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BRADLEY BEACH — The Bradley Beach borough council recently tabled a resolution that, if passed, would have authorized the sale of the borough-owned 319 LaReine Ave. property in an open public auction.
According to Mayor Larry Fox, the council received new information during its executive session at the March 27 borough council meeting from legal professionals about potential alternative options to fulfill the borough’s affordable housing requirement.
A follow-up workshop regarding the sale and bid package for the 317-319 LaReine Ave. property, site of the vacated United Methodist Church, was scheduled to be held on April 3. However, it was canceled due to what Council President Jane DeNoble referred to as an “incomplete package.”
“The council did not want to waste the taxpayers time and money presenting incomplete information,” Council President DeNoble told The Coast Star. She said the council is hoping to workshop an updated bid package at its next meeting on April 10.
The tabled resolution bid package was drafted by Mayor Fox and Acting Borough Administrator Meredith DeMarco, and reviewed by Borough Attorney Greg Cannon. It offered two options for purchase with each option starting with a minimum bid of $2,718,100.
According to the resolution, if sold under option A, the property could be subdivided into three market rate lots and one affordable housing lot, with up to two affordable dwelling units. The resolution cites a “major subdivision plat” that was prepared by CME Associate on April 18, 2023. With option B, the property could be sold “free of all such restrictions, conditions, interests or estates on the part of the … municipality.”
The resolution didn’t address the preservation of historical objects within the century-old church, but Mayor Fox assured that the borough will take the appropriate steps in maintaining the more-than 40 historical objects there, including stained glass windows and original-to-the-location pews.
The LaReine Avenue property is located in a residential single-family zone. However, with no deed restrictions like in option B, developers would be able to seek out variances from the Land Use Board, an issue many members of the council and public alike raised an issue with. According to the resolution, the Land Use Board retains authority in the areas of subdivision review and approval.
“For everyone’s benefit, I came here with zero intention of voting yes on this even before we had our executive session. This resolution was prepared in a vacuum without any input requested or received from the council,” Councilman Al Gubitosi said before voting to table the resolution.
FAIR SHARE HOUSING
According to Mayor Fox, the resolution was tabled due to new information acquired during the executive session regarding the borough’s Fair Share housing requirement. At the meeting, Ms. DeNoble noted that the borough identified other locations for affordable housing and tabled the resolution to review new options.
During the meeting, Mayor Fox cited a potential use of the LaReine Avenue property to be used by Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that seeks to build affordable housing, to accommodate the Fair Share housing requirement of the borough ordinance.
According to Ms. DeNoble, several Oxford House vacancies within the borough can potentially satisfy the borough’s housing requirement. The borough is currently seeking these opportunities. Oxford Homes are structured homes in which residents assist each other in the battle against addiction and substance abuse.
Mayor Fox was unable to comment on the current plan to assess the Fair Share Housing Committee plan and affordable housing requirements within the borough.
The tabled resolution states that the borough “is currently under review by the Superior Court of New Jersey regarding required actions to conform to the requirements of providing affordable housing” in accordance with the borough’s adopted ordinances and state statute.
FUTURE OF THE PROPERTY
The April 3 hearing is the most recent update in the LaReine Avenue property that the borough purchased on March 27, 2020. The hearing features a workshop bid package for the church and public comment to allow both the members of the borough council and public to voice their opinion on the future of the property. Members of the council are still at odds with the fate of the property, according to their statements to The Coast Star.
Mayor Larry Fox told The Coast Star the borough is currently waiting for input from its planner and Fair Share housing attorney to exercise the proper next steps for the property and the development of a bid package.
Councilwoman Kristen Mahoney told The Coast Star that the bid package presented was a far departure from what the council had expected and agreed to consider.
“Before we sit down to discuss the property and its future, we need a bid package that ensures deed restrictions are in place, the historical artifacts in the church will be salvaged, Bradley Beach will not be in the demolition business, and other affordable housing options are explored. I wouldn’t mind seeing a park in one of the lots, but I’m not sure how viable an option that is,” Councilwoman Mahoney told The Coast Star.
Ms. DeNoble told The Coast Star the presented bid package was incomplete, and the $2.7 million evaluation was below today’s estimated market value. “We need an updated appraisal as we now have four lots without the mayor’s bid packet encumbering one of the lots. We need a preliminary subdivision approved by the Land Use Board and a recorded deed restriction for that confirming use. I presented this in October… We need to move ahead on this.”
Councilman Gubitosi told The Coast Star the borough must move past the LaReine property in a fast and effective manner. “I’ve been very clear regarding how we need to move forward to preserve the town’s best interests in selling this property. The mayor simply is not listening and excludes the council at every turn. He’s fixated on giving away a lot that could be worth a million dollars, in order to satisfy an affordable housing obligation. However, Council President DeNoble has presented a no-cost alternative that our experts endorse and it would save the borough a lot of money. It’s hard to understand what motivates the mayor to constantly ignore common sense.”
Councilman John Weber was unable to comment on the dealings of the LaReine Ave. Church property as his home is adjacent to the location.
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