--- In [email protected], "bluebishop82"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Glad to tell you why I support the incumbents.
>
> In the 70's, 80's and 90's, Asbury Park made no progress, unlike
the
> rest of Monmouth County. The perception of Asbury Park was that it
> was beyond help. Then there were 2 important forward steps that
pre-
> date this current council: 1) The Gay/Lesbian community
refurbishing
> residential real estate back to past glory; 2) Pat and Pat
starting
> the refurbishing of Downtown.
>
I don't think anyone here disagrees with this.
> Then this council took over. Through thier efforts, they lifted
> Asbury Park's redevelopmment effort out of the Connecticut
> Bankruptcy Court. They got Waterfront Redevlopment underway.
That
> started the media attention and the general conversation
throughout
> the State and beyond that Asbury Park was hot again. It is that
> perception alone that drove the property values up, because in the
> final analysis, property values are products of perception.
This council had nothing to do with getting the development rights
out of us bankruptcy court. In fact, that were not even elected when
that occurred, but only later approved the plan to do so which was
negotiated by a convicted and confessed felon.
The point no one disagrees with is that the development rights
should have been freed from the court and being so, is what enabled
AP to take advantage of ordinary market forces. The questions we
pose are:
Is the deal we have the one we should have?
Should we have sold all of our public assets with nary a thought (or
appraisal) of what they were worth?
Why, having the deal we have, does our CURRENT council refuse to
enforce the provisions of the deal, for instance, rehabiliation of
our waterfront structures?
Why was it necessary to violate the plan previously in place which
allowed property owners to develop their own properties in return
for a plan which condemns some but not others?
Those of your mindset want to make this an issue of proceeding or
stopping the redevlopment. That is not the issue and no one on this
forum, or any of the candidates, has expressed that motive. We
simply believe that the facts support that the current council does
not have the experience or abilities to run a $1.25 billion
redevelopment. It is 4 years since the MOU and 3 years since the
plan was approved. Not one stone of the waterfront structures have
been restored. What future can this city have when 3,164 condo units
will not pay one cent towards the schools for 10 years? You are
deluding yourself if you believe that Asbury partners will restore
our buildings without prodding. You are deluding yourself if you
believe that the state will continue to subsidize our schools
forever. Lastly, this council has recently admitted that we ae
running another $3.5 million deficit and need money for 4 more years
because there will be further deficits. What progress I ask you? Whe
you've had nothing for decades, very little seems like something.
You obviously do not set the stick very high off the ground.
>
> The plan to have high-density residential real estate at the water
> works. The money generated will put Asbury back in the black, so
in
> the futre, we need not lose public buildings like Convention
Hall.
> It's a great plan.
>
> This council also concentrated on redevelopment in other parts of
> the City, like on the West Side and the Scattered Sites program.
> They are the first to do so since the 1960's.
>
> I can't fathom why anyone would want to stop this progress. We
need
> it to go forward. For many the perception of Asbury Park's
comback
> is fagile. If we put the brakes on, people will stop believing
and
> that will be bad for the City.
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