TOMS RIVER, NJ – After Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick and the majority of the township council put the brakes on high-density 10-plus story affordable housing apartment buildings downtown, One councilman is still pusing to get the project back on track.
Running for re-election in November, David Ciccozzi has signaled that he and his new running mates would like to get that project back on track, going as far as trying to defund the township’s ability to fight a lawsuit against the developer, Capodagli Properties.
Back in November, Mayor Rodrick and the council voted to halt the former 10-story Capodagli apartment building and all other high-density hi-rises in the Downtown Toms River Redevelopment Plan, a project championed by former Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill and his council allies, David Ciccozzi, James Quinlisk, Josh Kopp, Matt Lotano and Kevin Geoghegan.
In 2023, Kopp, Lotano, and Geoghegan were voted out of office after 70% of the residents of the township spoke loud and clear: they didn’t want hi-rise buildings downtown.
This year, Quinlisk was voted out of office in the June primary election, leaving Ciccozzi the last man standing from the ill-fated “Mo Hill Team”, hellbent on pushing hi-density development apartment projects in Toms River.
Ciccozzi has been a champion of the project since before taking office. Now, he’s fighting Rodrick’s attempts to stop the project.
At the November councilmeeting, Ciccozzi voted to keep the Hill administration’s plan to turn downtown Toms River into a city, saying more apartment buildings and revelopment, “Would bring new life to businesses downtown.”
According to the Asbury Park Press, Ciccozzi owns property in downtown Toms River, which is why the councilman often abstains from votes regarding downtown development, while often speaking vocally in favor of more development. Ciccozzi also served on the Toms River Planning Board which approved much of the Hill-era high-density housing projects prior to his time on the township council.
In recent weeks, Hill’s remaining allies on the council have tried to defund the lawyer hired by the township to fight the legal battle against Capodagli, by voting to not pay the legal expenses. However, each time, that vote fails to the majority of the council and the bills, luckily, get paid to continue the fight.
Last year, Ciccozzi also voted against a plan to stop another downtown development project with the same developer, when the township instead, purchased the waterfront boatworks property. That property was spared from construction.
