Several Shopping Centers Purchased

By Chris Lundy

Laurel Avenue where Texas-based developer D.R. Horton planned to build 59 houses.

Planning Board meetings for the proposed development had to be moved to a (Space - See Page 4)

BERKELEY – Holiday City is usually thought of as acres of senior housing, but the company that built them also built several strip malls for the residents to shop at. They were sold in a large transaction recently.

“Holiday City has hope this changed hands,” Berkeley Councilwoman Sophia Gingrich notified the public at a recent Township Council meeting. A resident of a senior community herself, she mentioned that some of her residents have expressed concerns about the purchase. change goes well.”

The locations are throughout Berkeley, Toms River, and Brick. They include Holiday City Plaza 1, 2, and 3; Rite Aid on Mule Road and Plaza Drive; Holiday City Medical Center at Plaza Drive; (Shopping - See Page 20) larger venue due to the public outcry of local residents and others who had organized to oppose the project.

The total purchase price of the property is $8,550,000. Brick’s portion is $1,710,000 (with additional money bonded for costs relating to the purchase). The township is seeking $1.2 million in Green Acres reimbursement grant funding from the State Department of Environmental Protection to partially offset this. Township officials are confident they will receive this.

The Ocean County Natural Lands Trust will pay the balance, $6,840,000, which is funded by a 1.2 cent dedicated tax that provides the County Board of Commissioners funds to purchase land for conservation. The program generates over $10 million annually.

During the council meeting, council attorney Kevin Starkey said while Visitation Roman Catholic Church on Mantoloking Road and the Diocese of Trenton own the land, D.R. Horton is the contract purchaser and the property would be acquired through them. The church would have to sign off on the sale.

DON’T RUB!

Rubbing our eyes may be as natural as scratching an itch or massaging a sore muscle, but the habit isn’t always good for our ocular health. Our hands carry dirt, bacteria, and germs that can cause infections such as conjunctivitis, also known as “pink eye.” If it feels like there is something in your eye, rubbing may temporarily relieve the discomfort, but it can also scratch your cornea. People with glaucoma can sometimes cause nerve damage by rubbing too hard and disrupting the blood flow to the back of the eye, which could potentially lead to loss of sight. Repetitive rubbing may also thin and weaken the cornea, leading to a serious condition called “keratinous.”

Eye rubbing can be a hard habit to break, but when you make a conscious effort, you can significantly reduce your risk for the above problems. However, if your eyes feel consistently irritated or itchy, schedule an exam. Your eye doctor can then pinpoint problems that would affect your ocular health and recommend the best treatment. For your eye health, please schedule an appointment with SIGHTMD NEW JERSEY SUSSKIND & ALMALLAH EYE ASSOCIATES at 732-349-5622. We offer evening hours most nights of the week.

P.S. If you find yourself rubbing your eyes several times throughout the day, consider keeping hydrating eye drops on hand to use instead.

MARLBORO (732) 972-1015

TOMS RIVER (732) 349-5622

Mayor John G. Ducey said that keeping the land in its natural state has been the priority of the Brick Open Space Savers Committee (BOSS), which meets monthly with the purpose of identifying undeveloped parcels of land and acquiring them to be preserved as open space in town.

He said the committee is currently interested in preserving public space on Drum Point Road, Princeton Avenue, Maple Avenue and Herbertsville Road and has sent letters to the owners to see if they are interested in selling their property to keep as open space.

“The fact that it finally came through is awesome,” he said. “Right from the beginning, everybody said if we’re able to get that one, that would show the success of the actual committee, so we are lucky enough that our number one target has been able to be obtained and saved for open space.”

The mayor said he heard from many residents who said they weren’t concerned with the cost of preserving the open space. “They knew their taxes were going to go up because we have to borrow money to purchase this piece of property…but they said that’s fine because this is for our future, for our grandchildren…this will always be open space.”

During public comment Willie deCamp, founder of the local environmental group Save Barnegat Bay, praised the administration and the residents who attended “what seemed like 20” Planning Board meetings.” (There were actually about eight Planning Board meetings for the proposed development).

“My message to everyone involved is just thank you,” he said. “It was a complicated and tough situation…I have been working with objectors to developments for over 35 years…and I never saw a group of people more fired up,” he said. “They’re inspirational.”

The total acreage that will be preserved is 31.6 acres of which 6.33 acres would be subdivided for a playground to be built behind Osbornville Elementary School. The remainder will be kept as woods.

The township will be responsible for the maintenance of the property.

The next Council Meeting will be on Tuesday, February 28 at 7 p.m.

BRICK (732) 477-6981

BARNEGAT (609) 698-2020 www.oceancountyeye.com