A public hearing to act on two ordinances in order for the Township of Toms River to purchase Boynton Farm will be held on Dec 26.
The Boynton Farm consists of two adjacent farm properties at 1980 Lakewood Road and 1976 Lakewood Road. The properties combined are 7.68 acres.
On Dec. 11, the township’s seven-member council voted unanimously to move forward on a $1.17 million ordinance for purchasing the Boynton Farm. That council will also vote on an ordinance to re-appropriate $460,711 from bonds to fund the purchase of the farm.
For the $1.17 million, $670,000 will come from the township’s open space reserve. The other $500,000 will be provided by the township’s general capital fund.
The council meeting to take action will start at 5 p.m. on Dec. 26 after Christmas.
“The township was suppose to buy the Boynton Farm years ago. Then we were approached by Ocean County, the county wanted to put their offices there instead. So we had sold it to the county, but then they changed their mind and were going to sell it. We wanted to buy it back. So we had some money left over from the purchase of Camp Albocondo. We had about $500,000 left from that purchase,” Councilman Daniel Rodrick said.
He said the township council had money left over in the open space fund that the council moved over.
“We also did a little bonding so we could raise enough money for the Boynton Farm so it goes undeveloped,” Rodrick said.
In the re-appropriating of $460,711 from bonds, $322,473 will be from one bond ordinance and $138,238 will come from another ordinance.
“We basically re-appropriated money to get back the Boynton Farm from the county, just to avoid it being developed. The council wanted to address it quickly. I am really happy that we are continuing to purchase open space. We are making a lot of progress with preventing over development,” Rodrick said.
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