TRENTON, NJ-A $1 settlement with a Jersey Shore homeowner in a case involving eminent domain to obtain rights to build dunes to protect the shoreline has emblazoned state officials to move forward on plans to seize more shoreline properties.
On Wednesday, Governor Chris Christie, who has criticized residents who have refused to sign easements to allow dune building, signed an executive order that clears the way for dune construction along 127 miles of Jersey coastline, according to The Record.
The order directs the state attorney general to initiate legal action to acquire any remaining easements and creates the Office of Flood Hazard Risk Reduction Measures within the state DEP to spearhead efforts to acquire property to build the dunes.
“We can no longer be held back from completing these critical projects by a small number of owners who are selfishly concerned about their view while putting large swaths of homes and businesses around them at risk,” Christie stated. “The impact of that court ruling should now be clear to anyone who thinks they were in line for a big government check. Sandy changed everything. It's time to do the right thing to not only protect your own property but the property of all your neighbors.” See story in The Record.
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