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County representatives will not reschedule a meeting requested by Asbury Park officials to discuss preservation of the Bradley Cove area, as the county counsel has advised that waterfront redeveloper iStar Financial must be present.

IStar is the majority owner of master waterfront redeveloper Asbury Partners, which owns land and development rights in the Bradley Cove area. Preservation would require buying out iStar’s rights to the land.

Several meetings had been scheduled between representatives from the city and members of the county Board of Freeholders and county Board of Recreation Commissioners but were subsequently cancelled by county officials. The city council voted unanimously in November to resume discussions about the preservation of the area.

Freeholder Lillian Burry, who has been the freeholder liaison to the county parks system for the past six years, said she was aware meetings had been set up but were cancelled after officials from iStar said they were not going to attend. County representatives were advised by the county attorney that it was not appropriate to meet with Asbury Park officials if iStar was not present, she said.

Brian Cheripka, iStar’s vice president for land, did not immediately return the Sun’s request for comment for this story regarding iStar’s participation in the discussions between the city and the county. County counsel Andrea Bazer did not respond to a request for comment made last week.

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.

Burry said the property has been appraised and said that while she doesn’t have an exact figure, it was somewhere “in the millions.”

While the county’s recreation commissioners select what land to preserve, the freeholders must approve the funding.

The Bradley Cove area is near the North End Beach of Asbury Park and is currently earmarked for development by iStar. Development plans include 15 townhomes and a mid-rise residential tower on two adjacent  parcels of land totaling 1.2 acres.

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.

The triangular portion was never part of the county’s consideration for preservation, and was always looked at as a potential ratable for the city, according to Burry.

“I think we have to take it step by step,” she said. “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.”

Anthony Nuccio, whose last day as acting city manager was Friday, said that he had last spoken with County Board of Recreation Commissioners James J. Truncer about a week ago, and that Truncer’s officer was working to draft a letter to the city stating the county’s position. As of Friday the city had not received anything, he said.

“I’m disappointed with the county for scheduling and cancelling and rescheduling this meeting three times to find out that they are now just sending a letter,” said Councilwoman Amy Quinn. Quinn and Mayor Myra Campbell were to represent the city at the meeting.

Quinn said four out of the current five council members toured county parks with Board of Recreation Commissioner Mark Harmon over the summer to get a better understanding of what might work in Asbury Park.

“We continue to be interested in an ocean front park in an urban city and are disappointed in the county’s lack of support,” Quinn said.

The county has not stopped looking at helping Asbury Park to develop areas for recreational usage and have dedicated “a substantial amount” of development funding to a park on Springwood Avenue near the Springwood Center, according to Burry.

“It isn’t like we’ve turned our backs on Asbury Park — there has been progress in other areas,” Burry said.

Campbell said the county has been supportive in seeing the Springwood Avenue Park come to completion and hopes the city and the county can continue to work together to complete other projects within Asbury Park.

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