TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill this week criticized his opponents during the June primary election, saying they peddled misinformation. Hill says mailers that spoke about dozens of ten-story apartment buildings downtown were not true.
Hill, quoted in an article published by the Toms River Times last week, said only a few of the buildings downtown will be ten stories.
Hill also said he announced that the ten-story twin tower project was scaled down to just six stories but packed the same amount of units into the smaller footprint.
Documents on file show that the developer may soon return to the township to scale the public spaces in the project back even further in the coming weeks. Those changes include lessening the public river walk and other public spaces in the project.
Councilman Dan Rodrick who defeated Hill in the June Republican primary election, said one more apartment building of any size is too much for the downtown area.
“When I’m elected in November, we’re going to make sure that none of these hi-rise buildings are built downtown,” Rodrick said. “Downtown Toms River does not need the type of hi-density apartment buildings the current administration is pushing.”
Rodrick said the current township redevelopment plan allows for 12-story buildings.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re ten stories or two stories,” Rodrick said. “The current plan actually allows for 12-story apartment buildings. I will make sure they’re not being built. It’s not going to happen if I win.”
Hill will remain as mayor until December 31st and will still wield a majority vote on the council until the January reorganization meeting. During that time, Hill and his team could still pass laws and make new deals to saddle the next mayor with the baggage.
“What I said in my mailers is true,” Rodrick said. “It’s all on the township website. Renderings of apartment buildings and townhomes on every open space downtown. That is the plan right now under the current leadership. We’re going to change that.”