Lawsuit Causes Canceling Meeting
By DON STINE
Some members of the Ocean Grove Homeowners Association are upset that a meeting with township officials to discuss the proposed redevelopment of the historic district’s North End was canceled at the last minute.
A meeting was scheduled for this week with Mayor Randy Bishop and Township Committeewoman Mary Beth Jahn. It was canceled after Jennifer Krimko, attorney for the redevelopers, and Township Attorney Gene Anthony said there is a legal problem with governing body representatives meeting with the homeowners committee since all five Township Committee members are listed as defendants in a lawsuit regarding the project.
The legal action has been filed by Ocean Grove resident Kevin Chambers challenging the North End redevelopment project on a number of issues.
Anthony said the lawsuit is “very extensive and covers almost every aspect of the redevelopment plan.”
He said township officials would be ill-advised to proceed with the meeting.
Charles Layton, chairman of a special committee created by the homeowners association to monitor the progress of the North End project, said he thinks banning discussion on the project is inappropriate and needs to be looked into.
“It was to be a simple, routine meeting of a delegation of constituents with their elected officials,” he said.
The redevelopment plan calls for an 80-room hotel and 85 residential units, of which seven must be single-family houses on Spray Avenue. There will also be commercial and retail units on the boardwalk.
“It was to be a meeting where we were to discuss how the negotiations were proceeding between the township and the developer and what issues need to be ironed out before the project can proceed,” Layton said.
“(Canceling the meeting) is as undemocratic a thing as I’ve heard of,” Layton said. “We are trying to find a reasonable way to keep track of North End redevelopment as it progresses. We are open to any means of doing this but we certainly do not want to see it carried out under a cloak of secrecy.
“I think it’s OK to not talk about issues that have something to do with the lawsuit but there should be certain other things that are open to discussion. If they want to narrow the scope of the discussions to cover themselves legally then I think that would be reasonable- but this blanket curtain of silence is unacceptable and I have never heard of such a thing being imposed on any legislative body.”
Anthony, however, disagreed.
“It has always been my position that when the subject of litigation arises with the Township Committee they should not discuss the matter until the litigation is completed,” he said.
Anthony said Chambers’ lawsuit is very extensive and covers almost every aspect of the redevelopment plan.
“It brings up every imaginable issue and it’s very broad. And the reality is that, if they are going after anything they can find, it’s pretty much impossible to narrow it down to issues that can be discussed,” he said.
Anthony said any comments, or lack of comments, could be used as evidence by the plaintiff in the case.
“Anyone saying anything is subject to deposition, subpoena, or something,” he said
Anthony said the case is currently in the discovery phase and that the hearing is expected to take place in January.
“A trial will probably be scheduled after that,” he said.
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