City Will Lease Lots from iStar for Oceanfront Parking

The City of Asbury Park's elected council brought forward from executive session an item worked out under the Sunshine Law exemption of Contract Negotiations in order to vote its approval. The item was an agreement with iStar Financial, which bought Asbury Partners' shares in the oceanfront redevelopment, whereby the City will lease iStar's vacant lots in order to turn them into municipal parking lots. The City estimates it will cost about $150,000 to surface the three lots, and three years to work down the debt through parking fees, which it will share with iStar.

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Reporters' Notebook – additions, corrections, clarifications -send to asburyradio@aol.com

Council meeting – August 4, 2010

Workshop session – John Loffredo, Sue Henderson, Kevin Sanders, James Bruno, No clerk/ Kiki Tomek taking notes.

Presentation wash av redev plan –  with Don Sammet, director of redevelopment and planning –

Been some time coming, process started 2000 when designated in need of redev.

Master plan noted need / hsg auth/ draft of plan started few months ago, went to Planning Bd, which had recommendations, worked w/ grp to amend the plan/ w hv now what I believe to be the best possible plan.

Mr. George Williams – planner, equal parts of the planning process/ council plans to adopt tonight by ordinance the plan/

Summary of plan – commissioned by hsg auth/ full redev plan is …how many acres? [can’t be heard] Plan is not…?...was designed to support existing as well as new…site layout, pros and cons of layouts/ fronting on wash ave/ all dev// pkg lots w/ be recessed…

Scale is slightly decreased, as per patterns on wash ave/ density decrease slightly/ number of editorial changes…

Planning process long time in mkg/

JL asked a q about design but cdn’t be heard/ no one using mics yet.

Tom Gilmour – Commerce dir

Mics are turned off. They chk mics

Gilmour spks louder/ youth grp wants us to waive fee to use beach /

JL hv they been informed we no longer waive fees.

Terry Reidy – were told last yr

JL – VFW has agreed to sponsor 20 and council sponsor 10

JBruno – visitors may bring paying people with them/ may pay for Marquette to sponsor w/ 100 tickets

Trinity church parish picnic northern end Asbury beach/ no cooking/ no alcohol/

Fun in Sun – applicant was invited to come to discuss w/ council. Hasn’t had chance to attend.

35th annual Clearwater/ 10 yrs now/

Wedding aug 29th 6th av beach, Jennifer santos, ok

Sunday sept 19th 7 am to

City arts event – artscap has decided do as ap event/ Fri to Sunday 9/24 – 26

Big brothers/big sisters volley ball/ 4th ave

Denise keller wedding 5th av beach/ 9/25

Latino festival sunset park – 500 people/

Dept of recreation – sunset pk, annual recog of recreation dept aug 12th

Memo from Madison Marquette – green space for music paramount show/ profile music outdoors for benefit hunger bank / wkg w/ mm very closely on that/ 4, 5, 6 of Sept sev’l green spaces near pony.

Mayor’s ball requests arcade be closed at 4 pm, for setup. Aqua bar can stay open, one door and other will be closed off. Other merchants w/ hv to close/ TR says other retial will be open.

Matters introduced by council –

Bruno – outside seating on boardwalk, asked u to lk into it.

Sidewalk café,Chief Kinmon answers. We wnt out/ they all had permits/

Bruno – got print out of all merchants who had space last yr/ Madison mar asked everyone to put tbls and chrs outside/

Kinmon – did inform them wd hv to have permit if didn’t.

SH – I support revision theater and went to see Tommy and it was amazing…got two more events coming up/ wd love to see them find a home, too.

TR – they’re close

Sanders – offmic

TR – reason city went to the 3 yr was req from one of our restauranteurs/ process too cumbersome/ this was effort to streamline process /

City atty fred raffetto - Council may tk action on 2 issues discussed in private session today/ lease agreement where city wd be tenant, Asbury partners w/d be landlord/ pkg facilities too. Second – resolution redev agreement city and interfaith neighbors/ project council has been referring to, which senior ctr w/ be part of that complex
TR – thousands of people coming to town on weekends/ what a great job police are doing, challenge to do this not confrontational or aggressive/ prosecutors office, surrounding police depts. Mark networks with/ congratulate you on..

Close work session.

Break for 5 mins.
Public –

Pam Lamberton – chr sustainability committee

Status of green bldg chk list? So it can be applied to the redev plan.

JL thank you will be passed on.

Raffetto –

Vernice McGriff – no mics working / second motion come out to chill out Friday night at train station.

We’ll be invaded by topless people Aug 22? Think seriously we hav to giv out information/ I was talking to lady in Flor. There they had wagon set up, so when they try to come in ticket them/ hav to ask our capt how they handle it. In fla gave tickets and put them in the wagon/ there is a newspaper pushing it. Don’t think it shd be pushed on us. Think police dpt

Chief of Police Kinmon – we are planning and preparing for it/ history of it/ what’s happened in past/ as far as arresting, not an arrestable offense/ summons, yes. Like riding bike on boardwalk-

McGriff – we shd make a strong statement against it.

