ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – Ignoring the fact residents have been asking for three years, and have anticipated the governing body would follow their expressed wishes for senior citizen housing, the Mayor and Council last night introduced a new development plan that, in spite of the Master Plan, would not only prohibit a senior citizen building but would also allow for construction of from 9 to 13 private family homes on the Mother Theresa School site.
What’s more, the governing body never even advised the owners of the property, the Catholic diocese of Trenton and St. Agnes School, that they were making this change while in negotiations with the church on the sale of the property.
Were it not for the astute, careful and conscientious questions of everything governmental by local resident Mark Fisher, the vast majority of residents would also not know that the “Redevelopment Plan,” Ordinance 13-2022, introduced at last night’s meeting had anything to do with the largest piece of property in the borough currently up for sale.
Immediately after introducing the ordinance, scheduled for a public hearing Dec. 15, the governing body also unanimously, adopted a resolution to refer it to the Planning Board for its review and comment to see if it is in conformance with the borough’s Master Plan.
While only formally receiving the plan over this holiday weekend following last night’s approval of the resolution to forward it, the planners have called for a meeting Monday evening at 7:30 in borough hall to consider what many believe is unalterably opposed to the Master Plan and would need to be modified by the planners in order to conform.
Should the planners accomplish all of that and return their findings and opinions to the council, council could approve the new Redevelopment plan immediately following the Dec. 15 public hearing.
In response to questions from a resident, Councilman Brian Dougherty, who sits on the planning board and appeared last night’s meeting on ZOOM, said the planners had received notice they would have the plan for review last Nov. 4.
Attorney Michael Butler, who appeared at the meeting via ZOOM and advised the governing body he is the attorney for the parish church and the diocese, requested an adjournment of Monday’s meeting since last night’s meeting was the first he saw anything about the redevelopment plan for the property, so has not had the opportunity to study it and see its impact on any sale.
While no council member would agree to contact the planning board attorney during last night’s meeting to request the adjournment, Butler said he has worked with the attorneys involved for the borough and he, along with borough administrator Rob Ferragina, would contact them with the request. Whether the meeting takes place will be advertised on the borough’s website, AHNJ.com.
It was not until all action by the governing body was taken before Fisher had the opportunity to ask a series of questions, many on the minds of the approximate 75 members in attendance either in person or on ZOOM at the meeting.
Many of the audience were present only because Fisher, through a regular e-mail he sends to those who request it, advised the public of the issues the governing body had failed to do.
In his newsletter, Fisher asked whether 9 or 13 houses be built there and whether the Hesse Center stay or go? He pointed out that “after 3 and a half years of asking about the status of negotiations, hundreds of times with the answer, “We can’t talk about it,” the secrecy, the rumors, and now it all comes down to this.” The document is actually labeled the “South Avenue Redevelopment Plan” but nobody knows what that is…”
Fisher also included directions to the full 34 page redevelopment plan. He reminded residents that everyone seemed to like the plan three years ago that included more senior units, a garden, a recreation center, a pocket park…and said, “this is where we left off three and a half years ago.”
Fisher also told his readers the proposed plan in the new ordinance simply identified as Ord. 13-2022 Redevelopment Plan, “is a middle-finger to our local seniors that want to stay in town, those who can’t afford to live in their house anymore and have no senior units available to move into.” Fisher added that “this plan is NOT what the residents of the borough were expecting.”
Fisher noted that that the 34 page redevelopment plan limits the types of houses that can be built on the individual lots, as well as the construction materials that could be used. He outlined the history since the property was first brought up at council meetings in February 2019, the number of residents who have asked questions and the 30 executive sessions Council has held concerning the tract, but supplying no information to the public. He urged the governing body not to accept the plan since “it is not what we talked about” when the public first learned the property was being sold.
Fisher also pointed out, and reiterated at the council meeting, that the ordinance if approved, gives the potential for 29 more houses to be built within three blocks of each other along the Ave D corridor, citing the McConnell/Denholtz tracts on Center Avenue.
Although the Master Plan clearly calls for a limit to “future development and population density, as well as a balance of waterfront open space and recreational activity, and ensuring investment in infrastructure that supports a sustainable pattern of land use, retaining the small town residential character of the borough,” the resolution unanimously approved by council last night said “the borough has created this redevelopment plan that would support the goals and objectives of the Master Plan.” Whether new housing on the acreage fits that description is the question the Planning Board has to consider.
Many residents spoke out against the borough’s plans at last night’s meeting, several from the area surrounding the school property that would be directly affected by new housing. Many chided the governing body, saying the news came as “a complete surprise” or “came as a shock,” or “I’m begging you to let us participate,” in complaining about not receiving information on the proposed major changes.
Long time borough resident Kate Wigginton questioned how the matter could be brought before the planning board without formal notification to the residents in the immediate area; another resident cited that six of the seven Master Plan initiatives are being violated by the redevelopment plan, another resident said in a small town friendly community such as this, neighbors talk to each other, and council should have as well.
Former Mayor Richard Stryker recalled that when the St. Agnes property was first brought out and there were recommendations for the question to go to a referendum, “we were told there was not enough time.”
Nor did any council member know the money amount the borough paid for the new redevelopment plan or when they paid it. None knew whether it was included in this month’s payment of bills, which council, minutes before, had unanimously approved totaling $1.77 million.
The full redevelopment plan is available on Fisher’s site, as well as at https://www.ahnj.com/ahnj/Departments/Planning.
How can you find the information Mark Fisher so diligently researches about borough affairs?
It’s simple? E-mail ahnewsbymarkfisher@googlegroups.com and make the request. Fisher formed the site to provide information about Atlantic Highlands borough meetings and other important topics. He attends almost all council and borough committee meetings, as well as fire department and first aid events and activities, and synopsizes every council meeting after each meeting, making it easy and accurately informative reading for those who cannot attend a council meeting.
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