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To the Editor, Asbury Park Sun:

The Asbury Park Planning Board will be meeting virtually on Monday, September 14, to come to a final decision about Istar’s application to build their ‘pool club’ across the street from our North Beach community on Ocean Ave.

As a North Beach resident for 13 years, I have given Istar credit for the many wonderful things they have done for our city.  However, this proposed private ‘pool club’ is the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong place.

Historically there was a 1 story pool across the street from the historic Monterey Hotel, where North Beach now stands. Today we are not only a full-time residential community rather than a hotel, but also the ONLY residential building on Ocean Ave other than the recently built Ocean Club.  The northern end of Asbury is a residential area, much of which will be impacted by this wrongly placed club. 

While Istar is calling it a ‘1 story pool club’, the reality is that the walls will be over 2 stories high since they’ll be measured from the Boardwalk, which is about 3 ½ ft higher than the sidewalk on Ocean Ave.  This club won’t have a solid roof, so it apparently manages to pass ‘code’ as 1 story.  What it will have, though, on the 2^nd floor are a number of amenities, among which is their ‘snack bar’, which may or may not be granted a liquor license at some point.  

We have been unable to get any answers from Istar as to whether there will be live music, and if so, how many days a week, what hours, where the music might be located, or what sound mitigation will be in place.  Among other answers we have not yet been able to get from Istar are what the months of operation will be, what the operating hours will be, what the maximum capacity will be, and how the already congested north end parking situation will be managed. 

How can the Planning Board possibly cast a reasonable vote on this application without Istar supplying this critical information?  This isn’t even addressing the potential environmental impact from the increasing number of severe storms this area has been subject to in recent years.  Has everyone conveniently forgotten about the devastating damage to the entire city from Superstorm Sandy?  We know any drainage beyond what the pipes can handle will flow directly into Deal Lake — this could potentially include all the chemicals used for the pool?  Is this a risk worth taking, especially knowing how Deal Lake already had to address problems from an algae bloom outbreak last year?

I implore all residents of this incredible city to write to Mayor John Moor and the City Council at john.moor@cityofasburypark.com, amy.quinn@cityofasburypark.com, eileen.chapman@cityofasburypart.com, and Yvonne.clayton@cityofasburypark.com,  AND participate in the Planning Board meeting on September 14 @ 7 pm, the link to which ishttp:// https://zoom.us/j/93717314756?pwd=QkhvS2toak5kVkErMXY2UUpaU2RtZz09

Make your voice be heard!

Ellen Michelson

Asbury Park

[This letter represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]

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