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Trader's Cove, Foodtown To Be Placed In Redevelopment Zone
By Catherine Galioto
Brick took more steps forward with redevelopment projects within township borders this week, with votes and discussion at the township council meeting Tuesday.
Traders Cove, also known as the Mantoloking Marina, is now incorporated into a redevelopment zone. A redevelopment zone is a special designation that helps pave the way for revamping what the aging cove, the township bought, is and can be. In case plans to put a conservancy fall through, or if the conservancy plans don't take up the whole site, labeling it a redevelopment zone can be a benefit, township officials said.
The move also opens up options as far as funding the project, as redevelopment zones are sometimes revamped by non-profit development companies and may be included in grant applications.
In 2005, the Trader's Cove property was purchased through a cooperative effort by the township, the county, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program, Save Barnegat Bay and an anonymous donor, for a price of $8 million.
Since the site was purchased with Green Acres funds, there are restrictions on the future use of the property, including provisions that the site is used to promote outdoor recreation and conservation and that profits from the marina be used for recreational purposes.
But labeling it a redevelopment zone is only a step, Councilman Michael Thulen said. "The planning board has given its approval of this," he said. "We're moving, carrying it forward and faster."
In previous council meetings, residents complained the project seemed stalled. Officials such as Glenn Campbell, representing the township administrative staff, said that was not the case. Instead, he said, it has simply been arduous to coordinate the different agencies involved in the project, but that the coordination was going on.
The Trader's Cove site is the second site to recently receive inclusion as a redevelopment zone. Previously, the Foodtown site became a redevelopment zone for similar reasons. However, the council hopes to sell the Foodtown property instead of taking on a redevelopment project there itself. This, and plans to purchase the Ocean Ice Palace and turn it into a community center are all on the township's radar.
Officials hope the sale of the Foodtown site on Route 88 will help fund the Ocean Ice Palace project. The township may also sell the Civic Plaza for further revenue, and to consolidate its services.
But, all these moves and redevelopment require expertise, Council Vice President Ruthanne Scaturro said.
To that end, the township council voted to pay an attorney specializing in redevelopment issues. It will advertise the bid in hopes of contracting a lawyer to help wade through all the nuances of redevelopment. The money to pay for the lawyer will not come out of the operating budget, Township Administrator Scott Pezarras said. Instead, the township has $300,000 set aside that in can spend on expenses related to its redevelopment projects. The funds would come out of the capital programs' budget.
But using that money for an attorney may not be the best idea, Councilman Michael Thulen argued. "Just because the $300,000 exists, doesn't mean you want to spend $300,000 on an attorney," Thulen said.
He asked whether Pezarras had a conversation with Mayor Dan Kelly about the money. Pezzaras said he did not.
"The mayor has to know what's going on," Thulen said. "Not to say (the resolution) is not a good idea, but you have to have a conversation with the mayor about it."
Pezzaras said, "We feel the mayor sees things the same way as the administration does."
Scaturro also urged the council to vote for special legal counsel. That attorney's expertise is essential to a successful redevelopment plan. "We want to make sure you do it by the book and most cost effective way," she said.
Township attorney Jean Cipriani also urged the council to vote.
"It's probably in the best interest of the township," Cipriani said, "considering all the interests in the projects and the importance of the projects to the township."
Pezarras said the township will try to find an attorney that is close to the going rate for the township legal services, $160 an hour.
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