Boro will go ahead with Donovan's Reef talks Council's views on purchase break along party lines BY AMANDA BELING Staff Writer SEA BRIGHT - Mayor Jo-Ann Kalaka-Adams broke the tie vote among Borough Council members in favor of starting negotiations for the possible purchase of Donovan's Reef at the municipal meeting Aug. 7. Kalaka-Adams, a Republican, indicated that the point of the vote was not whether the borough should acquire Donovan's or not. "All I'm asking is, just to give consideration for us to move forward to make some type of negotiation," she said. The asking price for Donovan's Reef is $4.5 million, and the property is presently assessed at $1.09 million, according to Councilman William J. Keeler. Democratic Councilwoman Dina Long, who opposes the acquisition, said that purchasing the property would affect taxpayers. "To buy Donovan's the borough will take out bonds, which will cost approximately $350,000 a year for the borough. That means a $.07 increase per $100 of assessed valuation in your property tax." According to Long, owners of a home assessed at $400,000, could expect to pay an extra $300 per year in taxes as a result of the purchase over the next 30 years. Keeler was in agreement with the mayor and gave his insight into the advantages of possibly purchasing the property. "It's all about quality of life," said Keeler. "Buying Donovan's will ultimately provide additional open space, which is needed in the central part of Sea Bright, as well as additional public parking spaces, which are also needed in the southern half of the downtown area. "It will create an additional 82 parking spaces, but if you're paying $4 million for them, it's almost $5,000 a space," objected Long. According to Keeler, another argument in favor of the purchase is that it would improve Sea Bright's position with regard to a lawsuit filed last year by the DEP against the borough and seven private beach clubs over the issue of public access to the borough's beaches. "Additional public access to the beach could make it easier to obtain DEP approval for a pool club," said Keeler. However, Long said that there has been no discussion of a pool club. "They're just ideas that get thrown around. Nobody has done the research to find out how much it costs to build and maintain a pool club. It's all up in the air." The other advantages Keeler spoke of included renovating/upgrading the current Borough Hall complex (costing an estimated $600,000 versus almost $3 million for a brand-new complex), reducing the night-life activity in the area, and allowing the borough to possibly reduce the size of the Police Department by one full-time or two part-time officers. "Contrary to popular belief, we don't have just one officer that's assigned to Donovan's," said Long. "In fact, if you reduce the staff even by one full-time officer, it means you're going to have only one officer working the overnight shift, when the bars are closing. That puts that officer at risk, as well as the residents and their property." Long said her main objections to the discussions about purchasing Donovan's are that officials haven't heard a real plan, or had the opportunity to discuss issues with other borough properties. "We're not doing anything with what we already have," she said. "There are 15 acres of open space on the beachfront that we've yet to utilize, so I don't agree on buying more." Keeler also mentioned additional considerations for the property, such as subleasing it to a restaurant operator, relocating borough facilities, or reselling it with a deed restriction that would maintain a certain number of parking spaces for public use. However, Long pointedly noted that buying Donovan's would merely allow the borough to "keep its options open" and preserve the 82 parking spaces on the site. "Ultimately, this is a wrong priority for Sea Bright. Why spend $4 million for land and ignore other significant capital improvements such as flood control, beachfront enhancement such as the beach office and lifeguard stations and the public bathrooms, as well as inadequate public safety facilities and Borough Hall?" she asked. Concurring with Long, Councilman Thomas E. Scriven said he also feels the proposal is not in the best interest of the town. "I don't think we have any business whatsoever buying property and then running it as an existing thing like it is now. I think that we have a lot of things in this town to do before we spend this kind of money," he said. Opinion was divided among members of the public and residents who spoke at the meeting. "I object to my taxes going up. I would like the town to pass on the purchase," said Sea Bright resident Janis Demarco. "I think the money can be used for other things the town is in need of." Resident Barbara Turbak said the negotiations are a good idea. "Let's make Sea Bright a destination and not a drive-through town," she said. Turbak's vision of what the borough should do with the Donovan's property is to see a restaurant beach club be built, where people can come together and enjoy themselves. Former Councilman Read Murphy said he has spoken to the owners of Donovan's. "Dr. [Robert] Carducci and Bob Phillips want to sell, but Ed Bowler's children want to keep it," he said. Murphy feels that the borough should just develop the land the town has "sat on" for the past 20 years instead of buying more. While there is no clear-cut decision as to the future of Donovan's Reef, the borough is now in negotiation for the property. Members of council who voted in favor of the ongoing negotiations for the purchase of the Donovan's property are Peggy Bills, Brian P. Kelly, and Keeler, all Republicans. Democrats Maria Fernandes, Dina Long and Thomas Scriven voted against continuing negotiations.