By Sunayana Prabhu
HOLMDEL – Discussions over a proposed tree removal and replanting ordinance dominated the latest township committee meeting, eclipsing the appreciation officials received for open space preservation.
Township officials recently cut the ribbon on a newly purchased tract of land at St. Catharine’s Church formerly owned by the parish.
Officials said the more than 10 acres of open land adjoining the church property located at 108 Middletown Road will offer numerous benefits to the community. According to the ordinance authorizing the acquisition of the property, approved in December, the township purchased the land for $1.25 million using money from the Open Space Trust. Besides protecting the natural habitat, the township is planning to create passive recreation oppor tunities.
“This achievement underscores the township committee’s strong commitment to environmental stewardship and our cherished quality of life here in Holmdel,” Mayor Brian Foster said at the governing body’s meeting May 13.
Additionally, officials also got the ball rolling on the acquisition of nearly 50 acres of the Pappa farm property through eminent domain. Located at 16 S. Beers St., the property is primarily vacant farmland and includes an existing farmhouse and a concrete barn. According to Monmouth County deed records, James Naranjo purchased the property from the Pappa family, the original owners of the farmland, in November.
The ordinance, introduced at the Tuesday meeting, explains the use of eminent domain, which authorizes a municipality to acquire land and premises for public purposes in case negotiations with the owner over the property value are unsuccessful.
According to the ordinance, the township’s appraiser, Gagliano & Co., prepared a report dated April 10 that determined the value of the property to be $3.23 million. The township sent a letter to Naranjo to engage in negotiations for the acquisition of the property at the appraised value, but received no response.
“Because the township has not received any response to its offer to engage in bona fide negotiations, the township seeks to authorize the acquisition of the property through eminent domain, as permitted by the act,” the ordinance explains.
Final adoption of the ordinance will be considered at the township committee meeting to be held, May 27.
Tree Removal Ordinance
To further strengthen the environment, the committee proposed a tree removal and replacement ordinance. The ordinance complies with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) revised municipal stormwater general permit issued in 2022. That permit requires municipalities to adopt and enforce tree protection rules for all properties within their jurisdiction.
The ordinance incorporates the NJDEP’s model tree removal and replacement guidelines and is designed to prevent soil erosion, reduce pollution runoff, support stormwater infiltration and promote environmental health and safety.
There are also several provisions in the ordinance that detail when a tree can be removed or replaced. According to the ordinance, a hazard tree is defined as one that poses a safety threat due to disease, damage or obstruction to streetlights, among other considerations detailed in the document.
Residents are required to apply for a tree removal permit that includes a $50 permit fee for up to five trees, going up to $175 for 16 or more trees. In addition, the application may also include a $1,000 escrow deposit to cover any professional survey fees if needed. Also, if replanting on the same property is not feasible, applicants must replant in a location approved by the township or pay $100 per unplanted tree into a dedicated municipal tree fund. The township has enforced a fine of a minimum of $500 for violations.
While residents appreciated the township’s decision to put a tree ordinance in place, some recommended amending the ordinance with higher fines and stricter enforcement.
Janet Jackel, an environmental commission member, painted a stark picture of a recent tree removal in her neighborhood. “The whole area is heavily wooded, 46 years we’ve been here, almost, (and) nobody’s cut down the trees,” Jackel told the committee.
Then, “we woke up to the sound of chainsaws, and over the next three days, most of one of the lots across the street… had every single tree removed,” she said, describing clear-cutting of a steep hillside near East Creek. She asked the committee to strengthen the ordinance and also make people aware that “this is not good for the township, the surrounding areas and for neighborhoods in general.”
Karen Strickland, the environmental commission chair, proposed a fine of $1,000 to replace a tree.
Resident Jay Yannello strongly objected to the proposed $1,000 per tree replacement fine, calling it financially unrealistic. “I had to take out 20 white pines. It’s the last freaking thing I wanted to do. But I had to,” he said, arguing that many long-time Holmdel residents remove trees out of necessity, particularly to prevent potential property damage during windstorms or to address aging, potentially hazardous trees.
In his case, such a fine would amount to a $20,000 penalty. “That’s just not practical,” Yannello argued.
Ralph Blumenthal suggested the committee consider a two-fold approach with education and enforcement. “Without education, nobody will do what you want them to do,” he said, recommending a “process for engaging a certified tree expert” and clear guidance for residents. “The town needs to have appropriate processes in place so that the ordinance can be enforced and be meaningful.”
But Deputy Mayor Kimberly LaMountain assured residents the township “will have active enforcement so that people just don’t do what they want.
The article originally appeared in the May 22 – 28, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
