By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
 Coaster Photo: A court ruling said Scott Pillings business, Park Steel in Neptune City, is not an area in need of redevelopment. |
On July 3 Superior Court Judge Lawrence Lawson gave Park Steel in Neptune City an early Fourth of July present.
He ruled that the steel company, which has been located in the borough on Memorial Drive for almost 100 years, and the entire 17 acres designated as the Steiner Avenue Redevelopment Zone, is not an area in need of redevelopment.
 Coaster Photo: Park Steel in Neptune City has been in business for 100 years. |
Scott Pilling, who has worked at Park Steel since 1985, said his grandfather started the business in 1910.
Pilling has been in a dispute with the borough over its Steiner Avenue Redevelopment plan since the Land Use Board began hearings on it in August of 2004.
The Steiner Avenue Redevelopment Zone encompasses 17 acres and runs along Steiner Avenue from Route 35 to Evergreen Avenue and west to Memorial Drive.
The mixed use plan includes residential property, retail, age restricted housing, open space and business property.
In his ruling Judge Lawson criticizes the borough for the process it used in designating the land as an area in need of redevelopment.
One main complaint was that the borough did not use a professional planner in its initial study of the area and did not adequately study the use of the land and properties in the designated area, including sales and leasing activity.
The plan was eventually adopted by the mayor and council on Dec. 16, 2006.
James Rhatican, attorney for Park Steel, said he believes that the opinion issued by the judge, throws out the entire redevelopment plan.
He said he believes the judge was correct in stating that the area is not in need of redevelopment.
The judge did, however, say the borough is free to continue to explore the possibility of redevelopment within its borders.
In a written statement Pilling said, On Thursday July 3, after four years of legal wrangling, we won our case against Neptune City.
Mayor Thomas Arnone said, I am disappointed with Judge Lawsons decision. There is no way you can say this area is not blighted.
Arnone said one way or the other redevelopment in the area will continue.
We will take a look at properties in the area and carve them out, he said.
We are by no means saying this project is finished. What it does do is make us go back and re-examine our plan.
Arnone said the borough is seeking clarification of Lawsons ruling before deciding how to proceed.
Arnone cited the fact that several new rulings regarding redevelopment have been handed down in the past few years.
These developments have drastically changed the criterion of redevelopment all over the state in the past few years, he said.
Arnone said he and several borough representatives held a meeting Monday to decide how to proceed.
We want to discuss it before we start putting strategies together.
Arnone said several agreements have been reached with property owners who want to leave the area.
He said if, in fact, the entire plan is now defunct, they will have to re-examine the plan and either amend it or start over.
All redevelopment plans have stumbling blocks, he said. It happens in all redevelopment. The town has other alternatives.
The Steiner Avenue Apartments are also included in the suit.
Business Administrator Joel Popkin said the borough was in the process of reviewing the judges decision before deciding whether or not to appeal.
There is an appeal process, that is one of the things they will be looking at as they review it, he said.
Popkin said borough attorney Mark Aikins and attorney Paul Fernicola, who is representing the borough in court are going over the document, which Popkin called voluminous, before making recommendations as to what the town should do next.
They are going over it right now to see what direction were going to take, Popkin said Monday.
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