Resident Complains To Township Over Air Quality Near Tent City

A resident yesterday evening complained to the Township Committee about the odors and air quality in the area of Tent City. At the public portion of yesterday’s Township Committee meeting, the man, who has health issues, said the odors and distorted air quality coming from the multiple fires and other activities at the Cedarbridge homeless camp, is affecting his health.

The Committee responded that it is indeed illegal for them to start fires and cut down the trees etc. The Committee added, that the County is currently in the process of suing Tent City in hopes of having them evicted to prevent any further lawsuits which could result from injuries in the camp.

In the last few years, several of its residents died from the fires, and at least one resident died from Hypothermia. TLS-CCP.

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30 COMMENTS

  1. how about the ones that have died from drug overdoses? the smell is from the unclean pine they burn, i despise driving past it at night, especially during the winter months. The smell of burnt pine just sticks to you forever it seems

  2. Lakewood, it is time that you clean these (moderated) out of town. They are drug users, drinkers and running a cult. They are burning garbage and its totally not a healthy enviroment for the town. Don’t be afraid step up to the plate and be a man about it!!!

  3. Pastor: as much as i am against your “camp” there… you did just make a valid point. BUT… its one day a year that jews burn their trash.
    (Just like i can put up with my neighbor who is doing a weekend of construction with lots of noise, i couldnt take that same noise every day, all day.)

    YOUR CAMP: lowers property values. no one with kids will want to move in (nor any normal man would want to move in his wife) to live within arms reach of people who cant seem to manage their life, so they dont have to live in the woods. AND DONT TELL ME that the economy is so bad, that they can find a job & take the offer the county gave them for a free place to stay. They are strange people who pose a threat. You need to take your ‘friends’ and hit the road. You folks use township garbage and other services yet dont pay anything for them through taxes. If it was up to me, since you pose as their “liaison” – i would personally begin to send you the bills for whatever fines or services you and your buddies use.

  4. To TLS: No one has ever died from fires or hypothermia at the Tent City at Cedarbridge and Clover.

    To # 2. What is Unclean Pine? I live a neighborhood where fireplaces burn pine all winter long. So what is the difference if it is burned at Tent city or in fireplaces in your neighborhood? Many people like the pine smell and pine scented items for the home are sold in stores all over the US.

    To # 3. I do not know who you are ( I know you are not Minister Steve). Garbage Is not burned at the camp. The Township picks it up in the green garbage containers on a weekly basis.

    To # 4. It is apparent that you know nothing about the people that live in Tent City and are only going by what you hear or read (like the misleading information published today). Since you appear to be a person with little or no compasion I will not waste my time explaining to you why Tent City exist. Maybe if you did a little internet research on your own you will find that Tent Cities exist not only in Lakewood but all over the United States and in many cases communities are not worring about their properties values(shame on you) but are trying to find solutions to the homeless problem.

  5. Was it better when the homeless were sleeping on steps of store fronts? Sleeping in town square? This problem is bigger then odors. How does it effect property value when its’ across the street from low income housing?

  6. #6 im sorry buddy, but i worked way to hard in my life to be “compassionate” for a bunch of free-loaders! not only did i serve my country in the Army, but i also volunteer with the fire dept, so dont tell me i dont have compassion or heart.
    i give everything i can- and possibly my life for people that are in need… but not these drug & alcohol abusing (moderated)! they were offered free housing from the county- NO ONE TOOK IT! AND YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THE RULES STATE: NO ALCOHOL OR DRUGS WHILE IN THIS PROGRAM!!

