Brielle sets Higgins Ave. lot as revitalization zone – Star News Group

BRIELLE — The borough council passed a resolution on March 25 that established Block 66.01 Lot 2, located at 628 Higgins Ave., as a non-condemnation redevelopment area, in accordance with the planning board’s recommendation. 

In addition, the council directed the board to prepare and begin a redevelopment plan for the property, the former Grieco Beverages site, pursuant to state statute.

The redevelopment plan, once finished, first will be reviewed by the planning board for approval and will then be reviewed by the county planning board, according to Borough Attorney Nicholas C. Montenegro. The plan then will be submitted to the borough council, go up for public hearing and subsequently be voted on as an ordinance.

At the Feb. 27 planning board meeting, independent planner Kendra Lelie presented a study of the site. She identified four criteria that 628 Higgins Ave. met in accordance with the state’s redevelopment law. In turn, the board designated the lot a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment. 

The property in question is owned by M&D Two LLC, the owners of La Mondina Restaurant, Charles Messina and Carmine DeRosa, local developers whose application to build a 22-unit townhouse development on the site was denied in February 2022. The denial resulted in a builder’s remedy lawsuit in which the borough of Brielle and the planning board were listed as defendants. The developers, who were present at the March 25 meeting, could not be reached for comment. 

On March 22, 2024, a case management conference was held in front of state Superior Court Judge Linda Grasso Jones in Freehold. According to the official case document, the judge ordered “The parties continue to be involved in productive settlement discussions” regarding the pending suit. Another case management conference is scheduled for April 10 in front of Judge Jones to provide an update on settlement discussions.

Mr. Montenegro, who altered the resolution upon its hearing to include the preparation and conception of the redevelopment plan, confirmed that the new plan will consist of the future of the identified properties in its entirety. He did not provide a timeline regarding the process. According to Mayor Frank Garruzzo, M&D Two LLC has yet to submit plans for the newly established revitalization zone.

“We’ve done everything at our level that we can do to proceed with the process. We are currently waiting for the applicant to submit their plans and information to the zoning board to get this process moving forward,” Mayor Garruzzo told The Coast Star.

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