Members of the Toms River Township Council voted unanimously to adopt two ordinances that will permit the township to move forward on the purchase of the Boynton Farm.
On Dec. 26, council President Brian Kubiel, Councilman Terrance Turnbach, Councilman Daniel Rodrick, Councilman Maurice Hill, Councilwoman Laurie Huryk and Councilwoman Maria Maruca voted to adopt the ordinances.
Council Vice President George Wittmann was absent from the meeting.
Officials said the Boynton Farm consists of two adjacent farm properties at 1980 Lakewood Road and at 1976 Lakewood Road. The two properties total 7.68 acres.
The council adopted a $1.17 million ordinance to purchase the farm. Council members also adopted an ordinance to reappropriate $460,711 from bonds to fund the purchase. Officials said $670,000 will come from Toms River’s open space reserve and $500,000 will come from the general capital fund.
Councilman Daniel Rodrick said the township was suppose to buy the farm a couple years ago. He said the township was approached by Ocean County officials which wanted to build offices on the land. Boynton Transportation Corporation sold it to the county. County officials changed their minds.
“We wanted to buy it. We had some money left over from the purchase of Camp Albocondo. We had about $500,000 left from that purchase,” Rodrick said.
Rodrick said the council had money left in the open space fund that it moved over.
“We also did a little bonding so we could raise enough money for the Boynton Farm so it goes undeveloped,” he 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 reappropriated money to get back the Boynton Farm from the county, just to avoid it being developed. The council wanted to address it quickly. I’m happy we are continuing to purchase open space. We are making a lot of progress with preventing over-development,” Rodrick said.