  7. what i want to know is who lives close enough to tent city to be able to smell anything? its in the middle of the woods! and whats up with someone saying they’re running a cult? are they hiding ET out eher as well?
    really, whats the big deal? what serious irreparable harm are they causing? they get garbage picked up and dont pay taxes? neither do the churches or synagogues or schools. they lower property values? the closest development is a low-income housing apartment complex owned by the town. seriously people, as long as they’re not hurting anyone or anything whats the problem with just leaving them alone?
    and ps- the late rev. jimmy wilcox (RIP) died from a propane heater exploding- which had been banned from the “city”‘ not from a fire

  8. If they extended Clover Street to Pine St via the woods and Vine Street this would all be a mute point.
    The government offers all types of help to those in need as was mention before.
    This camp is one spark away total destruction if the surrounding forest ever caught fire. There are rule to prevent what is happening out there but local officials turn a blind eye for some reason

  9. How about filing a law suit against the pastor who is assisting in maintaining this nuisance? Home owners sue based on lose of property value.

  10. To # 9 @10 As I said before no one has ever died in a fire at the Tent City at Cedarbridge and Clover!!! The fire you are referring to occurred at a small campsite site off RT 88 and Cedarbridge what had nothing to do with Tent City, Please get you facts straight

    To # 11. I know a lot of fireman and people who have served their country. The people I know do not pick and choose who they would give their life for.Please do not put yourself in the same catagory as them. It is obvious from your posts that you have a lot of hatred for certain people. You are nothing like them

  11. To # 9 @10 No one has ever died in a fire at the Tent City at Cedarbridge and Clover!!! The fire you are referring to occurred at a small campsite site off RT 88 and Cedarbridge (by the railroad tracks)This had nothing to do with Tent City. I believe the press just used that term for sales effect.

    To # 11. I know a lot of fireman and people who have served their country. The people I know do not pick and choose who they would give their life for.They serve for everyone.Please do not put yourself in the same catagory as them. You are nothing like them.It is obvious from your posts that you have a lot of hatred for certain people.

  12. As a volunteer for a soup kitchen in NY and other volunteer work I really feel bad for these unfortunate souls. Yes they are likely substance abusers as well who can’t exist in many systems but that does not make them less pathetic and in need of help. There are legitimate concerns and possibly warranted reasons to close it down (aka a fire which destroys acres of trees) but at least let’s have a more civil dialouge. A gut yur!!

  13. If the township has money to spend from the UEZ on day labor shelters to move and build it twice all over town then why not use some of these funds to buy or build a small shelter or home for these people so they can too live safely and clean out that camp once and for all.

    Scoop please post a poll, one that works that is to see how many people are for a home shelter to be set up and how many are against. Lets see if a new year and atonement for sins has sunk in yet in this town.

  14. You can gaslight the conversation by calling me racist, having hatred in my heart, or anything else you want to think of me.

    BOTTOM LINE IS these people create a nuisance in more than one way. township money is used to remove their trash. township authorities are spending time (which is money) to keep a constant eye on these people. They are placing acre’s of woods in danger by having open flames present. they are not paying taxes to live on that land.

    ENOUGH IS ENOUGH- SERIOUSLY CONSIDER A LAW SUIT (WITH THEIR SPOKESMAN, THE PASTOR). We have rules/laws on the books to prevent what is happening out there. The township needs to stop turning a blind eye to this, before they too are named in a lawsuit. Property values are decreasing due to people knowing that lakewood has a large campsite filled with almost 100 homeless that are refusing to take assistance due to drug abuse. knowing homeless drug-addicts live nearby or within walking distance= no one would buy a home even half a mile away.

    THESE PEOPLE HAVE HAD WAY TO MANY OPTIONS (paid long term motel stay paid by the county with job placement assistance) BUT THEY ALL FAILED TO TAKE IT, DUE TO NO DRUGS/ALCOHOL BEING THE #1 RULE.

  15. Ok Mr. Conservative lets do it your way. Lets close all the Tent sites in Lakewood and put 100 people on the streets The police can arrest them for vagrancy on a daily basis and put them in jail. Your tax dollars can pay to feed them and give them a nice warm jail cell.(will cost a lot more than picking up the trash). The will be let out in a few days and given a fine which they cannot pay. Two months later they will be arrested again for failure to pay their fine and put back in jail again, released and given another fine they cannot pay. And so and so on. The ones that are not in jail can hang out on the streets of Lakewood and beg for food( I am sure this really help the lakewood businesses). In the winter they can build fires in the alleys between the stores to keep warm and maybe burn down half the town. When they freeze or starve to death you tax dollars can pay to bury them.
    Sounds like a great plan Mr. Conservitive. I sure the people in Lakewood are glad you thought of it.

