Published in the Asbury Park Press 7/30/03
By ERIK LARSEN
MANAHAWKIN BUREAU

LACEY -- A compromise could be in the works regarding the rail-trail issue that has split the township and degenerated into name-calling and personal attacks.

The Township Committee plans to convene a special caucus at 7 p.m. tomorrow, and another one week later, to discuss the proposal to turn an abandoned railroad right-of-way into a hiking and biking trail, said Township Clerk Veronica A. Laureigh. The sessions are to be held in the courtroom at town hall.

The meetings are open to the public, but at a caucus the public is not allowed to address the committee and no formal action is taken until the next regular meeting, set for 8 p.m. Aug. 14 at Lacey Township Middle School.
Republican Committeeman Louis A. Amato, who has the deciding vote in the matter, has informed the clerk's office that he will not be able to participate in tomorrow's meeting, Laureigh said.

Democratic Committeeman Robert G. Bischoff said there are options and he hopes to reach a compromise.
One compromise, he said, would be to combine a rail trail with construction of part of the road that rail-trail foes favor. This portion of road would run from the Sunrise Beach section to Lacey Road, about a half-mile.  The Board of Education and St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church are the two main lobbyists for such a road.
Lacey Rail-Trail Committee Chairwoman Donna A. Bahrle said she is prepared to endorse the right compromise.

"The Township Committee needs to resolve this issue before the town becomes any more divided than it already is," Bahrle said. "We were told at a township meeting two years ago that (Lacey's) Economic Development Commission would invite us to sit town and talk compromise back then. The invite never came."

Robert W. Hoebee, who favors a road instead of the rail trail, also endorsed the idea of compromise yesterday.  "Truce is better than fiction," Hoebee said, speaking about what he believes is misinformation being generated by the rail-trail committee.  "One of the options I propose is leaving the railroad right of way the way it is -- au naturel. Don't do anything with it," Hoebee said.

At Thursday's meeting, an angry crowd of more than 500 turned out, many to speak out on the rail-trail issue and a scheduled vote to convey the township's three-mile stretch of right-of-way to Ocean County for $96,600 in debt relief.

The committee voted to postpone action until Aug. 14.

Erik Larsen: (609) 978-4582 or elarsen@app.com