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Group Sues Brick Over Trader's Cove Redevelopment Plan
By Keith Hagarty
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| --Photo By Keith Hagarty A lawsuit was recently filed against Brick by the environmental group, Save Barnegat Bay, who hopes to invalidate a redevelopment plan adopted by the Township Council last year for the Traders Cove parcel on Mantoloking Road along the Barnegat Bay. |
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They were once on the same side of the issue. But no longer.
Environmental activist group Save Barnegat Bay has filed a lawsuit against the town because of the town's decision not to go out to bid for a redeveloper for the Traders Cove site.
According to Michele Donato, the land use attorney representing Save Barnegat Bay, the group claims the town has tried move forward with redevelopment plans for the area without public bidding.
Purchased in 2005, the Traders Cove site, on Mantoloking Road along the Barnegat Bay, was purchased by the town from private owners for an asking price of $8 million, with funding coming from a combination of money from the township, county and state. Brick purchased approximately 10 acres of the site for approximately $6.5 million, and the county currently owns about two acres, located next to a county fishing pier.
Save Barnegat Bay filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in Toms River last week asking a judge to rule the town's redevelopment plan of the site as invalid.
According to the lawsuit, Save Barnegat Bay was in a partial-ownership of the property with the town prior to 2005, said it was their understanding that Brick would design and develop a public park and a public marina for the site. However, Save Barnegat Bay further claims in their lawsuit that the town never expressed its intent to sell the site to a commercial developer for a for-profit marina.
The environmental group said the lawsuit stems from what they perceive to be the town's decision not to consult with them before any decisions were made regarding the property.
Calling the lawsuit frivolous, Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said it's the duty of town officials to respond to the wishes and welfare of Brick's taxpayers. The mayor believes it's always been the intention of the town to have a redevelopment plan in place for Traders Cove to provide a quality ratable, a park setting, maritime museum and another attractive viable option for Brick residents along the bay.
Things weren't always so contentious between the town and Save Barnegat Bay. Four years ago, the environmental group and town successfully joined forces in a lawsuit to oppose an initial effort by a developer to build a multi-condominium complex at the site.
Their cooperative efforts help to prohibit any possibility of building condominiums, single family homes, gas stations or major boat repair facilities at the cove.
However, the relationship took a turn south last year, when after more than a year of discussion, the town offered its Traders Cove Redevelopment Plan, with its stated purpose of beginning "the process of revitalizing a dilapidated and underutilized property."
According to the plan, some of its intended goals were to: redevelop the parcel through private sector redevelopers, public participation and other interested parties; provide the seashore community of Brick Township with the necessary amenities to access the waterfront for passive recreation including fishing, crabbing and boating; provide an opportunity for development that promotes environmentally sustainable and aesthetically attractive development; further protect the town's natural resources, and provide pedestrian and bicycle connections between the adjacent federal Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
When the council voted to adopt the plan in October, Save Barnegat Bay founder Willie DeCamp and the group's land use attorney, Michele Donato, both protested the plan, asking for changes. DeCamp said he sought changes he hoped would be more advantageous than "piling in slips for large boats."
At the time, DeCamp argued the design layout as originally planned would push out people who don't use boats, preventing them from enjoying the waterfront as a possible place to fish or do other recreational activities.
The focal point of the redevelopment plan centers the aging Traders Cove Marina, where the town envisions park-like amenities, and a maritime museum depicting historic seashore architecture.
The site plan sets a minimum of 0.6 parking spaces per boat slip (9 foot by 18 foot) for the marina, while the museum use would require a minimum of one parking space per every four people would be the required.
Given the size of the marina, DeCamp said a large number of parking spots would be required. However, such a large area for parking would be inadvisable, according to DeCamp, because it would essentially deter from the sensitive environmental nature of the surrounding area, and create a massive paved landscape, which could possibly intrude upon the serenity of the adjacent wildlife refuge.
The town is expecting to receive an official copy of the lawsuit sometime this week.
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