LAKEWOOD - State environmental regulators say they intend to allow a controversial development at Lakewood's Eagle Ridge Golf Club to go forward, but with fewer homes.

The original plan to build 1,800 homes must be reduced to just over 1,000, a mix of single-family, duplex and basement residences, according to a new notice from the state Department of Environmental Protection. The state director of the Sierra Club on Thursday promised to fight the revised proposal.

The plan also allows five community centers, a clubhouse and two large retail buildings to go up at the southwest Lakewood site, according to the notice. About a third of an acre of wetlands will be filled, the notice posted Wednesday says, but two acres will be added to a 41-acre plot of protected forest land.

More:Developer appeals after NJ kills Lakewood 1,800-home plan at Eagle Ridge

The notice says the state intends to settle its dispute with the developer, GDMS Holdings, on the above terms. The public has until Nov. 30 to comment – a timeframe not likely to pass quietly.

The Sierra Club's Jeff Tittel said the location can't handle the development.

“If we keep over-developing this area, Lakewood could become a New York City by the sea," Tittel said. "With this project, taxpayers would have ended up paying more to deal with increased traffic on Route 9 where there are already traffic problems. There would be more impervious cover added to the Barnegat Bay Watershed (which can't) handle the additional stormwater runoff."

"This is not a compromise, it’s a surrender to developers,” Tittel said.

More:Toms River officials oppose Eagle Ridge development

Previously:NJ will soon decide on 1,800-home plan in Lakewood

Michael Gross, an attorney for GDMS Holdings, said the negotiated settlement with the DEP took place "over the last few months" and he called the revision "something all participants can be proud of."

"The end product is the result of a negotiation that is in the best interest of the community and the environment and we look forward to moving ahead with this project," Gross said.

The DEP in August had denied permits, citing potential traffic woes and threats to animal and plant life.

The tentative approval doesn't change those drawbacks, said John Szilagyi, 79, a Skyline Drive resident who's a frequent player at the golf club.

"The number of homes they are now proposing, all of us kind of figured they'd initially ask for a big number to get to a smaller number," Szilagyi said. "We expected them to play that game.

"I play with a group of 26 guys and this was the big discussion topic today. Nobody's happy. We're still going to voice our opposition but people are getting less confident we can hold off this off."

GDMS Holdings proposed the development in February and faced an immediate backlash from neighbors, including those in the senior communities surrounding Eagle Ridge.

More than 40 people spoke against the development at a public hearing in May, and residents previously sent more than 1,100 letters to the state in protest.

The future of the site was also hotly debated, especially prompted by seniors who already live near the golf course, as the township in recent months considered a new master plan meant to chart the area's rapid growth.

Mayor Ray Coles said there "are still a lot of unanswered questions."

"My preliminary idea is to see if we can get the developer and representatives of the surrounding neighborhoods together and see if we can find some common ground before anything is submitted to the Planning or Zoning Boards,'' said Coles, who is on the ballot Tuesday seeking another term on the Township Committee. "We have our hands full right now finalizing the Master Plan and assorted ordinances. Realistically we are probably looking at early next year before we get started on this. If I win next week and if next year’s mayor supports the idea and we can pull off the meetings, I would welcome press coverage to make sure all the facts and very few rumors get out there.''

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Comments regarding the settlement or requests for a copy of the project plan should be sent to Coastal Bureau Manager, Bureau of Coastal Regulation, Division of Land Use Regulation, NJDEP, Mail Code 501-02A, PO Box 420, Trenton, NJ, 08625-0420, or the office may be reached by telephone at 609-633-2289.

Tittel said residents "worked hard to oppose the project last time and we will need everyone to speak out again.

"We will fight to stop this project. Barnegat Bay is too important to allow this kind of massive development and pollution,” he said.

DEP spokesman Robert Geist said the tentative agreement through mediation doesn't require the department to hold a public hearing, and the DEP's review of public comments doesn't require individual responses.

After 30 days passes and the public comments are reviewed, the DEP will determine whether to move forward with the settlement, revise it, or terminate it, Geist said.

Bob Jordan: @bobjordanAPP; bjordan@gannettnj.com