The Coaster

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI

The Jersey Shore Rescue Mission, which has been operating a homeless shelter in Asbury Park for the last several months, has been denied variances and must close.

The mission owners have 45 days to appeal the unanimous decision Tuesday night by the Board of Adjustment.

According to City Attorney Fred Raffetto a letter was sent to the mission operators Wednesday informing them of the boards denial of variances and notifying them to cease activities at the shelter within seven days.

Raffetto said the mission can, and most likely will, go to court for a stay while the boards decision is appealed.

The board was charged by Judge Alexander Lehrer to determine if the shelter, located on Memorial Drive near Asbury Avenue, is inherently beneficial to the neighborhood.

In a lengthy recap of two and a half years of discussions about the mission, the consensus of the board was; the mission will bring more homeless into the city from other areas, create a financial burden for the city by creating the need for more police and social services and is not the best use of property in the light industrial zone.

The board had previously voted against the mission, but the case was remanded back to the board by Lehrer, who said the board must consider whether the mission would present an inherently beneficial use to the community.

They were ordered by the Judge in March 2006 to complete an analysis of the four variances being sought by the mission including retail; (the selling of cars on the property), operation of a soup kitchen, residential (allowing people to stay overnight), and its use as a house of worship.

Under each of these categories the board was to consider four criteria; public interest, detrimental effects of granting the variance, capacity for reduction of detrimental effects and finally a balance of the positive and negative criteria, before making a decision.

Board Member Pamela Lamberton read a lengthy statement covering all aspects of the mission and explaining why she would vote no, an announcement which drew a round of applause.

Most of the board members agreed that it is the citys obligation to take care of its 20 to 25 homeless people, but objected to becoming a regional homeless shelter, especially when other wealthier towns in the area do not do their part.

Referring to the recent r-development efforts in the city, Lamberton said, We in Asbury Park are learning to swim, dont ask us to mount a major rescue mission.

Board Chairman Keith Zyla estimated the mission will service 1,000 men per year.

Many board members objected to the missions program of allowing men to stay only 10 days before they must leave or enter the missions religious training program.

Board Member Rev. David Parreott objected on the grounds that the shelter does not provide help to women and children.

He also said the city has 24 sites where people can get meals and several referral agencies for those in need.

Parreott said the facility, which has been operating for several months, is servicing clients from Monmouth and Ocean Counties, as well as from South Jersey.

We dont need all this concentrated in Asbury Park, Parreott said.

The reverend also objected to the men having to participate in the religious program to continue getting services.

Persons who attend this facility are forced to attend services there. They are required to attend. There is no free will. he said.

Lamberton also objected on the grounds that the mission does not fit into the citys Master Plan, especially as a gateway to the city.

The Master Plan calls for visually pleasing gateways into the city while the UEZ revitalization plan calls for upgraded uses in the area.

A used car lot and homeless shelter are not upgraded land uses, she said.

Many board members also raised concerns that the shelter does not provide jobs or economic advancement for clients.

Men who remain at the shelter learn how to sell and detail automobiles.

Lack of licensed counselors was also an issue for board members.

Zyla said he was concerned that the JSRM officials only agreed to obtain state counseling certificates when they were ordered to so do.

Its disconcerting to me that the applicant no longer showed a willingness to get licensed when not mandated, he said.

The state rescinded the mandate and mission representatives did not follow through on licensing counselors.

Board members also considered testimony of local residents, none of whom in the past spoke in favor of having the shelter in their area.

The shelter provides one meal at night at its soup kitchen, but clients are on their own during the day and residents have complained about loitering in the area.

Board Member Carol Jones, a nurse, said she was concerned about the gap in services to clients who are allowed to stay 10 days at the shelter before being turned out on the streets.

How are they going to eat all day waiting for that meal at 7 p.m., Jones said.

Theres a great hole, people fall out the door with no where to go, what happens in the colder months? From 7 (a.m.) to 7 (p.m.) they have no place to go. This is a big gap, Jones said.

Board Co-Chair Russell Lewis said he supports the missions goal of making people take accountability and responsibility for their own lives.

I support that, he said.

But Lewis said the program does not offer long-term economic relief to clients.

Homelessness is economic getting money into peoples pocket, Lewis said.

Im not opposed to your work, I think it is quite beautiful, Lewis said.

Lewis also said the building could be used for jobs for city residents.

I want to see that building going to the people who need it and thats the residents of Asbury Park, Lewis said.

Zyla asked, What about the Spring Lakes, Rumsons and Deals, they are not doing their fair share. Why arent people going to those municipalities to ask for these services? The wealthy could afford to be able to help these people.

Board Member Lorraine Jones speaking of the limited amount of time clients stay at the mission, said, I am doubtful that they would be cured of addiction or rehabilitated in that amount of time. Im a very caring person…...but we cant be all things to all people.

Board members also agreed that they could not impose conditions to alleviate the negative impact on the neighborhood.

We would have to re-write the entire program and that is not my job, Lamberton said.

After voting on each variance separately, Serpico recommended that the board vote on the mission as a package considering all aspects in one vote so the issue would not be sent back to the board again.

Again the board voted unanimously to deny all variances.

The Rev. Kevin Nunn who attended the meeting to speak on behalf of the mission disagreed with the boards assertion that a house of worship is not an accepted use in the area, due to the fact that the building formerly housed a Haitian Church.

Also another church is adjacent to the building on Sewall Ave.

Nunn also said a thrift store operated at the location as well.

The board is partial and biased to the homeowners, to the voting constituency and to the rich. Its discriminating, he said.

Nunn said the shelter clients would be no more of a burden to the city than those moving into condominiums on the beachfront.

The board also recounted testimony by police in Morristown, where the Market Street Mission, an affiliated facility, operates.

The Market Street Mission has not been a blessing to Morristown, Lamberton said.

Carolyn Curtin, who lives near the shelter said, We are not going to let them run roughshod over us.

Curtin is a member of Stand Up for Asbury, a group formed to combat allowing the shelter to open.

We all come from other places and we fell in love with Asbury Park, she said.

Curtin, who has lived in the city for almost six years, said, Doing our homework has paid off.

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