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Movement to preserve the tract of land dubbed Bradley Cove along Asbury Park’s north beach continues Wednesday.

Members of the public will have the opportunity ask questions and make comments on a Monmouth County Green Acres grant application during the 7 p.m. City Council meeting.

Green Acres funding is used to protect environmentally sensitive open space, water resources as well as natural and historical areas.

[The Bradley Cove border is outlined in black at right]

Director of Planning and Development Michele Alonso said the application will be for a $250,000 award – to be paired with the $1.1 million federal open space preservation grant awarded in June.

While the city reportedly had approximately three years to use the federal grant, Councilman Joe Woerner has said the time clock is ticking.

Woerner said the city must show progress in appropriating the funds within an approximate 6 month time frame or risk loosing the grant.

If the city can show progress on the development rights’ acquisition, the state would consider a one year extension, Woerner said.

 

The $250,000 ask is the same amount the city applied for last year but was denied due to technicalities in the application guidelines. This time around, those technicalities have been removed.

Alonso said the County revised the grant definitions and encouraged the city to submit an application.

While land purchased by Green Acres funding typically becomes part of a federal or statewide system, in this case the city would maintain ownership of the land, Mayor John Moor said.

The movement to preserve to the .6 acre tract dates back to 2011 but waterfront redeveloper iStar Financial holds the right to build on the land.

“Because of the nature of the acquisition we need to acquire the development rights,” Alonso said.

iStar currently has a 15-unit townhome they call Bradley Cove proposed for what is now the Ocean Avenue right-of-way from the Waste Water Treatment Plant north toward the Loch Arbor border.

The city and iStar have been in discussions to come to an agreement on how to preserve the land, including the amount to be paid to be to iStar for the development rights.

iStar Senior Vice President of Land and Development Brian Cheripka has said the acquisition of the beachfront land’s development rights would need to be based on current market value.

A municipal funded appraisal established a $3.2 million assessment of the land but iStar has sought their own appraisal. No definitive word yet on what the redeveloper’s funded appraisal determined as the land’s worth.

Woerner has said the city will vet all grant and aid funding options to make up the close to $2 million shortfall that is based on the city’s appraisal.

In January, Cheripka proposed closing the nearby waterfront treatment plant [at right] to allow for development instead of the Bradley Cove project.

The proposal opened discussions to have a nearby municipality take over the city’s wastewater management.

Ocean Township Mayor Christopher Siciliano has said his town’s sewage treatment plant has the capacity to handle Asbury Park’s wastewater if plans move forward.

The public will have 3 minutes to ask question and/or make comments on the Monmouth County grant.

For more information, visit the city’s webpage.

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