DEP Denies Permits For 1,800-Home Development On Lakewood Golf Course

LAKEWOOD, NJ — The state Department of Environmental Protection has rejected permit applications for an 1,800-home development that was proposed for Eagle Ridge Golf Course, saying the developer failed to meet the requirements.

In a letter dated Aug. 3, DEP officials notified GDMS Holdings and its principle owner, Moredechai Sternstein, that they were denying applications for a Coastal Area Facilities Review Act permit and a Freshwater Wetlands permit the developer sought for the project.

GDMS Holdings sought to build 936 senior housing residential units and 936 basement apartments, along with community centers, a retail facility with 243 parking spaces, a clubhouse, and other amenities on the site of the golf course, which sits along Cross Street, according to the DEP letter.

The DEP said the CAFRA permit was rejected because GDMS Holdings "failed to adequately demonstrate compliance" with rules about stormwater management rule, habitat for endangered and threatened species of wildlife or plants, the "Basic Location Rule," and rules about traffic.

The site is home to confirmed sightings of the red-headed woodpecker, and though the developer submitted a survey saying the area was not suitable habitat for them, DEP officials rejected that contention and GDMS Holdings didn't provide information on how it would protect them.

Under the basic location rule, GDMS Holdings wanted the DEP to release a conservation hold that protected slightly less than 88 acres and more than 41,000 trees — a conservation hold that was put in place by the DEP in May 2000. The DEP refused.

Issues of how the site would manage stormwater runoff and how the development would impact traffic also prompted statements that the applicant was not in compliance, according to the letter.

The wetlands permit, sought so GDMS Holdings could fill nearly 15,000 acres of wetlands as part of the construction, was denied automatically when the CAFRA permit application was rejected, the DEP letter said. Hundreds of residents from Lakewood and the surrounding community packed a hearing at Jackson Memorial High School in May on the proposal, many urging the DEP to reject the permits because of the anticipated traffic impact and because of concerns about flooding and disrupting wildlife.Eagle Ridge opened in 1999, and the original 18-hole course was built on the sand and gravel quarry that helped pave the Garden State Parkway in the mid-20th century. Nine holes were added later on top of a landfill. The parcel is assessed at $7.1 million.
“The DEP’s rejection of the CAFRA and Wetlands permits for 1,800 homes at Eagle Ridge is a victory for the environment. Instead of siding with developers, DEP decided to stand up for sound planning, clean water, and environmental protection," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "This is an environmentally sensitive area overburdened with development and traffic and we should not be adding to that.”
“This project was opposed by so people and surrounding towns because they knew how bad it was," he said. "If we keep over-developing this area, Lakewood could become a New York City by the sea. With this project, taxpayers would have ended up paying more to deal with increased traffic on Route 9 where there are already traffic problems. There would be more impervious cover added to the Barnegat Bay Watershed that cannot handle the additional stormwater runoff.”“We thank the DEP for making the right decision to protect the environment and reject this proposal," Tittel said.Photo via Google MapsGet free real-time news alerts from the Toms River Patch.Thanks for your feedback! Now share it with your friends!Thanks for your feedback. Originally published August 8, 2017. More from Toms River Patch