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Following an over 2 hour long public session that centered on concerns about an infrastructure redevelopment project currently underway along the north beach area of Asbury Park, the City Council unanimously voted to halt the project.

City Manager Michael Capabianco read the resolution, citing public opposition to environmental concerns, public access, loss of public beach, loss of public space, and loss of public boardwalk.

“The Mayor and Council agree with numerous issue as presented by the public towards the plan,” Capabianco read. “The Mayor and Council hereby demand that the master developer come to the table and work to amend the applicable documents to meet the needs and concerns of the public and the city government.”

With that, the resolution’s demand that iStar ‘cease and desist’ all reconstruction was met with resounding cheer from the over 150 who remained in the room.

But just what that will mean for the redevelopment project moving forward is still unclear. City officials have said they are unsure the resolution can in fact stop iStar from continuing the project, outlined in a 15 year old agreement.

In total, there were an estimated 400 people who turned out to oppose the infrastructure redevelopment project, which consists of a new 15 wide meandering boardwalk that will lead to a newly paved and slightly shifted Fisherman’s parking lot.  

iStar officials have said they took a holistic approach to the infrastructure redevelopment project, seeking multiple conversations and approvals from DEP to bring things like a storm water management infiltration system up to today’s best practice standards. The project follows a 2014 federally-funded Rebuild by Design plan for the area, iStar Senior Vice President of Land and Development Brian Cheripka has said. 

And while project attorney Jennifer Phillips Smith, director of Gibbons PC in Newark, said no plans have been submitted for Bradley Cove or a ‘private’ beach club, associated with the Asbury Ocean Club project currently underway, many members of the public said the tearing up of the existing boardwalk is laying the groundwork for what’s come.

The grassroots Save Asbury’s Waterfront [SAW], organized last week, began the night with a 5 pm rally and press conference in front of the Asbury Park Post Office. There, state environmental groups and activist joined residents and Democratic state legislators – Monmouth County Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling and Senator Vin Gopal, in speaking about preserving the north end as a natural resource, many calling back to the effects of Superstorm Sandy.

iStar’s professionals, which included planner Keenan Hughes, engineer Robert Mazur, and landscape professional Tom Bauer, outlined the project details and the protective environmental measures being put in place during the 6 pm workshop meeting.

Mayor John Moor then raised concerns that the at-grade boardwalk and dune design not only claims portions of the city beach but that it will not protect the shoreline from heavy storms like a nor’easter.

And while the standing room only crowd was but a portion of those able to hear the project details, Deputy Amy Quinn said the public will be able to view the meetings in their entirety via APTV on Friday.

Both Quinn and Moor said they gave the SAW organizers the option to push the meeting back in order to find a larger venue but the organizers thought it best to move forward.

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