Lakewood growth: NJ says township must prove it has enough water

LAKEWOOD - State environmental regulators in a ruling last week dealt a win to residents who want to slow township construction, though the decision may be temporary.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, in a notice published last week, questioned whether the water supply could meet demand in the growing township. Citing the Coastal Area Facility Review Act, which limits development in environmentally sensitive areas, the DEP rejected a plan that would have allowed for high-density construction in some areas.

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Though state environmental regulators asked the township to provide information about the availability of potable water, Lakewood submitted a draft plan that was blank or marked "to be provided," the notice reads. There were also inconsistencies and incorrect information, the notice says.

Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles said the issue was merely an oversight that would be corrected.

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"It was a paperwork screw up," he said. Coles said he expected the plan to be approved by the DEP once the documentation was provided — which is in the works. He also did not expect any immediate impact of the DEP ruling, saying development already approved by township boards has an adequate water supply and the township was working with New Jersey American Water to supplement that supply.

The plan rejected by the DEP had been approved by the State Planning Commission earlier this year. It is separate from the township's latest master plan, a hotly debated tome that dictates what can be built and where and was approved by the township committee in December.

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Lakewood is in the midst of a growth spurt. It was the fastest-growing city in the state last year, claims New Jersey's highest birthrate and tops 100,000 residents. More building permits or new residential construction were issued in Lakewood in 2016 than all but one other New Jersey municipality — Jersey City.

Environmentalists say the DEP ruling halts a plan that would have allowed high-density housing, potentially doubling the township population. High-density development — which means more cars on the road, too — would increase pollution and destroy Barnegat Bay, according to Jeff Tittel, senior chapter director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

"If this would have been approved, it would have set off a giant building boom," Tittel said. "It would have taken the last parts of open space and paved them over into areas of development.

"You’re talking about basically turning Lakewood into Jersey City," Tittel said.

Stacey Barchenger: @sbarchenger; 732-643-4245; sbarchenger@gannettnj.com