Letters are going out to MTOTSA
Homeowners have 14 days to sell or face eminent domain
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

A group of homeowners in one of Long Branch’s redevelopment zones will soon be receiving letters from the city to begin negotiations for the sale of their properties, according to Mayor Adam Schneider.

The letters give homeowners two weeks to negotiate with the city on the purchase of their homes, according to Schneider, who said if they choose not to negotiate, the city will then begin eminent domain proceedings.

Informal site plans for the redevelopment of the neighborhood were approved at the Sept. 13 council meeting.

The City Council voted 4 to 1 to approve a resolution that authorizes an amendment to the developers’ agreement for the Beachfront North, phase II redevelopment zone.

Council President John “Fazz” Zambrano cast the lone “no” vote against the resolution.

Zambrano did not return numerous phone calls seeking comment on his vote.

The ordinance adopted amends the developers’ agreement to incorporate the design plans for the Beachfront North, phase II redevelopment zone, which were unveiled by the designated redevelopers of the zone, MM-Beachfront North II — comprised of co-developers Matzel & Mumford, a division of K. Hovnanian, Middletown, and the Applied Cos., Hoboken.

William Giordano, who lives in the redevelopment zone and is a member of the MTOTSA (Marine and Ocean Terraces and Seaview Avenue) alliance formed to fight the perceived abuse of eminent domain, said that the site plans for his neighborhood are not the issue.

“[MTOTSA] is not opposed to redevelopment,” he said. “But we are opposed to eminent domain and the abuse of eminent domain.”

He added that last week’s council meeting was the most powerful night he has ever been a part of.

“People in my neighborhood, residents of Long Branch and residents in other communities gave over two hours of testimony protesting the project,” he said. “I was impressed with the civic performance of the people, but the council ignored that testimony.”

MTOTSA is a three-street neighborhood comprised of approximately 36 properties, which are slated to be taken by the city through the eminent domain process.

“[The approval of the resolution] did not specifically adopt the plans [presented by the developers for the zone],” Schneider said after the meeting. “There is still more that needs to be done. [The developers] need more detailed drawings and they need to go before the planning board to testify on behalf of the project.”

He added, “At every step of a project, things can change. We are at step 60 of 100, and still have a long way to go.”

Plans call for the properties in MTOTSA to be bulldozed and replaced with three buildings containing a total of 185 units ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to 2,500 square feet. Each structure will have parking for residents below the building, according to Tom Bauer, of Melillo and Bauer Landscaping, Point Pleasant.

According to Greg Russo, senior vice president of Applied, the market price of the units has not yet been established.

Plans include a new street grid that would realign Ocean Terrace to create a horseshoe shape that will intersect Seaview Avenue with Ocean Avenue and turn Seaview Avenue into a dual road with 97 parking spaces for the public.

A community pavilion is planned on 1.5 acres of waterfront property. The pavilion will house public restrooms, a general meeting area, restaurants and will have 23 parking spaces.

Another 51 parking spaces would be added at the waterfront for a total of 171 public parking spaces, Bauer said at the meeting.

MTOTSA retained Peter H. Wegener, of Bathgate Wegener and Wolf, Lakewood, who has represented property owners throughout the state over the past 30 years in eminent domain cases.

Wegener said in an interview in the spring that he received appraisals from McGuire Associates, Real Estate Appraisal and Consultants, Jersey City, in the amounts of $400,000 to $500,000 for the waterfront properties, which he said were not “fair market value”.

But MTOTSA has vowed to not sell their homes at any cost, according to Wegener.