Lacey Access Road Moves A Step Closer [AUDIO]

Lacey Township in Ocean County is a step closer to a proposed access road, now that state environmental regulators have reached a settlement with officials. A thirty day comment period is currently under way and once complete, the permits from the State Department of Environmental Protection are expected to be issued. It's not something that's sitting too well with environmentalists like the Sierra Club, who argue it won't alleviate traffic on Route 9 and will end up polluting the Barnegat Bay. They're also calling it a major safety issue for the public.

At issue is a 16 mile liner park that Ocean County officials have started construction. The path runs along the old railroad right of way and connects from Toms River all the way down to Barnegat. Because of this proposed road from Lacey officials, the County engineers had to steer clear of the stretch to accommodate the possible road. If the road is put there, the section of the park that goes through Lacey would be smaller than other areas.

DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese says the township originally approached them and they were denied permits. He says "we had to make many modifications. It was not good for the environment at first but once they made the required changes including drainage and the area around the site, we have reached a settlement."

Ragonese says all environmentalists need to trust their department because they have their interests in mind.

On Monday, we will hear from a representative of the Sierra Club of Ocean County to explain in greater detail why they're opposed to the road.