Save Lake Lefferts Woods

01/03/2025

Contract Finalized: Lake Lefferts Woods to be Preserved as Open Space!!!

At the last Matawan Borough Council Meeting of 2024, Council President Deana Gunn announced that the First Presbyterian Church has agreed to the final contract terms and will sell their 5 acre Lefferts Woods property to Matawan Borough, forever saving it as open space! This beautiful piece of land will now remain preserved for our local wildlife and residents to enjoy.

THANK YOU to Matawan Mayor Joseph Altomonte, Council President Deana Gunn, the Matawan Borough Council members Arlan Feiles, Brian Livesey, Charlie Ross, Steven Russell, Melanie Wang, Monmouth County Commissioner Director Tom Arnone, the Monmouth County Commissioners, Matawan BA Ryan Michelson, and the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan for listening to us.

THANK YOU to the thousands of people who signed our petition, attended town meetings and told neighbors about this project. These woods could not have been saved without you all.

Lake Lefferts Woods will now be enjoyed by generations to come. It is a great day for Matawan!

-John Lazar

04/17/2024

“Lake Lefferts Woods to be Saved as Preserved Open Space”

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Mayor Altomonte, Council President Deana Gunn and the Matawan Borough Council, and the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan for listening to us!

Lake Lefferts Woods will now be saved and enjoyed by generations to come!!! Thank you to all who signed, attended meetings and told neighbors. This could not have happened without you all!

Last night at the Council meeting, Mayor Altomonte was proud to share the Borough is negotiating a contract to purchase Lefferts Woods, the property behind Presbyterian Nursery School for open space and the applicant has pulled their application from the planning board.

04/12/2024

Our resident foxes have returned to their den located in Lake Lefferts Woods and there are now 3 baby fox pups! This patch of woods is the last refuge our local wildlife including deer, fox, bald eagles and osprey, have left along Lake Lefferts.

Please sign our petition and help save these fox pup’s home from being destroyed to build 3 homes.
https://chng.it/LWskcsTMXN


*please do not approach wildlife or disturb the mother and her litter*

Photo credit Christine Spisak

04/02/2024

Update: Lefferts Woods Zoning application postponed for the 6th time until May 6, 2024 meeting of the Matawan Planning & Zoning Board

The application has been postponed by the applicant until the May 6th meeting. Thank you to all the residents and concerned citizens who joined us last night.

Our plan is still to voice our opposition as a community to the zoning variance that would allow these change to the lots. Next meeting will be May 6 2024, 7 pm at Matawan Borough Hall, 201 Broad Street.

Join us and help save the woods of Lake Lefferts. Once these woods are gone, they are gone forever. Please like and follow our page for the latest news and updates.

Petition link:
https://chng.it/LWskcsTMXN

03/31/2024

Help us save Lake Lefferts Woods tomorrow, April 1st

Reminder: the Matawan Planning & Zoning Board meeting for the Lake Lefferts Woods application will be Monday April 1, at 7 pm, Matawan Borough Hall (201 Broad Street, Matawan, NJ).

Please join us to show your support to keep this natural land preserved for our community and not develop it into multiple homes. This meeting is open to the public and residents will be able to speak and ask questions directly to the Board.

Please help us spread the word and make sure you join us on 4/1 so we can help save Lake Lefferts Woods. Once these woods are gone, they will be gone forever.

More information available at the petition link below:
https://chng.it/zWW8YVG9Rw

03/28/2024

Only 4 days left to help save Lake Lefferts Woods!

Reminder: the Matawan Planning & Zoning Board meeting for the Lake Lefferts Woods application will be Monday April 1, at 7 pm, Matawan Borough Hall (201 Broad Street, Matawan, NJ).

Please join us to show your support to keep this natural land preserved for our community and not develop it into multiple homes. This meeting is open to the public and residents will be able to speak and ask questions directly to the Board.

Please help us spread the word and make sure you join us on 4/1 so we can help save Lake Lefferts Woods. Once these woods are gone, they will be gone forever.

More information available at the petition link below:
https://chng.it/zWW8YVG9Rw

03/20/2024

Help us save Lefferts Woods! -Located on the banks of Lake Lefferts in Matawan

Please share our petition with any local friends and join us at the Matawan Zoning Meeting on 4/1.

Petition link:
https://chng.it/LWskcsTMXN

03/07/2024

Update: Zoning application now postponed until April 1, 2024 meeting of Matawan PZ Board

The application has been pushed until the April meeting. Thank you to all the residents who joined us at the meeting. Please follow this page for continued updates.

Please sign our petition at the link below to show your support for keeping this land preserved and that the Matawan Planning/Zoning Board should not grant a zoning variance that would allow these woods to be leveled for 3 single family lakeside homes.

Our plan is to voice our opposition as a community to the zoning variance that would allow these change to the lots at the April 1, 2024, 7 pm Matawan Planning/Zoning Board meeting both in person and by showing our petition.

More information at the petition link below.

Join us and help save the woods of Lake Lefferts. Once these woods are gone, they are gone forever.

Please like and follow our page for the latest news and updates

Petition link:

Save Lake Lefferts woods in Matawan, NJ

03/04/2024

***Zoning application now postponed until April 1, 2024 meeting of Matawan PZ Board***

The application has been pushed until the April meeting. Please follow this page for continued updates.

Please sign our petition at the link below to show your support for keeping this land preserved and that the Matawan Planning/Zoning Board should not grant a zoning variance that would allow these woods to be leveled for 3 single family lakeside homes.

Our plan is to voice our opposition as a community to the zoning variance that would allow these change to the lots at the April 1, 2024, 7 pm Matawan Planning/Zoning Board meeting both in person and by showing our petition.

More information at the petition link below.

Join us and help save the woods of Lake Lefferts. Once these woods are gone, they are gone forever.

Please like and follow our page for the latest news and updates

Petition link:

34 signatures are needed, let’s get there by the end of the day?

02/26/2024

**Zoning application now postponed until April 1, 2024 meeting of Matawan PZ Board***

The application has been pushed until the April meeting. Please follow our page for continued updates.

Matawan, we need your help. We are a group of local neighbors who want to help save the last wooded, undeveloped lot on Lake Lefferts in Matawan from being turned into single family homes.

We believe this lot deserves to be preserved and would make a great addition to our town or County as nature preserve or small park with walking trails, informational placards on the wildlife/history, fishing docks and kayak launches.

Please sign our petition at the link below to show your support for keeping this land preserved and that the Matawan Planning/Zoning Board should not grant a zoning variance that would allow these woods to be leveled for 3 single family lakeside homes.

Our plan is to voice our opposition as a community to the zoning variance that would allow these change to the lots at the April 1, 2024, 7 pm Matawan Planning/Zoning Board meeting both in person and by showing our petition.

More information at the petition link below.

Join us and help save the woods of Lake Lefferts. Once these woods are gone, they are gone forever.

Please like and follow our page for the latest news and updates

Petition link:
https://chng.it/wJkTDZhbgy

Save Lake Lefferts woods in Matawan, NJ