Boy are the voters of this town fickle. He was on the council. He was voted out. So he writes a letter outlining pretty much the same information every commenter on this blog has been saying for over a week, and he should be mayor?
Does anyone remember the state of the senior building during the time of the last administration?
I understand the argument, but I disagree. Part of the problems we’re facing now are a result of the inaction of the last admin. This admin is FAR from perfect, but the last one was even farther.
Well, the Belmar Inn is slated for demolition to make room for a giant box shaped condo complex. It was in the news a bit, surprising you missed it. And no, there are no affordable units in it.
The Belmar Motor Lodge is also headed for demolition. That gigantic, traffic inducing complex also has no affordable units planned. Although that may not be too late to change.
I think you missed the news yourself as the project where the motor lodge location is in the litigation the Borough brought and they will be putting in affordable units.
Well that is good news. I did miss that. I was hoping it wasn’t too late to change and sounds like it already has. Hopefully that will help turn attention away from the senior building. I remember being angry that the Walsifer admin approved the developer to go higher than was allowed on that project. Offered it up before the developer even needed to fight for it. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever witnessed. And they couldn’t come up with one legitimate reason why they would do such a thing. That was the last straw for me with that gang.
Hopefully the affordable units for that project (although like most people, I think it’s a hideous monstrosity) will allow them to leave the senior building alone.
Thanks for the update.
@Ship in port- the Walsifer Admin was working with the developer on different things that would be give backs to the Borough at the developer’s expense, for example in the plans that were presented that included public parking for everyone’s use (and a fair amount of spaces) it also included the developer paying for the infrastructure upgrades/repairs as opposed to being the Borough’s problem. And it wasn’t just an apartment building only benefiting the developer and owner it included a restaurant, boutique hotel, but the parking was a huge thing for the Borough to get without having to pay to have same built. As it cost anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 per spot to build. So working with developers instead of against them allows the Borough to negotiate to get things paid for by the developers. This litigation, as explained even by the Attorney at the last meeting, took that away. Now infrastructure repairs and upgrades to accommodate Affordable Housing required by the Borough are shifted back to the Borough and taxpayers to foot the bill for. So the Borough will not be able to ask the developers to pay for upgrades to sewer systems, etc., the Court will not force the developers to take on this expense because as far as they are concerned this is the obligation of Belmar to have done so they can meet their affordable housing obligations. There is something to be said for working with people versus being adversarial and closed off to any communication. Don’t be fooled we are in this position not because of prior actions but because of the actions, behavior and attitude of the current Mayor.
You seem to forget that the last admin was voted out by folks (like me) who wanted to stop them from “working” with developers. The affordable housing obligations are not new. They have been passed down from admin to admin. If I was elected under the idea of slowing the unchecked development in this tiny town, I’d be doing the same thing. So would you. So would the last mayor for that matter. That we find ourselves in this position is a result of years and years of irresponsibility. It’s like blaming the mess on the people trying to clean it up.
And let’s not forget we vastly overpaid for a contaminated lot on Main Street that we (you and me) purchased from the family of the former BA. Now let’s see that chestnut get spun to a positive.
Unrelated
Is anyone else completely horrified that the Supreme Court just basically made presidents above the law? That’s current and future presidents from either party.
The founding fathers are spinning in their graves. Fighting and dying to free ourselves from a king. Only to have a group of unelected judges create the conditions for a new one 250+ years later.
Mr D is right, at least now he is, democracy is dead.
If the Dems. didn’t weaponize the judicial system to go after their competition, the Supreme Court wouldn’t have had to spell out exactly what the Constitution states. Blame the Dems. They got it right.
You realize this means that ANY president can get up to all kinds of illegal activity and claim that it’s official business, right? ANY president. Meaning EITHER party. That is objectively bad.
You know blind partisanship is bad when folks don’t start to put the interests of one man above the interests of the entire nation. I beg you, as an American, please snap out of the spell you’re under. We cannot have presidents with that kind of immunity. These are, for the most part, highly correctable people. Forget Trump. This isn’t about him. He, like all politicians, will be gone one day. We will be dealing with this ruling for a generation.
Right on point, Jim McCracken.
BHA Commissioners, please vote no or let it die without a second. Protect Belmar residents’ priority.
McCracken for mayor
Boy are the voters of this town fickle. He was on the council. He was voted out. So he writes a letter outlining pretty much the same information every commenter on this blog has been saying for over a week, and he should be mayor?
