Toms River Council members have approved a proposed plan to purchase the former Camp Albocondo campground property from the Trust for Public Land.

Toms River Town Hall
Toms River Town Hall (Jason Allentoff, Townsquare Media NJ)
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That's after previous plans from the Toms River Superintendent of Schools and the Board of Education as well as the Town Council itself fell through.  Under this proposal, the township will pay $2.2 million of the property's $4.1 million price tag through its Open Spaces Fund.  The remainder of the bill will be paid for by Ocean County.

Kathy Haake with the Trust for Public Land says the site is absolutely vital to the health of the Barnegat Bay.

"25 percent of the fresh water that goes into the Barnegat Bay comes from the Toms River, and this property borders the Toms River," Haake said.  "It makes a lot of sense to see this property preserved."

Haake says the site has been appraised at $5.9 million, but the TPL is only asking the township to match its original purchase price.  The Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund Advisory Committee will consider the county's part of the agreement at its next meeting on April 24, 2014.

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