By PETE WALTON
Environmental evaluations have been completed on waterfront property in Neptune City which is being considered for open space preservation.
Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone told the Borough Council that title searches are underway, clearing the path for the county to purchase the properties along the Shark River at 35 and 37 Riverview Ave., including the Campbell’s Boatyard site.
Arnone, a borough resident and former mayor, called the lots “a hidden jewel” and said he was “very confident” that the county would decide to use open space funds to purchase the properties for use as “a very passive type of park.”
The owners of the land reached out to the borough in 2023 to see if Neptune City would be interested in buying the properties. Former mayor Andrew C. Wardell discussed the offer with Arnone at the borough’s annual Memorial Day parade.
“The borough doesn’t have the resources to spend as the county does,” Arnone noted at a briefing for the Borough Council and Mayor Rachel McGreevy on the subject earlier this week.
Once the title searches are complete, Arnone said the next step would be to evaluate the storage leases at the boatyard and how those might be handled.
Also at the meeting, the council tabled adoption of an ordinance authorizing the sale of property in the East Coast Ice Redevelopment Area at 87 Rosewood Place. The council previously named Genesis Redevelopment LLC as the designated redeveloper of the area, which also includes land at 96 Laird Ave.
Genesis plans to build seven townhouse units with parking at the Laird Avenue property. The company would also “develop an allowable commercial use” on Rosewood Place. Genesis has indicated that it is considering a storage facility as the commercial development. The firm also pledged to rehabilitate the long neglected Laird Avenue Park.
At this week’s meeting, approximately 30 residents asked the council to meet with Genesis and develop an alternative use for the ice house site.
The petition suggested that additional housing be considered instead of a storage facility.
The public sentiment led McGreevy to ask the council to table approval of the ordinance, which it did by unanimous vote.
Councilman Brian J. Thomas, who could not be present at the meeting due to a family commitment, provided a written report on recent meetings concerning first responder and emergency services.
“Although we have hit some obstacles along the way, I am happy to see the purchase [of a new fire truck] move forward so we can secure the vehicle for the [fire] department without further delay,” Thomas said.
The council unanimously approved the purchase later in the meeting.
Thomas said documents demonstrating compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements are being completed by Rich Maher, director of Neptune City’s Office of Emergency Management.
“These measures do take a lot of time and require the utmost thoroughness,” Thomas wrote. “As a secondary note, the reports will aid us in the overarching project of mitigating flooding hazards.”
In response to a question from resident Arlene Sciarappa, McGreevy said an application for a cannabis retail operation in the shopping center at the borough’s western end will likely be considered by the Neptune City Land Use Board next month.
A public hearing on the borough’s 2024 budget is scheduled for the next council meeting on Mon., April 22.
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