Mobile park sale could force residents to move Boro offers relocation advice to residents of Circle Mobile Home Park BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer EATONTOWN- Residents of the CircleMobile Home Park on Route 35 learned last week that the site where their homes are located is being sold to a new owner. Plans for the 6-acre lot could call for the new owner to shut down the mobile home community and develop the land for a commercial use, according to Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo. "Many of you are very concerned, and I can understand that," Tarantolo said at a special meeting Jan. 17. "Being displaced is a very important issue in someone's life, and that is why we are here," he said, adding, "We are here because the town is concerned with your well-being and quality of life." The special meeting was called by Tarantolo to offer a forum for residents of Circle Mobile Home Park and borough officials to discuss options available if the new owner chooses to develop the land. The CircleMobile Home Park has been in operation for approximately 30-years and is home to an estimated 70 residents. "It could be sold as a mobile home park," Tarantolo said. "That would be a legitimate use. It is also zoned for … commercial. "The fact of the matter is, the mobile home park exists along our Route 35 corridor, which is primarily commercial," Tarantolo added. He explained at the meeting that the borough will offer advice to residents of the mobile park if they are forced to relocate, including how to obtain forms for affordable housing and what kind of legal recourse is available. The borough will not challenge the future owner if the owner plans to develop a commercial entity on the property, Tarantolo said. "[It] would obviously end up in the courts and a judge would make the decision," Tarantolo said. "I think, in this case, a judge will adhere to the existing zoning, and we would have no recourse in trying to stop any commercial development. "Legal action implies that we assume that we can change things, but the fact of the matter is [the property] is already designated [for mobile homes and commercial uses]," Tarantolo said. A majority of the residents of the mobile park community are senior citizens and live off a fixed or low income and are unable to afford to relocate, according to Gary Strasser, a resident of Circle Mobile Home Park. "You have a lot of trailers that can't be moved," Charles Leveene, a resident of the mobile park, said at the meeting. "What happens to those poor people?" Leveene asked, adding, "The only way to get them out is with a bulldozer." Residents of the mobile park were informed of the potential $7.6 million sale of the lot in December through a letter from the park's current owner and landlord, Robert Freibaum. Freibaum was unable to be reached for comment by deadline Tuesday. According to Tarantolo, the property is being sold to a new owner and the name of the new owner is not being released at this time. The property was first offered for sale to the residents of Circle Park, as required by law, according to the letter sent by Freibaum. It was then put up for sale to the public, according to the letter. Gary Strasser, a resident and spokesman for Circle Park, said that it was "impossible" for the residents of the park to come up with the money for the $7.6 million price tag. Freibaum explained in the letter that he is selling the property and that residents will be asked to vacate the park 18 months after the sale is final. The 18 months is not a definitive time frame, according to Borough Attorney Gene Anthony. "My reading of the statute in case law says [the future landlord] can't just give you the notice for 18 months and have you move out in 18 months," Anthony said at the meeting. "He has to, at the end of those 18 months, have gotten his site plan approval and permits [to begin developing the property.] "Let's assume there is a contract. Let's assume the notice [to vacate] went out tomorrow, you would have 18 months and then some because [the future landlord] would have to get construction permits and Planning Board approval [to begin construction]. This could go on for years. "It's not something, even in the worst scenario, that will happen overnight," Anthony said. Also on hand at the meeting to advise residents of their rights and potential future housing options, included the following: Vice Chairman of the Monmouth County Fair Housing Board Toi Collins, Tenants Rights Attorney Scott Conover, Borough Administrator George Jackson, council President and President of the Tenants Rights Committee Charles DaVis and Councilman John Schiels. Anthony and Conover advised the residents of Circle Park to form a homeowners association in order to negotiate some kind of settlement agreement with the future owner of the mobile park site. "We are dealing with business," Tarantolo said. "Businesses are intended to make money. "Time is money. Gene [Anthony] said once the clock starts, [the residents have 18 months to move]," Tarantolo said, adding, "A good businessman knows that time is money, and if he is doling out $7.6 million, he wants to get that property finished as soon as he can." Tarantolo also explained that the future landowner could purchase the mobile homes from the residents to make way for a development to be constructed more rapidly. "If you have a [homeowners] association, you may be able to negotiate something," Tarantolo said. Danna Spencer, president of the Pine Tree Mobile Home Park Homeowners Association in Eatontown, and Lorrie Dibble, president of the Paradise Mobile Home Park Homeowners Association in Atlantic Highlands, both agreed with Tarantolo. Dibble explained that her homeowners association is in litigation with the developer who purchased the park site where she lives. "I don't know a lot of what is happening with your case, but I know there are a lot of resources here to help you," Dibble said.