Does anyone remember the state of the senior building during the time of the last administration?
I’ll take the last administration over this one any day
I understand the argument, but I disagree. Part of the problems we’re facing now are a result of the inaction of the last admin. This admin is FAR from perfect, but the last one was even farther.
I wouldn’t go that far.
But let’s resolve the BHA issue first.
Has any consideration been given to the affordable housing occupants of the subsidized Belmar Inn or the Belmar Motor Lodge?
Well, the Belmar Inn is slated for demolition to make room for a giant box shaped condo complex. It was in the news a bit, surprising you missed it. And no, there are no affordable units in it.
The Belmar Motor Lodge is also headed for demolition. That gigantic, traffic inducing complex also has no affordable units planned. Although that may not be too late to change.
I think you missed the news yourself as the project where the motor lodge location is in the litigation the Borough brought and they will be putting in affordable units.
Well that is good news. I did miss that. I was hoping it wasn’t too late to change and sounds like it already has. Hopefully that will help turn attention away from the senior building. I remember being angry that the Walsifer admin approved the developer to go higher than was allowed on that project. Offered it up before the developer even needed to fight for it. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever witnessed. And they couldn’t come up with one legitimate reason why they would do such a thing. That was the last straw for me with that gang.
Hopefully the affordable units for that project (although like most people, I think it’s a hideous monstrosity) will allow them to leave the senior building alone.
Thanks for the update.
@Ship in port- the Walsifer Admin was working with the developer on different things that would be give backs to the Borough at the developer’s expense, for example in the plans that were presented that included public parking for everyone’s use (and a fair amount of spaces) it also included the developer paying for the infrastructure upgrades/repairs as opposed to being the Borough’s problem. And it wasn’t just an apartment building only benefiting the developer and owner it included a restaurant, boutique hotel, but the parking was a huge thing for the Borough to get without having to pay to have same built. As it cost anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 per spot to build. So working with developers instead of against them allows the Borough to negotiate to get things paid for by the developers. This litigation, as explained even by the Attorney at the last meeting, took that away. Now infrastructure repairs and upgrades to accommodate Affordable Housing required by the Borough are shifted back to the Borough and taxpayers to foot the bill for. So the Borough will not be able to ask the developers to pay for upgrades to sewer systems, etc., the Court will not force the developers to take on this expense because as far as they are concerned this is the obligation of Belmar to have done so they can meet their affordable housing obligations. There is something to be said for working with people versus being adversarial and closed off to any communication. Don’t be fooled we are in this position not because of prior actions but because of the actions, behavior and attitude of the current Mayor.
You seem to forget that the last admin was voted out by folks (like me) who wanted to stop them from “working” with developers. The affordable housing obligations are not new. They have been passed down from admin to admin. If I was elected under the idea of slowing the unchecked development in this tiny town, I’d be doing the same thing. So would you. So would the last mayor for that matter. That we find ourselves in this position is a result of years and years of irresponsibility. It’s like blaming the mess on the people trying to clean it up.
And let’s not forget we vastly overpaid for a contaminated lot on Main Street that we (you and me) purchased from the family of the former BA. Now let’s see that chestnut get spun to a positive.
Unrelated
Is anyone else completely horrified that the Supreme Court just basically made presidents above the law? That’s current and future presidents from either party.
The founding fathers are spinning in their graves. Fighting and dying to free ourselves from a king. Only to have a group of unelected judges create the conditions for a new one 250+ years later.
Mr D is right, at least now he is, democracy is dead.
Enjoy the Belmar fireworks on Saturday night. It may be the last time this country is truly free for many years to come.
If the Dems. didn’t weaponize the judicial system to go after their competition, the Supreme Court wouldn’t have had to spell out exactly what the Constitution states. Blame the Dems. They got it right.
You realize this means that ANY president can get up to all kinds of illegal activity and claim that it’s official business, right? ANY president. Meaning EITHER party. That is objectively bad.
You know blind partisanship is bad when folks don’t start to put the interests of one man above the interests of the entire nation. I beg you, as an American, please snap out of the spell you’re under. We cannot have presidents with that kind of immunity. These are, for the most part, highly correctable people. Forget Trump. This isn’t about him. He, like all politicians, will be gone one day. We will be dealing with this ruling for a generation.