Closing on the Breton Woods Preservation Takes Place Today, Playground Hearing Tonight

The Breton Woods property where 59 homes have been proposed as part of a new development, Dec. 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

It’s official – or, at least, it will be by the end of business Wednesday.

The closing on the sale of more than 30 acres of land which is being preserved by the county and township will occur today, Mayor Lisa Crate said Tuesday night, only to be followed by an expected hearing on the the future of a portion of the site.

“Tomorrow, we are finally closing on the Breton Woods property,” she said at a meeting of the township council. “This is it!”

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The formal closing on the property, where 59 single-family homes had been proposed for construction, comes two weeks after township officials confirmed they would receive a $1.2 million reimbursement from the state for their share of the $8.55 million purchase. In the end, Brick taxpayers will be responsible for $500,000 – a mere 5.8 percent of the purchase price. The remaining $6,840,000 in finding is being provided by the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust.

The wooded property will remain in its natural state, except for a small six-acre portion carved out by the township where a playground will be built. The playground will be located near Osbornville Elementary School, but will be a public playground operated by the township.

A map of the playground subdivision of the Breton Woods property, July 2023. (Planning Document)

A hearing on subdividing that portion of the property is scheduled for a planning board meeting which will be held Wednesday night. According to planning board documents, a new rectangular-shaped lot will be carved out of the Breton Woods property, measuring 275,730 square feet, or 6.33 acres.

The Ocean County Planning Board has already approved the subdivision. Brick’s own planning board will consider the matter at its meeting Wednesday night, which begins at 7 p.m. at the township municipal complex.

The 31 acre parcel, located between Laurel Avenue and Drum Point Road, is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, which controls all real estate interests for its local parishes. The land was, at one point, donated to Vistation Roman Catholic Church. The closing will involve the county government, local government, and D.R. Horton, a Texas-based home building company that had been the contract purchaser of the site had the development been approved.