Lou Parisis – representing all veterans. A memorial is a remembrance of important people who’ve passed on. That mission was adopted by present council, enhanced mem’l , held fund raiser, led by dep mayor john loffredo, council presence and those who attended in support of fundraiser.

Rita Marano – 8th av

For one wk didn’t hav receptionist just machine/ then another machine/ when shift commander at police dept there shd be someone/

Kinmon – option first is zero if want the operator

Marano – wnt to know what you’re going to do about it/ we’re entitled to hav a person at the end of that phone/ they hv nothing but contempt for taxpayers/ nobody in this whole bldg can tk the phones.

TR – sprinkled into that request rita/ variety of claims I feel ungrounded/ city employees hv contempt…not true. Use caller id to avoid residents – not true. If not getting return calls he’ll look into that. You can’t hv both ways, too many employees got to get rid of, then we reduce staff and you complain no on to answer phone. Every resident who calls deserves a response.

Wayne May – status of baronet/ eminent domain/ fishman said he wdn’t tear it down unless cd move it otherwise wd be restored. There was ref since condos not being sold some areas may be taken out of plan. Who owns it now?

TR - iStar owns now/ I know that bowling alley is under new ownership, hv been proposal for baronet to use as theater. Redevelopment plan is under review w/ be amended/ don’t belive 4th will be cut out of plan though, don’t believe use as…is impossible.

Wayne – so I should get my friends who expressed interest in buying it.

JL – I myself suggested that to a theater grp – mold problem inside it/ so to be accused of letting it rot is not fair/ if u hv someone interested in buying it go ahead.

Jim moran – grand av

Know hv rules re dogs on boardwalk/ dog on beach lifeguard said nothing/ little dog into ocean, as dog wd try to get out, individual wd take into deeper water, lifeguard said nothing about the dog/ police walked by no comment re dog/ certainly was abuse of this animal. No one did anything about…..

End of Public session

Expansion of Cameo bar to outside courtyard – all yes

Beach Bar permit for fourth av and have green spaces for special event Madison Marquette is running

Resolution – bchfront and sewer utility – monies to 5 million/ +

Council passed Emergency Temporary Budget Appropriations for the following payments

MCIA Payment Bond Principal $293,750

MCIA Bond Interest $127,000

NJEIT Debt Payments $472,000

Lease agreement – city to re surface empty lots belonging to iStar for pkg spaces on wtrfront/ Cost – $150k construction, to be recouped from revenue from the pkg/ city and iStar for 3 parcels it currently owns, lot behind Paradise Bar, another next to Adriatic Restaurant and the old Charms lot, outfit with lighting, striped and used as municipal pkg lots/

istar and city w/ share revenue that comes out/ estimated return on city’s investment will take 3 yrs approx to get return/ if iStar decides to use for its own use, city wd be repaid whatever cap investment it made at that pt.

Resolutions mon. county redev agreement between city and Interfaith Neighbors for Stars dev area/ which includes building that will house senior ctr/ parcels 27, 466 SF mixed use structure/ 2nd flr for senior center/

Sept 1, 2010 ords above w/ be up for passage

Two more ordinances but not on agenda sheet/ w/also come up for passage, 9/1/10

Upstage – ordinance – all voted to approve – don’t now what it’s for…

Sewer connection fees moved to carry…

Motion to adjourn

Annual Budget Amendments, Parking, Permit Fees Dominate July 15 Meeting

Asbury Radio
Reporters’ Notes
Asbury Park City Council Meeting – 7/15/09 - Agendas: see http://www.cityofasburypark.com/

All council members present – Mayor Ed Johnson presiding

• $1,398,341.00 bi-monthly budget approved
• City Must Produce Flood Map Ordinance
• Budget Amendment Passed
• Parking Meter System Examined Boardwalk Permits/ Fees Adjusted
  
  Amendments to the Municipal Budget –
  City Manager Terry Reidy (TR) had to read the amendment according to law. Budget was introduced, can’t adopt it yet, delay from State due to State’s budget cycle, it’s reviewing the City’s numbers.
  Amending tonight 3 pieces of the budget.
  First -- $728,000 in grant monies, such as the annual Community Development Block Grant for $453,342, since budget was introduced are now documented and original budget has to be amended to account for these received payments.
  Second – City is creating a Parking Utility – “$50,000 just to establish the entity” TR – does not truly reflect the cost or revenue for setting up the actual utility.
  Third – state statute on cap – items are moved inside and outside the cap –
  Reidy commenced to read the budget –
  
  Planning & Redevelopment Director, Don Sammet’s Report -
  City is planning a 200’ x 200’ multiple activity-park for Springwood Ave, between Atkins and Union Avenues, will feature jogging and walking track, fountain, area for pick up ball games, kiddy park section, a performance space with stage and area for parades or other events. Reconstruction of drainage area will dovetail with this park construction working in a Green or environmentally beneficent aspect to the project.
  
