Downtown Apartment Plan Changes

By Chris Lundy

TOMS RIVER – The 10-story apartment buildings planned for downtown Toms River will be reduced to six stories, but will still have the same number of tenants, officials said.

not for rides and games like in Seaside.

The new plan would have the same amenities, except that it wouldn’t be as high, Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill said. The six stories would still have retail and the boardwalk, but the apartments would not change the skyline as much.

The redevelopment of that area - which includes the entire block, not just the former hotel property – has been criticized lately by people (Plan - See Page 13) (Housing - See Page 5)

The original plan for the land overlooking the river where the former Red Roof Inn was demolished included two, 10-story towers over ground-level retail and a boardwalk around the river. This boardwalk would be for passive recreation,

Ocean Day:

Continued From Page 1 in making the public aware “of the threats to our ocean and what can happen if we become complacent.”

Lavallette resident Brick Wenzel spoke to Jersey Shore Online.com from the perspective of a commercial fisherman.

“I am the fishing liaison for the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative out of Point Pleasant Beach. I have been a licensed commercial fisherman since 1982. When you look at the industrialization of our ocean, the commercial fishing industry is the most heavily impacted blue water economy with the industrial build out.”

He brought along some ocean maps and charts to the event to show some of the problems that commercial fishermen were facing and what he said were missteps by state authorities. There was an area that had been leased out by the government that is highly traveled by marine life. He said it never should have been leased out. COA members announced an action campaign that calls upon citizens to become voices for the sea to improve and protect the ocean, including from new and harmful ocean industrialization. They advocated for permanent protection of the New York/New Jersey Bight.

COA Advocacy Campaign Manager Kari Martin said, “it is unfathomable to see the lack of investigation and lack of transparency into the string of deaths of whales and other marine mammals, especially with endangered species at grave risk.”

“While federal agencies so boldly and confidently contend that offshore wind energy has nothing to do with the deaths of these marine mammals, they have provided no evidence. In fact, the agencies highlight ‘noise’ as a major factor in marine mammal harm. This is alarming as the impacts on marine life from noise are only growing and intensifying with the increase of offshore wind activity. That’s why we need a pilot project,” she added.

The Clean Ocean Zone was launched as a campaign against old, new, and renewed threats. The organization continues to call for a pilot project to determine the true impacts of offshore wind industrialization, and continues to serve its mission to stop ocean pollution sources.

“We have come a long way and the ocean is now thriving. Everyone knows the ocean is key to the health of the planet, but few know a healthy ocean is also the planet’s best buffer against climate change. Sustaining a healthy ocean is the key to solving climate change,” COA Executive Director Cindy Zipf said.

“The ocean is our last great open space, which should not be sold, leased, developed, industrialized or used for profit. It must be protected and preserved. There is a connectedness and balance to all of our natural environments and ecosystems; harming one will have a ripple effect on others, and on us,” said Leslie Mangold, concerned citizen and ocean advocate.

Mangold added, “we cannot stand idly by and let the ocean be used as collateral damage in the fight against climate change. If we do, then we are complicit in helping to destroy it.”

During the event, COA identified some of the state and federal actions that have caused alarm and the need for a strong comprehensive law to protect the ocean. These include:

President Biden’s Executive Order calling for 30 gigawatts (30,000 megawatts) of offshore wind by 2030 along with fast-tracking imple- mentation without transparency, due diligence and good science, as well as concerns about the undermining of agencies that protect marine life and the environment and national security.

The Biden Administration’s Ocean Climate Action Plan, which includes ocean injection of carbon, mining, and massive scale aquaculture and ocean confined animal feed lots.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) ties offshore wind development (OSW) to offshore oil and gas development.

Off shore wind has a connection to increasing fossil fuels in that “during the 10-year period after the IRA was enacted, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) may not issue a lease for offshore wind development unless the agency had offered at least 60 million acres for oil and gas leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf in the previous year,” Zipf added. She noted that the state “is fast-tracking permits and does not have a robust action plan to ensure ocean protection. COA has submitted numerous detailed comments on different projects, permits, rules, and authorization highlighting the lack of due diligence, transparency, and good governance.

Zipf said, “while some elements of these programs do help address climate change, such as more green infrastructure, energy reduction may do so by undermining the health of the ocean, the overall drive is to industrialize the ocean at an unsustainable scale.”

Those in attendance heard the sounds of a whale through a recording that was played. “Whales are a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. We need to protect the ocean and save our whales now,” DeVoe said. She is also a conservation biologist and the founder of SaveOurWhalesNow.org.

“As a young adult who will soon be entering the field of environmental advocacy post-graduation, the threat of ocean industrialization is alarming. My generation understands the urgency surrounding climate change, as we know this will be the world that we inherit and make our lives in,” COA Ocean Advocacy and Policy Intern Fiona Griffin said.

“Climate change solutions must not come at the cost of the life that makes our oceans and ecosystem so healthy and beautiful. When looking at the 526,066 level A and B marine mammal takes pending to be authorized in the last year, it is clear to me that we have stopped caring about these important creatures,” Griffin added.

The event also included a large whale sand sculpture as a backdrop, the work of the Bikini Boys who worked on it for 10 hours. Later in the day, the public was invited to speak to advocates at two action “stations” and “comment booths.”

