Tension in Toms River

It was nearly 30 years ago when Toms River, New Jersey was catapulted onto the world stage. Their Little League baseball team kept on advancing in the Little League World Series, and on August 29, 1998, the team won the whole thing by defeating the team from Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. Well, Toms River is back in the news again, and it is for a sports-related reason. 

But unlike the purely positive news surrounding a Little League World Champion team, this news isn't as good. The issue is centered around a piece of land that is currently owned by the town's Christ Episcopal Church, a church that has been part of the Toms River community for 160 years. In an effort to assuage the recent uptick in homelessness around the area, the church made a proposal to the town to build a 17-bed homeless shelter on its property.

The proposal was met with some resistance from locals, but stayed in limbo for a while. Then last month, the town announced that it would be condemning 10 acres of the church's land. Citing eminent domain, the town plans to turn the area into a recreational facility, replete with soccer fields and pickleball courts.

Many in the town are convinced that the decision is retaliation for the church's request to build a homeless shelter on the property. But the town's mayor, Daniel Rodrick, claims that the timing of the town's request is a complete coincidence.

The announcement to seize land from the church has been resisted with a petition that has been signed by more than 7,200 people and includes the words, “The church is not for sale. People matter more than Pickleball.” Both the mayor and the church believe that the law supports their position and that their side will prevail in the conflict.