  Another park, Overlook AKA Kennedy Park will agree to sell the unused 25’ x100’ gravel strip subdivided for sale to a buyer, Lake Group AP LLC, who currently own the adjacent property. The use will be a paved parking lot, which would be adjacent to Moonstruck Restaurant. Lake Group will pay $200,000 for the strip. They’ve made a $15,000 payment already and will pay $10,000 by year end, if the subdivision and sale has not taken place by then. They will also pay $7,500 per year to the city for maintenance of the park, according to Don Sammet, redevelopment director.
  
  Asbury Tower will be able to sell space on its 26 story roof to PCS Metro for placement of antennae, some the size of a grapefruit, 250’ above grade level. Some will be 18’ wide by 5’ tall antennas. They will be required to be painted to match building the Asbury Tower building.
  
  “PCS Metro done good job complying with local ordinance,” says Sammet.
  EJ: asks if this is a similar situation as the request to place an antenna on the East Side. (He could be referring to radio station WYGG’s unsuccessful request to position a 40’ antenna on its building across from Library Square Park.) Sammet says, no it isn’t. The City will realize some revenue from antennae.
  
  Main St redevelopment proposals have passed their deadline. Project is on track for August 5th meeting with respondent. Sammet will report after.
  
  Waterfront parking report – Giberson -
  17 guest permits sold to date at rate of $100.
  Smart cards, close to issuing, City engineer, Brian Grant, a prepaid phone card-like card, in denominations from $25 – $2500 to pay for parking, provides incentive for residents and frequent visitors by allowing them to buy $30 parking package for $25. Easier for us to get money sooner than later, says Grant. Machine that dispenses the “smart cards” would be located in city hall or at the parking stations themselves.
  
  Parking station machine status (T Reidy)– anytime you start something new there are problems to be worked out. But machines have processed to date over 100,000 coins, bills and credit cards. By contrast, the problems, says Reidy, amount to 1/10 – 3/10ths of 1 percent. Failure rate is important, but need to be put in terms of measuring reliability of machines.
  Bill acceptor sometime overly sensitive: Machines check for like 19 different things on a bill. Important to break down problems into specific problems to allow for follow up. So parking customers help this process by being specific in their complaints.
  Credit Card Acceptance - Grant checking into getting faster modem for credit card processing. The bandwidth is available for faster service.
  Visibility - Testing LED light, low energy LED lite, comes on at night and stays on till sunrise. Testing now to see how LED will perform in winter. Note: most shore area towns have traditionally discontinued meter parking during off-season.
  
  Giberson - Signs to inform public hours of metered parking. Adding 30 signs, plus loading zone and 3 hr signs. NJ Transit has fixed its signs.
  Policy piece is next phase, as per Reidy. Managing parking for consumers and retailers is the big piece of the policy.
  EJ asked about situation where visitor paid until 4:28, yet got ticketed at 4:12. TR: Patron can call 774-1300 and have it corrected right away.
  
  Flood Damage prevention – Bill Gray, Code Enforsement Officer
  Gray attended seminar. City needs to have a flood map ordinance. We need this so residents can qualify for low cost flood insurance. Must have the insurance available for our residents. Last 1983. Significant change in AP. Follow up Question: Why is this coming from the code endorsement officer instead of the Emergency Management Officer for the City, who is Reidy? For AP’s current emergency management plan, please click on the caution symbol on the upper left home page of AsburyRadio.
  
  Gilmour – City Commerce Dir.
  Additional fees from vendors. Special Events Committee recommended boardwalk fees be $35/per vendor or $250 per block per day/ $500 whre food and/or alcohol is to be served– whichever is higher/
  Q: EJ: feel like we’re changing rules of game in middle of game.
  Councilmember James Bruno – they’re asking to use add’l footage in front of their buildings, so they should pay for it.
  TG: also problem w/ people in restaurants wanting view of ocean not tents of vendors blocking view.
  TR: Madison Marquette has been asked to look into this to be sure kiosks are not functioning at the detriment of rental merchants.
  Another Q is vendors who are charging for admission to events on AP beach. Ex: Physical fitness on boardwalk wants to do exercises on beach: A yoga instructor from Cookman doing instruction on beach now. They would have to get mercantile license, which would regulate hours and area where the commerce would take place. Have to get zoning compliance first. Would need an additional rider on policy to cover the activity, too. Council cautioned Gilmour to distinguish between frequent and one-time events.
  
