SAVE 32 ACRES OF HISTORIC FARMLAND

Our case is based around zoning changes which were customized for one developer's requirements. They are all first time uses on this land. They will bring high density commercial activity into a quiet residential neighborhood, a toxic gas station steps away from New Jersey Coastal Wetlands. These zoning changes are all substantially inconsistent with Ocean Township's Master Plan.  

This unique Native American site, is also eligible for listing in our National Registry of Historic Places  and is 1 of only 2 left in Monmouth County, with this level of historic significance.

We thank you all for your financial support, which is going 100% toward Ocean Township resident's expenses to retain legal representation.

Climate Change is real. This is NOT the time to remove 4,000 trees and pave paradise with a parking lot.

Directly across the street from this wetland forest is a vacant strip mall FOR SALE, just waiting to be redeveloped. Not a tree in sight, just weeds growing through the cracked black top parking lot. We continue to ask our Mayor and council to please redevelop what has been abandoned before destroying this special historic forest, home to wildlife, birds, box turtles and more. 



 If you are a resident of Ocean Township or Monmouth County, I recommend that you pay close attention to this meeting. Local residents, who opposed the idea of developing this nationally recognized,  significantly historic,  Native American site,  1 of only 2 left in Monmouth County with this level of historic significance, had to fight to have their voices heard. Some residents were bullied through most of their testimony. Evidence gathered and important stormwater flooding video tape was restricted from the planning boards review.  The planning board was also restricted, in terms of how they could vote,  due to the spot zoning changes which were customized for this one developer, on one property, all first time uses.  Spot zoning created a situation where the zoning changes were tailor made specifically to this one developers needs. All zoning changes fit this project like a glove. Spot zoning is illegal in the state of New Jersey. So although the developer complied with ordinance #2303, that ordinance is being challenged by Ocean Township residents at this time, and awaiting a hearing at the Appellate division in Trenton. Technically this plan should not have gone through the planning board process, until the ordinance was cleared through the Appellate Court. 



OCEAN TOWNSHIP'S PLANNING BOARD MEMORIALIZED THE RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE DEAL RD/HWY 35 DEVELOPMENT,  ALLOWING DEVELOPERS TO CLEAR CUT 4,000 TREES, TO MAKE ROOM FOR A 24/7 GAS STATION WITH 12 PUMPS FOR GAS & DIESEL PLUS CONVENIENCE STORE, 114 ROOM EXTENDED STAY HOTEL, A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT, WITH DRIVE-THRU LANES, A BANK, MIXED USE RETAIL AND 70+ URBAN TOWNHOUSES WHICH WILL BE BUILT RIGHT NEXT TO AN URBAN JUG-HANDLE  WHICH WILL BRING HIGHWAY SPEED TRAFFIC, INCLUDING COMMERCIAL TRUCKS INTO THE CENTER OF THIS DEVELOPMENT. THERE WILL BE NO SIDEWALKS, OR SPEED BUMPS, OR PROPER PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.  THIS IS A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN FOR OCEAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS ON ALL LEVELS .

MY NAME IS JACQUI WENZEL AND I STARTED THIS CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS TOWARD THE DRAMATIC ZONING CHANGES THAT WERE REQUIRED & APPROVED BY OCEAN TOWNSHIPS PlANNING BOARD & COUNCIL, SPECIFIC TO ONE DEVELOPERS NEEDS, WITH THE PASSING OF ORDINANCE #2303

TODAY WE ARE CHALLENGING THESE ZONING CHANGES IN AN APPEAL, WHICH WAS  ACCEPTED
BY THE APPELLATE DIVISION IN TRENTON, AWAITING A HEARING. 

IF WE WIN OUR APPEAL AGAINST THE ZONING CHANGES IN #2303,  WHICH WERE FORCED THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS,  OCEAN TOWNSHIP'S COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO RESUBMIT ZONING CHANGES MORE IN LINE WITH OCEAN TOWNSHIP'S MASTER PLAN.  

THE CURRENT ZONING CHANGES  TRANSFORMED 13 ACRES OF LOW IMPACT COMMERCIAL USEAGE ON RT.35 ONLY AND 40 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ALONG DEAL ROAD, INTO HIGH DENSITY COMMERCIAL USE, WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY INCONSISTENT WITH OCEAN TOWNSHIPS MASTER PLAN.

THESE CHANGES THREATEN NEW JERSEY'S COASTAL WETLANDS AND NEIGHBORING HOMES ALONG POPLAR BROOK WITH STORM WATER RUNOFF.  AT THE OCTOBER 7TH MEETING, A MAJORITY OF THE PLANNING BOARD VOTED YES, WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE DETRIMENT THIS PROJECT WILL HAVE ON THE GENERAL WELFARE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

CONCERNING TRAFFIC SAFETY, THE PLANNING BOARD WAS NEVER SHOWN ACCIDENT REPORTS, SUPPLIED BY OCEAN TOWNSHIP'S POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH DOCUMENTS AN AVERAGE OF 3 CAR CRASHES A MONTH AT THE INTERSECTION OF DEAL RD & HWY 35. THEY WERE ALSO NOT PERMITTED TO VIEW IMPORTANT VIDEO FOOTAGE OF POPLAR BROOK.

WE HAVE 45 DAYS TO APPEAL THE PLANNING BOARDS VOTE,  BEGINNING OCTOBER 28, 2019-ENDING DECEMBER 11TH 2019 

IT IS MY CONCERN AND THE CONCERN OF MY NEIGHBORS, THAT WE DO ALL WE CAN TO PRESERVE THE HISTORIC SITE, WHICH WAS FOUND ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING IN OUR NATIONAL REGISTRY OF HISTORIC PLACES AND IS ONE OF ONLY TWO LEFT IN MONMOUTH COUNTY, WITH THIS LEVEL OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE. 

A MAJORITY OF OUR TOWN'S RESIDENTS VOTED 2/1 TO APPROVE AN OPEN SPACE TAX TO PROTECT WHAT LIMITED FOREST WE HAVE LEFT.  TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS  WOULD LIKE OCEAN TOWNSHIP TO UTILIZE THAT TAX, COMBINED WITH FUNDING OFFERED BY MONMOUTH CONSERVATION FOUNDATION, AND OTHER GREEN ACRES ORGANIZATIONS TO PRESERVE THE HISTORIC NATIVE  AMERICAN SITE, THE WETLAND FOREST AND THE WILDLIFE INSIDE,  FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

 WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ANY LEVEL OF SUPPORT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO HELP IN OUR APPEAL AGAINST THE PLANNING BOARDS DECISION TO APPROVE THIS HIGH DENSITY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

ALL DONATIONS COLLECTED BY THIS POST ARE DEPOSITED INTO THE SAVE32ACRES BANK ACCOUNT c/o Jacquelyn Wenzel. CHECKS WRITTEN FROM THIS ACCOUNT HAVE GONE 100% TOWARD LEGAL REPRESENTATION, COURT FILING FEES, A TREE EXPERT TO EVALUATE THE CONDITION OF THE TREES, POSTCARD MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS & LAWN SIGNS TO RAISE AWARENESS.