Shark River Plan Includes Housing, Shops
By ANDREW CANGIANO
An ambitious plan to turn Neptunes North Channel Inlet into a destination was unveiled at Sunsets restaurant Tuesday.
The proposed plan calls for mixed use commercial and residential development along the marina and Route 35 and a public promenade along the waterfront. It also calls for increased parking space for the area and restructuring local roads to provide for more convenient access.
Recreational areas and additional parking space for the waterfront are planned for Seaview Island, with a pedestrian bridge connecting the public promenade with Seaview Island.
We felt that we needed to establish a presence here. We felt we needed to improve the physical appearance of this area, Catley said about the waterfront. We felt that we needed to improve the public access, so that residents of Neptune, residents of other surrounding towns, as well as tourists, could enjoy restaurants, commercial shopping, and so forth, in this area.
The townships mayor said people often dont realize the marina and its surrounding area is a part of Neptune Township.
Most people consider this Belmar, Neptune City, something other than Neptune Township, Catley said. So I think that is the greatest statement I can make…why Neptune Township needs a presence in this area, he said.
The redevelopment will create a destination for residents and tourists and will also provide a boost in tax revenues for the township, the mayor said.
He said the waterfront condominiums which are part of the plan will be the financial engine that will drive the project.
Redevelopment on the North Channel Inlet is part of the townships strategic revitalization plan, which was created in 2004.
In the beginning stages of the revitalization process, township officials asked property and business owners in the area near the marina to choose a redeveloper.
Included in the group of business and property owners were: Thomas Sueta, owner of the Headliner and Sunsets, landowners Joe and Maurice Zekaria, Bhaskar Halari, owner of the Neptune Motor Lodge, and the Jack Teehan and Marty and Carol Florez co-owners of Jacks Rib & Ale House South.
Paramount Homes, Jackson Township, one of the subcontractors for Asbury Parks beachfront has been chosen as the developer for the area.
Laura Schwager, Paramount Homes Director of Development, said the current proposal is for 145 condominium units along with the commercial and retail space over a 10 acre area along the marina. She said she could not give a price for the cost of the condominium units.
Its not an entirely residential plan, its not an entirely commercial plan, but it creates a balance of uses, said Stanley Slachetka of T & M Associates, the townships engineer.
Slachetka said the plan is designed to draw more attention to the marina, provide increased access for residents and tourists, as well as improve safety on Route 35 both north and southbound. The proposal provides a traffic circulation improvement which includes a new intersection and additional traffic signals, he said.
What were trying to do here is to develop a destination, Slachetka said.
Schwager said Paramount Homes hopes to have a final plan to present to the township committee by this fall.
Catley said that work on the project would likely begin in the fall of 2007.
Schwager said Paramount Homes is working with business and property owners to create a shared vision for the area.
I think were celebrating a milestone today, Schwager said. This is a point where months of groundwork that’s been laid by the [Neptune Township] administration and the hard work that weve been doing with the business owners will result of a can-do collaboration with shared vision and shared goals.
Looking out for the good of the community rather than simply ones own personal interests is something the business owners have done, Sueta said.
While Sunsets will stay open, the Headliner, a popular nightclub which Sueta purchased in 1996, will close as a result of the redevelopment. No official plans regarding the nightclubs closing have been made as of yet.
Sueta has pledged his support of the redevelopment plan and said he is happy the mayor gave business and property owners the opportunity to choose Paramount Homes as the redeveloper.
I think its really going to be an exciting resort style community, he said of the future possibilities for the marina.
Jack Teehan, co-owner of Jacks Rib & Ale House South on Route 35, said initially he was concerned about the redevelopment plan, but has now warmed to it.
Im happy with the way things are going, Teehan said. We think theyre great too – Paramount [Homes]. We negotiated very well with them and were happy with the outcome.
Co-owner Carol Flores said she thinks the redevelopment will be good for the restaurants business.
Dan DeSeno, owner of Midway Ice and Fuel, on Route 35, said that his business will likely have to be relocated as a result of the redevelopment. He said the township has told him it does not plan to use eminent domain on his property.
Mayor Catley said the township and Paramount Homes are still in negotiations with a number of property and business owners in the area.
He said he because the current property owners were able to choose a redeveloper, the township will hopefully not have to use eminent domain to carry out the plan.
The mayor said although about 80 percent of the local business and property owners are on board with the redevelopment plan, the township will not be satisfied until all of them are involved in the redevelopment.
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