Master Plan.

The township code says a multi-family dwelling has a maximum five acre tract. However, the township's Master Plan from 2012 says a minimum five acre tract. The code will be adjusted to replace "maximum" with "minimum." Read More: Lacey Adjusts Zoning Laws Ahead Of 'Lofts At Lacey' Hearing

Several residents voiced their disagreement with this change and the characterization of it as a "typo" in a nearly 45 minute discussion.

"I totally object to the way this is worded as a typographical error," resident Regina Discenza said at the meeting. Discenza said that she was present in 2012 when the Master Plan was being done. "That clause was designed to minimize development per acre."

"The change is not a typo by any stretch of the imagination. A typo is when you misspell a word," she said.

Discenza said that the change will invite developers to place high density housing and high rise residential structures all over town.

"This change gives developers a license to kill this town, as far as I'm concerned," Discenza said. She added concerns that this would impact quality of life in Lacey.

Courtney Somers agreed, saying that she grew up in Toms River and moved to Lacey because of how different it was. She loved Lacey because of the lack of overdevelopment, she said.

"Changing this ordinance with one word changes everything," Somers said.

She said she too was concerned about how this could impact the future of Lacey. Somers voiced concerns about classroom size in schools, safety in the community and traffic.

"The changing of the ordinance is going to affect so many things in things in our town - infrastructure and resources, everything," Somers said.

"It scares me for what you're opening the door for," she said.

Committee members have said that attempting to fight the development could lead to a lawsuit, which they said would be a waste of taxpayer money.

Deputy Mayor Tim McDonald said that if the Planning Board denied the contract, it would go through courts, and eventually the township would have to purchase the property at fair market value. This means that variances the builder is looking for would be considered already there under law, he said. It would cost an estimated $20 million.

Resident Jim Hughes, who said he was "big time against" the development, asked the committee to stand up for its residents.

Hughes also said that he was bothered by the developers repeatedly pushing back hearings on the Lofts at Lacey project, as many residents have come out to meetings to speak about it only for it not to be heard that night.

"That's what a defense lawyer would do, right?" Hughes said, implying that the developers are waiting for interest to die down. "Then it dies down, it goes out of the news cycle and then it's gone."

Committeeman Steven Kennis, who also sits on the Planning Board, emphasized throughout the meeting that a lot of thought and work goes into the decisions the governing body makes. "We don't just wing decisions," he said.

Members of the committee encouraged residents to reach out to them and come to meetings to voice their concerns. Residents have been posting on social media frequently about the project, but the committee asked instead to share those concerns with them.