Toms River Targets “Gang of 16″ in Eminent Domain Ordinance

16 remaining eminent domain hold-outs are running out of time in Toms River. The Township Council tonight holds a public hearing and vote on a measure to take legal action against the oceanfront property owners to allow a federally-funded protective dune project to move forward.

Council President George Wittman says "We have given our beachfront property owners every reasonable offer at granting easements and have dealt with them in good faith. This paves the way for us to use eminent domain to acquire the land needed for the dune work in our Town. We cannot allow a few homeowners to get in the way of such an important project."

The Army Corps of Engineers dune project is slated for June, 2014. In all, Toms River needed 40 easements for the dunes to be built. The 16 holdouts are on the barrier island.

Tonight's public hearing and vote is scheduled for 6pm in the L. Manuel Hirschblond Meeting Room in Town Hall.