Some of the actions available for people to participate in were signing and sharing petitions, submitting comments in real-time to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regarding the 2,000 plus page Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for two offshore wind projects, Atlantic Shores 1 and 2, and signing up to be engaged in the campaign for the COZ either as campaign leaders, petition captains, outreach and advocacy volunteers, and more.

“What the ocean needs now more than ever are the voices of all the people who enjoy and/ or depend upon the rich vibrant living resources to contact their elected leaders to take a stand to save the sea, and save the planet,” Zipf added.

The organization has the many action steps available at CleanOceanAction.org for the public to complete and share.

Housing: Continued From Page 1 can be diverted from the Age-Friendly program to a senior housing initiative.”

Ocean County is home to approximately 200,000 seniors, as determined by the Older American’s Act, which sets the age of 60 as the benchmark. Of that total, a significant number served the United States in at least one of its military branches.

“We have 20,075 seniors who are over the age of 85,” shared Maria LaFace, Director of Ocean County Office of Senior Services.

“Many are starting to outlive their savings.”

At the most recent Ocean County Commissioners’ meeting, Vicari noted there are 96 adult retirement communities within the county. He added that fi nding affordable housing for local seniors should not be just an Ocean County issue. After all, many who come to the shore area to spend their golden years migrate from other counties throughout the state.

Vicari suggested that the surge of senior citizens moving to Ocean County was initially encouraged by the Ocean County Freeholders in the 1960s. The intention was to create retirement developments akin to those in Florida. However, unlike their Florida counterparts, the Ocean County senior communities are not self-contained and lack convenient access to essential amenities such as businesses and retail stores. This issue compounds the existing housing concerns faced by seniors in the area.

Judy Noonan, the Confidential Aide to Manchester Mayor Robert Arace and Li- aison for Senior Communities expressed her support and appreciation for Vicari’s decision to approach the governor. A prior Berkeley councilwoman, Noonan said she has been working on behalf of seniors for more than two decades.

“We have serious issues with seniors being threatened and intimidated with high rents,” Noonan said. “They’re being pushed out.”

During the Commissioners’ meeting, Noonan highlighted what she saw as an alarming trend of landlords advertising in New York to attract tenants, with promises of lower rents. However, Noonan said landlords subsequently exploit the lack of rent control and raise prices at their discretion. Residents have expressed their dismay at the lack of safeguards, fearing they would be priced out of their homes and left with nowhere to go.

Noonan shared the story of a senior resident currently paying $980 for a modest one-bedroom, one-bathroom home. Shockingly, the landlord expressed their intent to increase the rent to $1,400 and delivered an ultimatum to the tenant: either pay the inflated amount or vacate the premises. The increase amounts to a nearly 43 percent raise for someone on a fi xed income.

“These seniors have paid their bills, paid their taxes, and raised their children,” continued Noonan. “Now it’s time for them to die so people can raise their rents to these outrageous rents? If they become homeless, where are they going to go?”

While rent costs go up, seniors who rely on social security benefits can’t expect their annual increases to make up for the accelerated expense. The cost of living adjustment (COLA) was a mere 8.7 percent in 2023.

Meanwhile, the affordability crisis for Ocean County seniors extends beyond rentals. Those relocating from counties such as Bergen, Essex, and Morris are often taken aback by the steep prices of homes in retirement developments, which closely mirror the costs of their residences “up north.”

For instance, smaller developments like the Venue at Lighthouse Station and Seacrest Pines in Barnegat boast price tags ranging from the mid-$400s to as high as the mid-$700s. Similarly, Four Seasons at South Knolls in Jackson offers homes priced from the high $300s to the low $500s. Even some older Holiday City developments in Toms River come with asking prices in the $300s.

The notion that Ocean County was an affordable haven for seniors could soon be a myth.

Vicari and the other Ocean County Commissioners don’t want to see a decline in the number of older adults who call the county home. The hope is the governor will divert funds so that seniors can afford to live in New Jersey and not leave the state.

According to Noonan, private associations and management companies are also making decisions that adversely affect seniors. Local government does not have the right to interfere.

Governor Murphy recently announced a plan to cut property tax for seniors over the age of 65. This program, called StayNJ, will take some time to implement. While it does, the ANCHOR property tax rebate will increase for seniors.

Amidst discussions surrounding the challenges of senior housing costs, a sense of empathy arose for a remarkable young man of 102-years-old. Thomas O’Malley, a resident of the Four Seasons in Lakewood, expressed strong opposition to a proposed cell tower that was slated to be erected at the entrance of his retirement community. O’Malley’s heartfelt plea resonated deeply as he emphasized the health implications for residents, mentioning the prevalence of cancer cases within the community. O’Malley had also reached out to Senator Robert Singer, both in writing and through personal conversations, seeking assistance in resolving this matter.

“I’m a survivor myself,” said O’Malley. “My wife passed away last month, and we have a great percentage of people who have cancer.”

Vicari said he learned from Senator Singer of O’Malley’s issue and discussed it with county counsel. The unfortunate news was that Ocean County Commissioners had no right to intervene. The Commissioner Director suggested O’Malley attend the public hearing in Lakewood to voice his concerns, as the jurisdiction of the issue fell under the control of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rather than the Board of Public Utilities.

While unrelated to affordable housing, O’Malley’s frustration serves as further proof that the challenges of growing old come in unexpected ways.