  Gilmour will review how other beach communities are charging for-profit businesses.
  4th of July Parade Report –
  Best organized yet, says Jim Bruno. Will definitely have another next year, but need more volunteers and to raise money.
  
  EJ – asked TR if can we get portable bike racks for CBD as well as waterfront. TR to get prices, research available funds.
  
  Council asked audience to note in the quiet prayer, city employee Mary Margaret Davis loss of her both husband and her aunt over weekend. (Asbury Radio sends our condolences.)
  James Famularo on vacation.
  Raffetto - Council will not be acting on anything discussed in executive session.
  
  Public Comment Portion
  
  Ben Schlossberg 321 Sunset Av/ quality of life issue, ice cream trucks, Pop Goes the Weasel and Turkey in the Straw. Also flag rope is banging on flag pole.
  
  Rita Marano, 8th Ave, agrees on ice cream truck. Also, special events: block party put huge trailer across Emory St. Very loud, disrupted traffic. Have to be careful permitting block parties that aren’t for the block. Requested traffic speed monitor for 8th Av.
  
  Pam Lamberton – 6th Ave; re. Schlossberg, twist the ropes on the mast and they won’t bang.
  Owner should pay for parking permits at Stone Pony if trailers and other equipment block the meters.
  AP Community Justice Advisory Board. [Lawson June, Chair, Barbara Lisinski, Secretary. It works w/ services in city and charitable departments of corporations.] The board will hold a Community Day with a dunk tank. Lou Jordan, former AP police director and a founding member of the Baord, will be dunk tank monitor. Dunk tank volunteers: First one in the tank will be Police Chief Mark Kinmon, then Sue Henderson, Terry Reidy, Ed Johnson, Amy Quinn, Fire chief Kevin Keddy, John Loffredo. 11 – 4 pm on Saturday, July 18.
  
  Vernice McGriff – transportation committee, kickoff jazz series this Friday. 6 – 8 pm, free. Third year. Q re. bus service for beach. Where do they stop?
  EJ: Originates at train station. Cookman to Grand turns onto Ocean, to 6th or 7th and for return trip.
  
  LouAnn Peter Paul – representing Brick Wall to object to ordinance, w/ be in compliance with noise level w/in 30 days. Asking that ordinance is postponed. Council postponed passage to September 2 meeting.
  
  Ava Horvath – Problem with RCA funds to rehabilitate homes she has there on Avenue A. Applied 8 months ago. Told will take 16 mos. To review request. Maybe by October they could put them out to bid, they said.
  EJ – how can we expedite?
  TR – Not exactly accurate. Hundreds of thousand of dollars been spent to rehabilitate houses in the city.
  
  Sarise Garillo – thank Chief Kinmon, Fire Capt. Kelso, and Fire Chief Keddy re. noise ordinance. Trust your judgment whether to table ordinance or not that it will be done eventually.
  Closed Public Session –
• Matters Before The Council Minutes organizational meeting approved.
  No comment on budget amendment –
  All yes on passage of ordinance to amend City’s annual budget.
  Vendor fees: $250 per block per day/ $500 for food and/or alcohol to be served
  All yes
  Catering permit for AP Restaurant III – trading as Lance and Debbie's Wonder Bar/ special dates
  All yes
  Special event apps – as per Gilmour all yes
  Liquor license for new Mexican Restaurant replacing Crossroads Bar at 4th Av and Main St. All yes -
  Bruno asked if max or min fee we can charge when licenses are transferred.
  Extend Langosta Lounge boardwalk footprint, for special events from 10 x to 20 x 180 ft. instead of 30 x 180 originally requested. All yes.
  Stone Pony extend liquor license to include several lots. City gets 10% of the price per sq foot when extended.
  All yes
  Resolution for 2009 grant for police dept $61,683. All yes
  County senior center grant – $31,320. for 3 years/ it’s a 25% matching grant, in kind. All yes.
  Water hookups no longer exist, cancels sewer billings on the accounts.
  Settlement workers comp – John Moor $38,308.
  All yes
  Settlement workers comp – Frank Condello $18,174
  All yes.
  Bids road improve Third, Grand, Mem’l, Summerfield, Prospect, Drummond Ct, etc. – All yes
  From work session
  Park on Springwood – JB: remember county offered money for park/ Loffredo there were strings attached decided not to do. TR: we are still pursuing that
  Brim -county parks
  Murray and Sons, surveyors – subdivision for Overlook Park - contract approved
  Asbury Tower antenna – sent to planning board for app’l
  Aug 5th meeting – flood damage ordinance to be introduced at
  Also, ordinance amending CBD alter pkg requirement pursuant to local
  Brick Wall - noise ordinance – carried to Sept 2nd
  Meeting Closed.
  If you have additions, corrections, comments, please click the comment link below.