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A residential project approved back in 2007 by the Planning Board, now ready to go online, was further delayed after public comments raised questions on the use of public rights of way to accommodate on-site parking.

The project transformed the former Holy Spirit School building [located at 1003 Bond Street] into a 16 unit residential complex but the entrance to its 17 parking stalls required City Council approval for use of the adjacent 2,600 square feet of public property.

After three presentations before the governing body, an ordinance was introduced earlier this month to allow the for the use. But when it came time for the final vote on Wednesday, the public spoke out against the proposed $12,900 fee.

“The legacy of Asbury Park is its public spaces and they are in your hands, temporarily,” City Historian Werner Baumgartner [at right] said. “They were in prior Council’s hand and they will be in future Council’s hands. But when you start giving away public property, it diminishes all of Asbury.”

“We are one of the poorest in public use city’s that I know,” resident Felicia Simmons said. We have the least amount of assets. In the past, we have given away [land] with no long-term vision of what the city wants to be and what it could be, [thereby] hurting generations to come.”

Mayor John Moor said the property in question was a sliver of land that the city could not build on.

“It wasn’t wide enough,” Moor said. “It diminishes this man’s project and it gets so many units online quicker and that are needed in that area.”

Moor said he doesn’t know if it would be right to say put all the cars back on the street in lieu of the agreement when the governing body is working to get cars off the street.

“Here the gentleman came up with an idea to get cars for his project off the street by taking a tiny sliver from the city,” Moor said. “In past years other Councils have done that for zero. We had it looked at, had it appraised and thought this was a fair number, and the [developer] agreed to pay the $12,900.”

City Manager Michael Capabianco said the figure is derived from guidelines issued by state statute.

“It’s not an arbitrary figure,” he said. “There is actually methodology to it.”

Long Branch resident Jerry Scarano who owns property in Asbury Park said he also believes the figure is too low.

“If they rent parking spots for a $100 a month, that means in a year they will have paid off the the value,” Scarano said. “Everybody would be investing in real estate if that were the case.

Scarano suggests the city partner with the developer in an agreement that would allow for a continual revenue source for the right of way use.

“I think you need to rethink this,” Scarano said. “Do a lease with them so we get money every year…You are selling this too short.”

In the end, Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton and Eileen Chapman voted against the agreement, Councilman Jesse Kendle abstained, and Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn and Moor voted to approve the ordinance.

Because of the tie, the agreement failed.

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