County commissioners at odds over preserving last farm in lakewood

LAKEWOOD, NJ – A farm in Lakewood was the topic of a heated debate among Ocean County Commissioners, who have been at odds with each other for several years now politically.

Ocean County Commissioners Jack Kelly and Joe Vicari debated the fate of one of the last farms in Lakewood, the 11.8-acre Wangenstein Farm off Drake Road.

The commissioners were approached by the land owner whose family owned the farm for generations and offered it to sale to the county through the open space trust fund.

Kelly and Vicari, taking an unusual stance, said the county should not buy the land without asking Lakewood officials if they were alright with the sale. Vicari said the site should be turned into high-density housing to afford young families a chance to live in the growing city.

Kelly agreed, saying the sale should include the city of Lakewood’s approval before the county moved forward.

“Are we still in the United States of America where if a person owns a piece of land and they want to sell it because it’s always been farmland, why are we arguing that maybe the town should tell that woman how to sell her property,” Commissioner Virginia Haines interrupted? “The woman wants it to be preserved. It’s been in her family. Whether the town likes it or not, it’s farmland.”

Haines continued arguing with the two commissioners against their plan to allow it to be built.

“I’m not against Lakewood, but you’re sounding like we should be checking with the town to see if we should be allowed to buy the property,” Haines added. “This woman owns the property. Lakewood Township doesn’t own the property. Under farmland preservation, we don’t need their permission.”

The lot is one of four large tracts available in Lakewood.

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“There isn’t much land left to preserve in Lakewood,” Haines said.

The commissioners, who appeared to be pre-tasked with sinking the sale, voted unanimously in favor of the purchase. Vicari abstained.

“All I said, was, I asked a question,” he balked, saying it’s part of the Lakewood master plan and there’s housing shortage.

Vicari said $6 million for 11 acres of land is a lot of money to spend on open space.

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