Existing businesses shut out of Broadway plan
The Broadway Arts Plan scheduled to condemn properties through the excessive powers of eminent domain, the brainchild of the Katz and Siperstein families, violates the first law of economics.

It will add to the supply of what there is already too much of in the state, and specifically Long Branch, without in fact doing anything to change the demand side of the equation.

It is wrong from its inception and is being forced upon the community as a direct result of the relationships between the developers and the politicians.

The developer needs to modify its attitude, more than its design plans, to guarantee the success necessary to result in the "public" good and purpose.

The attitude of the city is blind and deaf to those already in the area who own and operate good solid businesses.

The attitude of the managing partner, Todd Katz, is totally out of touch with viable economic development, which would make the project more inclusive of those elements already in place that are not blighted in the traditional sense. Yet what amazes me, is that Todd Katz is on the Urban Enterprise Zone board here in town. He needs to modify his attitude to allow those willing to continue in their respective properties.

Public support of the project is essential if the end plan is to draw the needed visitors to the area where economic growth could occur. Not the type of economic growth that Pier Village and Beach Front North failed to give us.

My evidence to the failure of the complete beachfront projects is the catastrophic tax increases the property owners outside the redevelopment area were hit with this year.

The purest form of proof of a development project being economically viable to the further growth of the base of its taxpayers. Here in Long Branch we have had major density increases and commercial development, however the taxes have increased upwards of 200 percent outside the development zones in Long Branch. Any project that costs taxpayers more outside the project area itself is detrimental to the whole financial health of the city.

What can be done to reverse this negative turn of events?

The development area needs to become attractive in more areas than the developers are concentrating on. The need to stimulate the right interest, not their own interests to the plans must be considered. People from all over the state, and beyond, will want to come to spend recreational time and spend money here in town if they have an admiration of the area. Our beach is the best in the state, and so should our developments be.

The very first thing the developer needs to do and the city needs to address is allowing those presently in the Broadway Arts Zone to remain.

Katz and his team are smart enough to figure out what to do with their present holdings without forcing out those who are operating essential businesses already. Since the approval of the Katz plan, many small businesses have been put out. We have lost a family run grocery, bakery, barbershop, restaurant, electronics store and gift shop. The only small business owners still operating are those housed in buildings owned by the private owners and not the Broadway Arts Center.

The plan eliminates private business owners, destroys independent commercial property ownership and looks to replace diversity and individuality with "Super Blocks." The state development authorities should be outraged and so should the people of Long Branch.

This is more than an eminent domain abuse situation. This is a situation where the little guy is being put out so that a monopoly with strong political ties can become the owner of everything! The very thing that Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, warned us all about in her dissent of Kelo v. New London.

What can you do? Call and encourage Mayor Adam Schneider and the City Council to work together for the good of the small business growth in our community. It is the best way to foster a real economic growth for years to come. Please encourage them to make certain that the present owners remain in their respective buildings and give them the development rights to ensure them the tools necessary to rebuild if necessary.

This would automatically end the need for eminent domain in the zone. The statute allowing it points out that it should only be used sparingly and as a "last resort." Something Mayor Schneider seems to want to ignore, as evidenced by his dismissal of the cries against forced removal in MTOTSA.

Also call the Broadway Arts Center developer and tell them you want them to work toward protecting small business owners and independent commercial development, and end the "Super Block" attitude. Stop by the new Siperstein's paint store on Route 36 and ask Lawrence Katz to advise his partners accordingly.

Broadway Arts can be the beginning of a great economic growth for the entire city, where those in the state could embrace simply because it ended abuses widespread in all development projects.

It would be something to be proud of and cause many to come to enjoy and also reduce the tax burden of those taxpayers throughout the city who have been hard hit by the Super Block developments already in place in Long Branch.

The most important indicator to the success of economic growth is that the tax burden on the townspeople decreases, not increases as it has just done. It's time to go back and change the model and do the right thing for Long Branch.

Please join us in this fight to protect property, to protect small business and independent commercial development without the use of eminent domain.

The Rev. Kevin Brown

Gopal Panday Dr. Carlos Rivera

Long Branch