Officials question request for iStar at Bradley Cove meetings
Redeveloper has no problem with county-city discussion, Moor says
Insisting waterfront redeveloper iStar Financial be at the table, county officials cancelled a meeting with the city to discuss options to preserve a section of the north Asbury waterfront known as Bradley Cove. IStar owns the rights to the develop the land.
“[I]f iStar is the holder of development rights in Bradley Cove, it is the County’s position that iStar should be invited to attend the meeting, which could ultimately affect their interests,” wrote county special counsel Michael Supko to city attorney Frederick Rafetto.
The City Council voted unanimously in November to request the meeting with the county to discuss Bradley Cove preservation. IStar has the rights to build 15 townhomes and a mid-rise residential tower on two adjacent parcels of land totaling 1.2 acres at the site.
One parcel — a triangular fenced-in parking lot next to Ocean Avenue — is owned outright by Asbury Partners. The second parcel, consisting of the right of way of Ocean Avenue from the sewerage treatment plant to near the Loch Arbour border, is owned by the city, but Asbury Partners owns the development rights and has the right to take ownership.
Neither Brian Cheripka, iStar’s vice president of land, nor iStar’s attorney Fredric Laventhal responded to the Sun’s requests for comment.
City Manager John “Jack” Kelly said he expects the city will meet with all interested parties soon but has yet to ask council members whether they would like iStar at the table during preliminary discussions.
“I need to consult with the council to see if they want to move forward, they may feel uncomfortable with iStar at the meeting,” he said.
The request has left at least two city officials frustrated.
Councilwoman Amy Quinn said iStar has always been invited to the table, but has chosen to decline at this preliminary stage.
“The county has put up yet another road block,” she said. “This is about having a conversation with the county and not negotiating. I even called up [Monmouth County Freeholder] Lillian Burry two weeks ago and requested a meeting with her. I expressed the importance of both preserving Bradley Cove and moving forward with the Springwood Avenue park. She said she would get back to me, and she didn’t.”
Burry has been the freeholder liaison to the county parks system for the past six years.
“I think we have to take it step by step,” Burry told the Sun earlier this month. “It isn’t as simple as it appears on the surface, it has a lot to do with who owns the property, and that definitely lies in the purview of iStar.”
Councilman John Moor, who made the original request to restart discussions, said he had “no idea” why the county wants a formal invitation extended to representatives from iStar.
“I’m confused,” said Councilman John Moor, “and just to make sure, I personally reached out to iStar’s VP of Land, Mr. Brian Cheripka, and asked if he had any problem with the city meeting with the County about Bradley Cove and his response was ‘absolutely not’.”
“There are some issues about talking to Asbury without iStar present,” Monmouth County Park Commissioner Mike Harmon said. “IStar is definitely a stakeholder in the area and I think people want to be fair in not talking behind their back.”
Harmon and fellow parks commissioner Kevin Mandeville presented a first round plan for what they called “Bradley Cove Oceanfront Park” to the Deal Lake Commission in February of last year. The proposal included a county plan to buy land in Asbury Park and Loch Arbour to make a county-run oceanfront park a reality.
A tentative proposal for the area is modeled similar to Seven President’s Park in Long Branch.
“The two-acre area at Bradley Cove would have a building for restrooms and programs, places to store kayaks and fishing poles,” he said. “We think it would be a tremendous benefit to the area and a tremendous benefit to Asbury Park.”
IStar is willing to consider selling its interests to preserve Bradley Cove “provided that it receives fair treatment and just compensation, the same as Asbury Partners is required to provide to other property owners when Asbury Partners must acquire property in the waterfront redevelopment areas,” according to a statement issued in February 2012.
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