  16. TO #27 – no dont put words into my mouth. thats YOUR way of attempting to jerk a few tears…

    ————————————————
    YOU WROTE: “They will be let out in a few days and given a fine which they cannot pay.”

    MY ANSWER: dont give me these lies. some of the tent city residents called into NJ101.5 to comment on CELLPHONES that they own, and somehow pay for!
    APP.com was there snapping photo’s and happen to take pictures of a male & female dancing and holding cans of beer!
    IF THESE PEOPLE CAN AFFORD THEIR ALCOHOL & DRUGS, THEN THEY CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR THEIR FINES! (so yes, lock them up, clean them up & educate them, give them 90days in a homeless shelter and release them. If they continue to be locked up, they will get a heavier sentence.) ITS TIME THEY PAID BACK INTO THE POT AT LEAST THROUGH FINES.
    ————————————————

    here is how it should be done:
    1) The county board of health, lakewood township zoning, lakewood township fire marshals, etc need to find one day and step in and close down this squatters camp. (at the same time offer one LAST attempt at helping these people retain a place to live (obviously on the county dollar for the time being)

    2) DOCUMENT WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE, by way of photo’s and names, for proof that they were warned so there is no crying later.

    3) IF THEY ARE FOUND TO BE CAUSING A NUISANCE ONCE AGAIN, YES THEY ARE TO BO LOCKED UP. Then when in front of a judge, they would be given 1 option: HOMELESS SHELTER. WHERE THEY HAVE TO STAY AT LEAST 90DAYS or GO BACK TO JAIL.

    ————————————————
    As i stated before, if they have money for cellphones, beer, drugs, and other junk- then they have money for fines/etc. if they choose not to pay their fines, warrants will be issued.
    We dont live in the times where we had Tee-pee’s and American Indians running around, to accept homelessness in such urban area’s. there are way to many free programs out there for people to live a normal life.

    PS: IF ANY BLEEDING-HEART LIBERALS FEEL BAD FOR THEM: please don’t hesitate to take a few of these homeless in. Let them camp in your backyard, or live in your house. If you wont accept them, then shut your mouth. Accepting people to live outside, in the woods like animals is a dis-service.

  17. Wake up Mr. Conservative; THERE IS NO HOMELESS SHELTER IN OCEAN COUNTY!!!!
    Wake up Mr. Conservative; IT WILL COST THE TAXPAYER A LOT MORE TO KEEP THEM IN JAIL VS THE COST OF PICKING UP THEIR GARBAGE ONCE A WEEK!!!
    Wake up Mr. Conservative; SOME OF THE RESIDENTS IN TENT CITY HAVE CELL PHONES PROVIDED TO THEM BY THE COUNTY/STATE AS PART OF THE MEAGER AMOUNT OF BENIFITS THEY RECEIVE.
    Wake up Mr. Conservative; MANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN TENT CITY BECAUSE THEY CANNOT FIND A JOB, OR DO NOT QUALIFY FOR ENOUGH COUNTY /STATE ASSISTANCE TO LIVE DECENT LIVES UNTIL THEY FIND DECENT JOBS.
    Wake up Mr. Conservative; I HAVE HAD TENT CITY PEOPLE IN MY CAR AND IN MY HOUSE AND WOULD GLADLY LET THEM CAMP OUT IN MY BACK YARD. SO MAYBE NOW YOU SHOULD SHUT YOUR MOUTH.
    PS: I WOULD NEVER LET YOU STAY IN MY BACKYARD OR MY HOUSE.
    Maybe you should just stay asleep Mr Conserative; BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE YOU SCARE US MORE THAN ALL THE HOMELESS COMBINED.

  18. number 16. the property value of your house is not going down because of tent city, it is going down because of the housing market! I can go on,but you get the hint

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