Long Branch drops plan to reopen roadway Schneider: Public will have input in redesign of Ocean Avenue BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer After weeks of protest by Long Branch residents opposed to the reopening of sections of Ocean Avenue, the city announced last week that it has withdrawn its plans to open the roadway to vehicular traffic. The announcement by Mayor Adam Schneider that the city would drop plans to reopen the oceanfront roadway was followed by applause and cheers from residents crowding council chambers at the July 24 meeting. "We are pulling that issue," Schneider said at the council meeting, prior to opening the floor for public comment. "We are not going to try and open the road," he said, adding, "We did listen to the reasonable comments made. We will leave the road as is." According to Schneider, a resolution will appear on the Aug. 14 council agenda to undo the original resolution to move forward with plans, which passed by a vote of 4-0 at the May 8 municipal meeting. The original measure authorized an application to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to remove portions of Ocean Avenue from its Green Acres Inventory Program. Resident Bill McLaughlin of Ocean Avenue addressed the crowded chambers at the meeting after learning that the plans would not be moving forward. "All of the years I have been in this town, you finally got mad enough and angry and you wouldn't take it anymore," McLaughlin told the crowd in attendance. He then addressed the council, "We welcome your input and we hope that you welcome our input at the [Ocean Avenue] site." Over the last few months, residents have overflowed council chambers to protest the city's plan to open the roadway, which has been closed to traffic for more than 20 years. Residents argued at several lengthy and contentious meetings that the roadway acts as recreational area used by the community. "I would like to thank the mayor and council," Dennis Sherman said at last week's meeting. An Ocean Boulevard resident, Sherman had previously presented the council with an alternative plan for the area that would allow the roadway to remain closed. "Thank you for listening to the people," he said. Although the proposed plans have been dropped, Schneider said at the meeting that the area still needs extensive work. "That entire area needs to be reviewed," Schneider said, adding that the city needs to invest in the Ocean Avenue area. "Everybody will be included in the planning sessions to give you a chance to say what you want in an atmosphere other than a public meeting," Schneider said. Schneider added that there is no timeline for future plans for the roadway. "We are going to look at the area as a redesign," he said. "You start by planning it out. Right now we have a lot of time to meet with people." For more than two decades, 3.10 acres of Ocean Avenue has been listed as Green Acres and closed to vehicular traffic. The city voted in May to enter into a land swap with the DEP to remove the 3.10 acres from Green Acres designation, and in return the city would donate 6.19 acres of city-owned parcels to be listed as Green Acres, according to the original resolution, 130-07. Once property is listed as Green Acres, development is prohibited, City Business Administrator Howard H. Woolley explained at a previous meeting. Although the city had no specific plan in place for the roadway, removing it from Green Acres allowed council to explore options, Woolley explained. One proposal discussed in a presentation given in May was to open the roadway to low-speed, limited traffic to provide increased access to the waterfront, according to city planner Pratap Talwar. The city proposed to remove the following sections of the roadway from Green Acres: from Brighton Avenue to West End, from Howland to South Bath avenues, and from Madison Avenue to Ocean Terrace. In exchange, the city would donate approximately 4 acres of property at the Great Lawn in Pier Village and approximately 2 acres of the walking and bicycle path on the east side of Ocean Boulevard. But the proposal was met with an outcry of protest from the public, and more than 5,000 residents signed petitions opposing the opening the roadway. "It has been in the redevelopment plan," Schneider said referring to the plan to open the roadway. "When the original decision to reopen it was made, it was one of the issues that made redevelopment appealing." Denise Hoagland of Ocean Terrace, who is fighting the city's plan to take her home through eminent domain for a private redevelopment project, referred to a comment made by Schneider at the meeting. "The whole thing is going to be pulled for the time," Hoagland said, repeating the words spoken by Schneider earlier at the meeting. "Listen to the language," she warned the crowd. "Do not go to sleep."