Brick Township officials and residents are fighting to protect what they say is one of the last remaining open-space areas of the town.

A developer wants to build a nearly 60-home development on 30 acres of untouched woodland off Mantoloking Road.

The Church of Visitation and the Diocese of Trenton own the land, and the church has already set up a deal to sell it. But residents – many of whom are members of the church – say that the space is a haven and should remain undisturbed.

"Many actually go in those woods and clean them up. I've gone in with garbage bags with other neighbors and we clean up the garbage and bring it out of there. It's a nice area that we'd like to see preserved,” says resident Jim Bonanno.

Brick officials say church leadership won't return calls to discuss selling the space to the town.

A Change.org petition to save the land has nearly 6,000 signatures.